Filing system parts. It's the little things.

[Mike Halmarack]

I have a couple of old filing cabinets, the older one adapted to take hanging files. Each hanging file has up to 4 colour coded labels depending on it's position in the hierarchy. In the first development phase these coloured labels were fixed to the hanging files with clip-on label holders which were made of flexible plastic and which held the home made coloured labels on 3 of their 4 sides.

Later when I went to buy some more label holders locally I was supplied with some rigid plastic ones that held white proprietary labels at the 2 ends only. They're a pain. I've looked at some office equipment and stationery suppliers on the Web but can't see any of the label holders I prefer. Can anyone suggest where I might get these?

I sub-divide these hanging files with manilla folders. Rather than writing directly on the tabs I used the sticky labels that peel-off a backing strip. After a year or so, these once sticky labels fall off due to adhesion failure. How come it's always the little things that are so complicated?

[:::Jerry::::]

Because you are bucking the trend....

[Mike Halmarack]

In the immortal words of Rod Steiger: "It doesn't make you as bad person"

[raden]

In message , Mike Halmarack writes

Should keep you busy for a while

[Mike Halmarack]

My fondest desire is that it will keep someone else busy, once functional.

[N. Thornton]

Label holders: take a credit cars, cut 2 slots in it so it sits on the card file, and use an adhesive label on it. If you want to stop it falling off, a blob of silicone as you slide it on should do it, or parcel tape might.

Adhesive labels: there are permanent and removable adhesive labels, try to get permanent. Its uaually feintly printed on the back of the sheets.

NT

[Mike Halmarack]

Nice ideas! I do have several too many credit cards but I do quit fancy the idea of d-i-y purchase rather than d-i-y manufacture, just on this one occasion.

I'll look into it, thanks.

[N. Thornton]

crystal files (hanging file make) use press on plastic label holders IIRC, shoudl be able to get a pack spare.

NT

[Phil Addison]

Yes, I find Crystal are the best all round. I never indelibly print labels, just use a soft pencil and write neatly, that way you have a lot les grief when you decide to re-arrange things.

Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at

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[Mike Halmarack]

Thanks, I'll see if I can find a source and description of these. The ones I already have in abundance are "Twinlock". They don't suit my method at all.

[Mike Halmarack]

This is getting more encouraging. :)

With the flexible label holders I had, the label was gripped firmly both top and bottom. This allowed me to easily cut and use d-i-y labels made from brightly coloured file dividers. Colour coding is indispensable with my home brewed filing system and this method allows me to ink the labels in boldly, then just throw them away when they become obsolete. The next pack of labels holders I got were rigid and held their own proprietary label flimsily at each end only. Blue-tack helps but who wants the added task?

[Phil Addison]

Oh dear, Twinlock make the "Crystalfile" system. See

and put Crystal File in the search box. Their tabs clip on as you can see in the photo, and the supplied labels are plain white cards that slides into a slot in the tab. The card is about 57x15mm, and you could replace these with your own coloured cards, though I have just noticed the box says "other colours available".

I like this system because the hanging pockets are individually self-supporting and not bound together as in some systems. This means that you can easily lift out a pocket complete with contents to work on it, or re-file the whole pocket elsewhere. Also the hanger ends have nylon inserts so slide smoothly on the runner rails.

Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at

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[Mike Halmarack]

Thanks for the extra info. The suspended files I have and like to use are just like the ones you describe. The tabs or title holders I prefer to use are made by "Punchline" I've recently found out and these are quite unlike the ones that are sold with both the Viking brand suspended files and the "Twinlock Recycled file" clear tabs sold by Viking.

I'm not sure about the "Twinlock Crystalfile" clear tabs that are shown on the Viking site because I can't get a good enough view to know how the labels are held by them.

What annoys me is that the ones that are common now aren't a patch on the ones I use. These new varieties seem to be designed to force the use of proprietary labels rather that for practicality.

I'm convinced from practical experience that the differences are significant but it's quite bemusing to realise how much time and energy can be spent on ensuring these specific details. I could spend days on this quest and at the end of it the world will be no better a place. Not that it needs to be, or could be, of course. :-)

[Phil Addison]

I have put a close-up photo of one of my tabs on the FAQ site. It won't stay there for long, though!

can see how the label slides into a channel in the perspex tab.

Phil The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at

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[Mike Halmarack]

Thanks a lot. The tab looks like the right type for my purposes. I took some photos of my tabs yesterday, which makes me appreciate the quality of your JPEG file. I aspire to take photos of that quality but as my digital camera is only 3 days old there is likely to be some improvement in the near future.