Storing Nuts and Bolts ?

[Motorhead Extraordinaire]

I just use my Lista drawers for all of my hardware. Since I have instant visualization I don't label the bins. On the other hand one of my customers labels everything.

It's really a matter of choice. The important factor are: 1) Can you quickly find the hardware you need? and 2) Can you quickly assess inventory levels?

Joe

 

[Strouty]

The problem that I seem to have is the amount of various hardware that I have. I am a hardware hoarder (probably just a hoarder), I have hardware that I do not even know what it is called. I just can't get rid of it, I have a bunch of older NOS hardware from a body shop that went out of business.

I have a vidmar cabinet, but the plan had been to use it for my tooling for the lathe and mill. I did buy a bunch of the RM Schaler bins, they are pretty damn nice.

 

[Motorhead Extraordinaire]

I hoard hardware also but I really like the drawer/bin approach a lot. The bins are easy enough to rearrange, move about, take out for a job but I find the big advantage is in the ability to instantly view all of the hardware in a single drawer. I have a drawer for 1/4" and 5/16", another for 3/8" and 1/2", one for small screws, one for electrical, one for specialty items, etc.

I simply open a drawer and I have instant visability into my stuff. I really do not like the boxes with the lids or the pull out bin cabinets. They are, in the world of good organization, very obsolete requiring one to open everything to find anything.

IMHO

Joe

 

[WhoWhatNow]

Motorhead - are those label holders part of the bins or are they available separately?

 

[Soon2AdjustYou]

I have a couple of huge buckets full of hardware as well as some spread out through my drawers. One day I'll use all the organizers I've collected through the years and put them in order.

I love this thread!

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Re: Storeing Nuts and Bolts ?

Not sure what "drop ceiling aluminum angle" is...do you have a side view photo or drawing...

Suspended ceiling wall angle...



Tommy

 

[Motorhead Extraordinaire]

Motorhead - are those label holders part of the bins or are they available separately?

The Lista bins have a slot for a paper label to sit into. Optionally there is a little angle tab that inserts into the label slot on the box.

We actually sell both the Lista and Schaller boxes. The Schaller boxes do not have such an arrangement. They are both very good for storing parts.

Joe

 

[67carl]

What I'm using for hardware storage...

 

[67carl]

I have one of those HF storage racks with the plastic bins. Never liked it as it just collected dirt, sawdust and other ****. I took those bins, drilled holes front and back for the card rod to go through, and put them in. Works great, only HF doesn't sell this size bin separately so I'm looking for others.

 

[My Old Tools]

This is what I have always wanted.....

 

[Motorhead Extraordinaire]

This is what I have always wanted.....

That is surely interesting. What was it originally intended for?

 

[-Brent-]

That is surely interesting. What was it originally intended for?

Looks like it might have been for type setting.

 

[-Brent-]

I love all of the different variations.

Here's my set-up, which is similar to a couple others. I bought a small sheep of galvanized sheet metal to make additional dividers.

I'll tell you what, having hardware on hand (and organized) is really nice.

It takes up a little more bench space than I'd like but the trade-off is organization and cleanliness.



I'd like to neaten up the labeling, too. I've figured out what some of the unknown "stock" was and since I know now what it's for, I'm pulling it out to pass it on - since I'll never use it.

 

[dittle fart around]

That is surely interesting. What was it originally intended for?

This is what I have always wanted.....

Hardware stores used to have rotating bins for small nuts, bolts and screws.
Everything was in a drawer with the item mounted to the face of the drawer.
When I was working at the local hardware we had a rotating rack with bagged machine and wood screws. Most of the old hardware stores are long gone.

 

[Tyberius]

My older Husky cabinet, two drawers filled with bins from cantilevered organizers. The good thing is that I can just put the bins back in an organizer if I need to go on the road.

The bottom big drawer holds large buckets of screws and such. On the top is the little plastic organizers on pegboard.

 

[PFSard]

This is what I have always wanted.....

That is sharp. Probably not too many of those around.

 

[ZRX61]

Have an Equipto 34x20x11 24 drawer unit. It's been in storage for a couple of years, but I bought it back home today. The local college were throwing it out about 8 or 9 years ago & I told them to just throw it in the back of my truck so it was free
It's full, so getting it in & out of my truck today, & then up onto my workbench was a slight ordeal.

Might have been a dumb idea as I've had some health issues the past 3 weeks & I'm not supposed to be lifting anything. I never think of that at the time though, I have "****, I shouldn't have done that" moments about an hour later.
Edit: I'm now thinking it was a dumb idea & am starting to feel it.

 

[PFSard]

Have an Equipto 34x20x11 24 drawer unit. It's full, so getting it in & out of my truck today, & then up onto my workbench was a slight ordeal.

Might have been a dumb idea as I've had some health issues the past 3 weeks & I'm not supposed to be lifting anything. I never think of that at the time though, I have "****, I shouldn't have done that" moments about an hour later.
Edit: I'm now thinking it was a dumb idea & am starting to feel it.

I would not want you to have an adverse reaction in lifting that Equipto. Why don't I take it off your hands? Maybe someday I'll be lucky enough to stumble on a "deal" like that.

 

[WhoWhatNow]

The Lista bins have a slot for a paper label to sit into. Optionally there is a little angle tab that inserts into the label slot on the box.

We actually sell both the Lista and Schaller boxes. The Schaller boxes do not have such an arrangement. They are both very good for storing parts.

Joe

THanks - since I already have 3 drawers full of the Schaller boxes I guess I will need to find another way to lable them.

 

[A29]

I'm using a Horrable freight 4 drawer tool cabinet for my bolt/nut storage

 

[jeffmoss26]

Hardware stores used to have rotating bins for small nuts, bolts and screws.
Everything was in a drawer with the item mounted to the face of the drawer.
When I was working at the local hardware we had a rotating rack with bagged machine and wood screws. Most of the old hardware stores are long gone.

A couple of our OLD hardware stores in Cleveland still have that setup.

 

[My Old Tools]

That is surely interesting. What was it originally intended for?

It is an original screw and bolt bin. It has the sizes stamped into the wood on the drawers. They were made in a number of sizes mostly by The American Screw and Bolt Co. of Dayton. Another smaller one with clearer lettering...
http://www.rubylane.com/item/245077-14831/Small-size-octagon-72-drawer-rotating

 

[brownbagg]

i threw all my nuts and bolts away. i had mult five gallon buckets of bolts i would never use. 3/4 of my shop was a warehouse for parts, so now i keep a couple small boxes of common nuts and bolts, and the rest i will just go buy as needed

 

[AndyA]

Modular drawer cabinets. Pricy but probably the best way to organize small parts like nuts/bolts

 

[carterbeauford]

I use Vidmar plastic boxes in a Vidmar cabinet, they will fit in a toolbox drawer too.

 

[Strouty]

I am doing some organizing and thought I would bump the thread I was using for inspiration. Once I get something done, I may even post some results.

 

[ptgb]

1. Buy blueprint cabinet.... they are all over Craigslist.

2. Paint said cabinet whatever color you want... I went with black.

3. Place cabinet in convenient location.

4. Skip a house payment and buy a ton of bins from Shaller Corp.

5. Put all you nuts and bolts in the bins.... hell, you can fit your grandfather's, neighbor's, and local pastor's hardware with all the room you have for stuff!

 

[impala4speed]

Hey ptgb, from a fellow Y'towner, good idea and a great looking garage.

 

[Strouty]

Bumped because I am making progress. I only have a few hundred more drawers and shelves to go!

 

[Strouty]

Bump, because I am bored and was looking for some new ideas.

 

[macgee]

Personally I think using vidmar or Lista's is way over kill for fasteners. I'm not knocking it, I love them and have them myself but using blueprint files (like ptgb) and library card files work very well and cost pennies compared to a Lista and you could use that saved money to buy a whole lot more fasteners.
I keep all my tooling in the good stuff and regulate fasteners to lighter weight organizers (still with ball bearing sliders) as they weigh less and I don't go into them nearly as much as my tooling drawers.

 

[Tyberius]

Filled up the rest of my drawers with bins form the dollar store.









And filled up the empty space in the other drawers.



Still a deep drawer in the bottom.

 

[Strouty]

Tyberius, those fit nicely, looks clean and organized.

 

[Boost Creep]

i've got the little red bins too. bought their 140 pc set. i think if i were to go back i'd buy a smaller set and get more individual sizes than a kit because i did end up with tons of the little ones that i'm not using and could use more of the bigger ones.

got a bunch of drawers like this

 

[macgee]

Filled up the rest of my drawers with bins form the dollar store.

Hey Tyberius,

Do you have a link for those bins? The 3" is pretty deep but could work for high volume fasteners and deeper drawers.

While the red Vidmar/Lista bins seems expensive, trying to find anything cheaper in that volume and size is almost non existent.

Looking around the best price I could find for something similar is like an assorted 7 piece set for typically around $10.

It's not a whole lot of difference in price when comparing and adding the price up, plus the Lista/Vidmar size works really well for tool drawers and red color is nice compared to the white or black ones I was finding.

 

[Tyberius]

Hey Tyberius,

Do you have a link for those bins? The 3" is pretty deep but could work for high volume fasteners and deeper drawers.

Dollar Tree.

3 for $1
2 of the 8" for $1
1 12" for $1

 

[JonnyMac]

Mines here on the right.
I grabbed a few parts boxes and welded a frame from 1" and some angle for the shelves
Its mounted on an old medical cart which I stripped out.

 

[macgee]

Dollar Tree.

3 for $1
2 of the 8" for $1
1 12" for $1

Perfect, thank you. I just checked and there is actually one store only 2 miles away (that never happens). I'll check it out as a possible cheap alternative.

Cheers

 

[-Brent-]

Bumping a great thread that could use a shot in the arm. I would like to see what lots of you have been up to. I need some fresh ideas/pics.

My set-up isn't working out. I need a proper work bench again.

 

[crewchief888]

Re: Storeing Nuts and Bolts ?

heres what i use for most of my small storage needs. a few more have been added since the pic was taken.
i had a lawson nut and bolt bin at one time, ran out of space for it.

most of my storage solutions have been from dumpster diving expeditions.

time for an updated pic. i salvaged a few more drawers, and made a rack or them out of some scrap plywood i had laying around.