Bolt bins ..show me your creative cost effective solution

[Big Dad]

Local farm stores only have small ones with 6 spots , I'd like something larger ..

 

[javyLSU]

I had a drawer to spare in my main box, so I used a bunch of the bins that come in the Harbor Freight organizers and filled it out:

 

[cmandp]

One idea I saw on here a little bit ago was using the nail in plastic electrical boxes. The pulled the nails and cut the protrusions off.

 

[Grimpala]

I use the HF storage bins in a rack I made. Plenty of options on bin size and shape and not too heavy to drag around.

 

[jrsavoie]

My bolt bin is large. I used quart cans, such as tomato juice comes in.

I built the frame out of 1-1/4" x 1-1/4" x 1/8" angle iron.

I have 9 or 10 rows of about 15 cans set at a less tham 45 degree angle. The cans sit closer to 60 degrees, if I remember right.

I kind of copied a bolt bin at a facility I worked at.

I sold the first one I made and several years later made another.

Now that I am older, I should sell this one as well. But it sure is handy having it.

I will get pics if anybody is interested.

 

[niget2002]

I use the HF storage bins in a rack I made. Plenty of options on bin size and shape and not too heavy to drag around.

same

 

[jrsavoie]

I had a drawer to spare in my main box, so I used a bunch of the bins that come in the Harbor Freight organizers and filled it out:

LOL. That's almost a starter kit for me. There are certain things I have quarts of.

But then it's at least a 1-1/2 hour round trip to get to a store, so I try to stock up. Most trips are more like 2 to 4 hours. I hate to waste the road time and try to get more shopping done on any trip.

One time I even went to town and forgot to get what I went after. I forgot to put it on the list with the other stuff I was going get as long as I was going to town.

That was 45 minutes one way. 15 minutes in the store and another 45 minutes home.

 

[u2slow]

I happened to like a certain kind of beer that came in a sturdy box of 12 tall cans. Added a little tape to the empty boxes, and built 12" deep shelves to stow them on. Each 'bin' holds one size of fastener (1/4", 3/8", etc) and they're big enough to keep small bags and packages in.

 

[tarmy]

Not very cost effective…but effective for me…

 

[jrsavoie]

I was at a guys shop that bought the whole help section from a parts store or dealership that went out of business. I was kind of drooling a little. I was tempted to seriously look into buying everything. 2 nice shops and house on over 5 acres. The area was a bit too populated for my likes though.

 

[APEowner]

I don't know about cost effective but I use the Akro bins on louvered wall panels. I don't have a good picture because they're mounted on the wall behind the air compressor.

 

[akalian]

Sold

 

[AldeanFan]

Coffee cans are cheap and work well for me

 

[Renegade1LI]

I like the plastic flambeau & metal cases , just add as needed, easy to stack & bring to the bench.

 

[atch]

You want cheap???

Ten drawer file cabinet (cheap at auction) with cut down half gallon milk jugs:

 

[racecougar]

I picked all of these and more (I've re-sold quite a few) up over time from local industrial auctions. They often go for cheap at auction.

 

[69charged]

this is mine. It has worked for 15 or so years, but now I’m tired of it being wide open. Going to sell it all and go with closed storage.
Not so much cost effective, but lasting this long has paid for itself many times over.

 

[cvairwerks]

If those Akro bins have a hole in each side, near the back end, then you can get the flip lids for them and reduce the dust/dirt settling into the hardware.

 

[Metallitubby]

Media added by akalian

www.garagejournal.com

Nice!

 

[Metallitubby]

Coffee cans are cheap and work well for me

I was gonna ask. If they are all labeled "nuts" won't you get confused?

Chock Full o' Bolts? Chock Full o' 6x1.0mm?

 

[Big Dad]

You want cheap???

Ten drawer file cabinet (cheap at auction) with cut down half gallon milk jugs:

good idea

 

[fsae0607]

These bins from either the blue or orange box store work for me.

 

[brownbagg]

when 90% of your shop is storage bolts and parts, you have a warehouse not a shop
i have an handful of bolts that i use, lowe ids just up the road, they can warehouse my bolts

 

[Jagmandave]

This is an a-frame mounted on casters, it has these boxes on both sides and I like them having lids to keep the dirt and dust out.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

You want cheap???

Ten drawer file cabinet (cheap at auction) with cut down half gallon milk jugs:

I cut down empty hydrogen peroxide and isopropyl alcohol bottles. Cut some short, some at an angle, some longwise.
I like the square sides.

 

[rayra]

when 90% of your shop is storage bolts and parts, you have a warehouse not a shop
i have an handful of bolts that i use, lowe ids just up the road, they can warehouse my bolts

Thus utterly missing the zeitgeist of GarageJournal.

 

[fsae0607]

when 90% of your shop is storage bolts and parts, you have a warehouse not a shop
i have an handful of bolts that i use, lowe ids just up the road, they can warehouse my bolts

Fine, but it sure feels good when you have what you need "in stock"!

 

[NakeDiesel]

I use Folger coffee cans for 1/4" and larger bolts, flat tackle boxes for smaller bolts.

 

[Copymutt]

40 large Folgers coffee cans some what dedicated by size of the item. All on shelves. Dump em into a box top to locate what’s needed. Works for me. Box top works as a crude funnel to return them. Pic is one side of the cabinet.

 

[Klokwerk]

Dude, you have a reel to reel in your shop. Nice!
I second coffee cans. Use them here too.

 

[like2wheel]

Fine, but it sure feels good when you have what you need "in stock"!

And not everybody has a Lowes "just up the road".

Lowes bolt selection ***** anyway

 

[racecougar]

And not everybody has a Lowes "just up the road".

Lowes bolt selection ***** anyway

Bingo.

I source much of my hardware from Grainger and McMaster-Carr, neither of which are "just up the road".

 

[NakeDiesel]

I buy bulk at atwoods, tsc or the local oilfield supply company. Fill bags up with size of bolts, nuts, flat and lock washers that I'm low on. I keep a supply of SAE bolt sizes on hand here at the house since I'm out in the middle of nowhere. Anything I'm building uses SAE bolts. I have a bit of metric new, especially allen bolts as well as some packaged kits for different projects I've needed them for. Then I have coffee can after coffee can sorted for used bolts on the shelf as well so if I don't have a new one I can always grab an old one if needed in a pinch. Same for metric old bolts.

 

[niget2002]

I think I've posted this picture before. Here's the shelf system I made.

I have lots of room for growth. I really only keep a few standard sizes of nuts and bolts around most of the time.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

I think I've posted this picture before. Here's the shelf system I made.

I have lots of room for growth. I really only keep a few standard sizes of nuts and bolts around most of the time.

What you have there is "A Home for Every Nut".
WOW! That could be something of a name-descriptor for GJ.

 

[old_smokey]

I made this from old bed frames and some scrap tubing. The bins are from home depot. They're about $5 each. I would grab one or two every time I was in HD for something. Didn't take long and I had enough to warrant a shelf.

 

[Bretny]

Keep your eyes peeled for a used one. Found this one on CL years ago. This one was from an automotive shop shutting down, i got a few metal wall cabinets too. I think they where about $120 about 10yrs ago.

Have you priced out a new one?

 

[Yankeefarmer]

Fine, but it sure feels good when you have what you need "in stock"!

There’s a middle ground. I have one of these for each of 1/4-20, 5/16-18, 3/8-16, 7/16-14, 1/2-13, and generally have what I need. If I’m doing a larger project, I’ll be obtaining materials anyway, and purchase the fasteners I need for that project.

 

[Jagmandave]

I'm pretty much done with old used hardware.....I buy my stuff from Bolt Depot dot com, good prices - in fact, grade 8 stuff is usually cheaper than grade 5 so that's what I mostly buy now - plus I like the gold cad plating! I keep a good supply on hand but I really only use a few sizes and almost all is SAE. But it sure is nice to be able to walk over to the bin and grab exactly what you need and not have to sort thru the old stuff for an hour and then clean it.

 

[fsae0607]

And not everybody has a Lowes "just up the road".

Lowes bolt selection ***** anyway

Yes and Home Depot, too. Usually some jerkoff steals the bolts and leaves the bag or puts SAE bolts into the metric drawer, thus giving me false hope of finding the metric bolt I need lol.