Bolt storage during projects

[Heavy tech]

Just wondering what some of you guys do to manage fasteners during large projects. It never ceases to amaze me the ingenuity of you guys so I'm sure you'll come up with something I've never thought of.

I used labeled zip-lock bags doing an engine swap recently, and it worked well. I've also seen guys use paper cups for small bolts. Then there is magnetic trays, cardboard boxes, and the good old "let them fall where they may" method, usually resulting in " where the F**k is that bolt?"


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[road]

it all depends on the length of the project for me.
Small 1 week projects - all in one container.
larger longer projects - bagged and labelled and tagged.
nothing worse than losing your nuts when you need em most .

 

[Bouchard93]

nothing worse than losing your nuts when you need em most .[/QUOTE]



I have a coupe of those cheap organizers from walmart seems work ok ,but I would also like to see what others do?

 

[Dale1962]

long project... sandwich bags labeled or taped to part. short projects... muffin pans.

 

[joe_padavano]

Where possible, I'll just thread the fastener back into it's original hole for short-term projects. Longer term, bag-and-tag with ziplock bags and a sharpie.

 

[littlefan]

I have a bunch of old Tupperware type containers of different size to put small thing in you can also add cleaners and let soak. I pick up all I can at yard sales and even find cheap ones at the dallor store

 

[doan]

I use a lot of zip lock bags, and you can never take too many pics. For identical parts that need to go back in order (like push rods, valve lifters, etc), stick them in cardboard or label them individually with masking tape.

 

[Heavy tech]

Muffin tins is a good idea! And +1 on the taking pics. I also do that at work with my work orders since I need the w/o #'s for my time slips. Snap a pic of the date on the calendar followed by the w/o's for that day. Makes things a lot easier


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AcftMx5]

At work since we go through a lot of shop solv we just use the cups from the top of our aerosol spray cans.

 

[L84ARACE]

Excellent topic. A project always seems to go smoother when you keep everything organized.

 

[Fastbird]

If it's something that's going to take a while, I bag and tag. Otherwise, bolts get laid out as they come off whatever I'm working on, separated and ordered.

 

[X1 Mike]

I want a set of these stands that are made by Jims Machining specifically for Harley-Davidsons.

"These time saving organizers include a specific stand for top end, cam chest, transmission, and primary. When combined, they all nest within each other taking up very little space and can easily fit in a deep drawer of a tool box. When preparing for final assembly, the stands can be turned on their side for easy loctite preparation. The surface is powdercoated in JIMS durable blue and includes silkscreened hardware position art with torque specifications."

Pretty cool, they go in the spot from where you removed them in the bike and the stand is designed to turn on it's side so you can hit them all with Loctite at the same time.

 

[mds47588]

As an airplane mechanic I've tried lots of things and mostly ones mentioned above. Sandwich bags are a favorite and I wil typically tape them to the part with masking tape. I will also thread the nut/bolt back into it's place. And one I've not seen mentioned yet is prescription bottles. They are durable, clear, and easily secured.

 

[ephotrod]

We use antifreeze bottles or oil bottles (the one gallon) at work. Turn the bottle onto its side so its laying flat and cut a square out if it and its a perfect container with enough room to move the bolts around and find what your looking for.
Josh

 

[jakemac]

For short term projects, I use several magnetic parts trays. One for each section of the project.

For long term projects, I use parts bags labeled with Stickies (write on the back side (w/ the glue) stick it to the inside of the bag). Or, I use a series of plastic boxes in various sizes and color coded for each project.

These are the boxes I use. I use different colors for each project.
http://www.amazon.com/Really-Useful-Boxes-Liters-Assorted/dp/B0071MUNNO/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1385688641&sr=8-12&keywords=really+useful+box

 

[Heavy tech]

Those Harley stands are awesome! Too bad caterpillar didn't have something like that lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gwunsch]

For short, one component jobs I just use magnetic trays. Any major job is tag and bag. If bolt are similar but need to be used in specific locations I stick them in cardboard in a the neccessary pattern. Definitely lots of pictures, although sometimes it just takes too long to get the photos developed

 

[JasonCAT]

I've got about a dozen magnetic trays. Easy enough.

 

[gwunsch]

The muffin tin idea seems good, although I would need magnets since I would definitely dump them.

 

[never enuf time]

I use pudding/margerine containers with lids for small screws/bolts. coffee can for larger

 

[malibu101]

I am a huge fan of using a sharpie to write on ziploc baggies to bag nuts and bolts.

Also, using a piece of cardboard punching a few holes in it matching the pattern of removed bolts and then sticking the bolts through the holes and writing "front" "back" "left" and "right" on the cardboard works real good also.

 

[The Ratchet Man]

On short projects I use one large magnetic tray but I organize and stand all the bolts on end, then orient them in the tray the same way they go back. One of my pet peeves is putting the same bolt back in the same hole even if there are several of the same size bolt.

On long projects I have about 10 small magnetic trays I use to organize things even further. Then I use a label maker to label each one. I take pictures on the long projects.

I like the magnetic trays because everything stays where I put it.

 

[Thumper68]

I'm a big fan of the cardboard bolt holder, I will cut up boxes the right size to fit in a 2 1/2 gal ziplock, so if it turns into a long term project I can slip it in a bag and store it.

I like the cardboard because I can label each bolt, put them in the sand blaster and hit them all at once, paint them etc...

 

[rick carpenter]

If you can feel safe enough to use them, glass jars like mason jars or pickle/etc jars are great. Clear and safe for a soak in solvent or atf. Masking tape and a sharpie take care of labeling needs. I guess clear plastic jars would work nearly as well except they'll eventually get stained from grease or they may get eaten up by solvents. I use glass as much as possible.

 

[RECox286]

Taking a lesson from the AM's on windscreen changes, I like to use a

cardboard template with holes for the fasteners, some of which were

long, medium and short depending on location, and would be a real

pain to figure out which went where without a guide. Other than that,

I use empty yogurt containers, the plastic ones that my wife buys.

Once empty, and since they are all the same, they nest perfectly when

not in use, and are large enough (1 qt) to swallow even the longest of

normal hardware. Plus they can be used to clean small parts as they

are liquid proof. Oh, if you are wondering what an AM is, it is Navy Lingo

for Airframe Mechanic.

Uncle Bob

 

[sdfixer]

Ziploc bags are great if all the bolts are the same length/type. I think there is a consipracy by engineers to always use at least 2-3 different types of bolts on the same part.

So to avoid the "where does this bolt go?" game, when bolts are different sizes I prefer to place them in a very similar geometric pattern through a piece of cardboard. I may even draw a simple pattern with a sharpee to confirm the orientation.

Magnetic trays are great for holding bolts/nuts, but the pieces can get rearranged so you better know exactly where everything goes.

I generally put the bolts/nuts back on the part if the part is out of the vehicle/project and if I don't need to remove them to reinstall. If you have to take the bolts out to reinstall the part, you might mess up the order during the in-between steps anyways. I also don't want to reach deep in an engine to thread/unthread bolts more than necessary. You also risk dropping a bolt every time are holding it near the top of an egine, so I try to keep bolts on out of the engine in a secure container. The only game I hate more than "where does this bolt go" is "bolt fishing"...

 

[beatcad]

of course it depends on how big the job is or how long its gonna take(a couple hours or a couple months or a couple years
bagged & labled.
also good and cheap on the bigger jobs is old(used) silverware trays.
i also use the leftover plastic containers from chinese take out.
and for little projects we got a food chain out here called panera bread. the sell this thing called soup for a group. its just a big box of soup but they give ya a bunch of little paper bowls. i always ask my wife to ask for extra ones i got a stack of those.

 

[Outlawmws]

I've used most of the methods mentioned one time or another, but generally, unless it coming apart and going back together in a very short time it's bag and tag. For the short quick jobs a mag tray works well unless it's complex.

I like the cupcake pan and magnets idea for the more complected jobs, so one of those will go on my yard sailing list...

 

[Dale1962]

I just had an idea.. lol scary.. I have a bunch of rare earth magnets 3/4 inch round. going to just stick them under my muffin pans lol

 

[Provincial]

Not mentioned yet - the trays/bowls from microwave entrees. I have found them to be very handy for fasteners and small parts, using them like the magnetic trays and tupperware. Their big advantage is that they are expendable, and I don't feel bad if one is damaged along the line. They come in various sizes and those that are the same nest well. They are easy to label with masking tape. They hold up well to Stoddard Solvent, gasoline, diesel, and Kerosene, and I haven't damaged one yet with overspray from brake cleaner. I don't expose anything plastic to much brake cleaner!

 

[Jere]

I just had an idea.. lol scary.. I have a bunch of rare earth magnets 3/4 inch round. going to just stick them under my muffin pans lol

Those magnets work great with hot glue, other wise the magnets will just get pulled off or slid around.




I mostly just drop them on the work bench until I need to re assemble the project. I am at the point where I can eyeball bolt sizes, and don't have a problem mixing them up. The exception would be if I start another project while waiting for parts or something. Then the bolts from the project go in paint measuring/mixing buckets, or plastic chinese food delivery containers.

 

[crewchief888]

i happen to have a LOT of various sized ackro bins i' accumulated over the years.

when i disassembled my s-10 blazer and the donor astro van i was getting the engine/trans from i put all the hardware and parts into them, and set them on the shelf.

"extra" parts i didnt need immediately got dumped into 5 gallon buckets, and larger pieces went directly into the back of my truck for scrap.


at work i try to put bolts back where they belong, and use 1 gal oil or A/F jugs to hold larger hardware.

 

[Vvmvbb]

I use a small rack of Akro bins:

I toss a slip of paper in there, and I'll move them to baggies if the project drags on and I end up starting another one.

 

[Bill Ramsey]

I too tend to use (sturdy) ziplock bags, and label/notes on index cards, which then get sealed up in the bag. Taking photos has been mentioned, but I also will keep written notes of interesting points during disassembly, and a white board in the garage is very helpful for this.

 

[machine_punk]

I like to use ziplock bags, or even just regular plastic bags, and keep one whole project in one of my plastic bins (the parts bins you buy in bulk and line up to hold your nuts and bolts). I have several different sizes, so I can pick the one most appropriate for the job.

I also make sure to take plenty of digital pictures as I disassemble the project, so I can see where the bolts and parts go during reassembly.

Kev

 

[nicksnothereman]

Just wondering what some of you guys do to manage fasteners during large projects. It never ceases to amaze me the ingenuity of you guys so I'm sure you'll come up with something I've never thought of.

I used labeled zip-lock bags doing an engine swap recently, and it worked well. I've also seen guys use paper cups for small bolts. Then there is magnetic trays, cardboard boxes, and the good old "let them fall where they may" method, usually resulting in " where the F**k is that bolt?"


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I use sandwich bags I get from the dollar store (100 for a buck) and label it with masking tape I also get from the dollar store. I wasn't kidding about being cheap.

That's when I have to disassemble to replace something. If it's straight forward (one part more or less) I'll just throw them in paperboard slider trays I make from food/toothpaste packaging. Yes...cheap.

Don't worry, I write snap-on master bolt tray on the side with a permanent marker for street cred.

Sent from my toaster.

 

[Mohawk Dave]

I pick up boxes of ziploc bags at yard sales. All sizes. Put the hardware in them, and label them with my Sharpie. For parts I have been using my used USPS FLAT RATE boxes. They are strong, I label them, and it keeps everything stackable.

 

[nicksnothereman]

I pick up boxes of ziploc bags at yard sales. All sizes. Put the hardware in them, and label them with my Sharpie. For parts I have been using my used USPS FLAT RATE boxes. They are strong, I label them, and it keeps everything stackable.

Avoid that mis-use of usps property "felony"

 

[Mohawk Dave]

Avoid that mis-use of usps property "felony"

We're all law-abiding citizens. And we're all innocent.

 

[GTO]

Small snack zip lock type bags purchased @ the dollar store.