How do you organize small hardware (nuts & bolts etc...) ?

[napa68]

Here's my solution to managing the clutter ...

Small parts go in one of the four 43-drawer parts bins. Between them, I have 4 little 5-drawer sections for flat things (pencils, markers, etc). My workbench has 20 drawers on roller slides that can hold about 200 lb each for larger hand tools, scrap metal pieces, etc. Then I have 2 large 11-drawer (only one is shown here to the left of my main toolbox) Vidmar industrial parts cabs which are full of nuts, bolts, etc. since each drawer fully extends 24" and easily holds 500 lb. These cabs are not cheap, but you do get what you pay for ... 6 heavy 1" roller bearings per drawer! It's shocking to think this one Vidmar cab weighs TWICE as much (5000 lb) as my Bridgeport 48" vertical mill! Then I have a Kleton 32-drawer parts cab for things that won't fit in the smaller 43-drawer bins. For mill & lathe tooling, it all goes in either my 7-drawer Lyon (similar to a Vidmar) industrial parts cab, with the smaller tooling like cutters, reamers, mic's, etc going in these tool boxes.

You can NEVER have enough drawers IMHO! Cheers, Bill

Holy sheet! Nice work!

 

[1967lemans]

I use a pre expended bin.

 

[klarmie]

I use the most popular oil filter box in our shop. I'm working on the second drawer. Easy to replace when one tears or wears out.

 

[Zengineer]

Here is my solution. 3"x3" bins bought for $0.50ea... ended up buying 50 of them.

 

[Nightshift]

Here is my solution. 3"x3" bins bought for $0.50ea... ended up buying 50 of them.

Nice bins Z ... where'd you buy them? Bill

 

[mixedupamx]

unfortunatly in several 5 gallon buckets

 

[Linda@Lista]

Very clean and organized!

 

[Steevo]

I recently picked up a card file cabinet from a public surplus auction for $32.

It stands 52” H x 19”W x 29”D, and has seven drawers, that are 16-3/8”W x 27-3/8”D x 5-1/2”H.
I removed all drawers and cleaned and lubed all the rollers on the full-extension drawer slides.

I ordered some 4”x9”x4” cardboard parts bins (from U-line) to fit in the drawers, and 12 bins per drawer are a perfect fit, so I filled four drawers with them. The bins cost more than the cabinet did ($66 per 100). I wanted to use plastic shelf bins, but they were all 4-1/8"W, and four across wouldn't fit, plus they cost twice as much.

I should be able to sort and store a lot of nuts, bolts, washers, fittings and small parts in this.

 

[Steevo]

Here is my solution. 3"x3" bins bought for $0.50ea... ended up buying 50 of them.

I'd like to know where to get those for $0.50 apiece, too.

 

[Zengineer]

Superstore... Canadian grocery chain.

 

[PCO6]

Superstore... Canadian grocery chain.

Thanks - that's good to know. What department are they found in?

 

[dmaic]

When I set up our consumables cabinet in our crib at Toyota we sorted it all by diameter and used a Stronghold cabinet with the bins that attach to the insides of the doors. As long as you dont overload them they work well. I think someone on the first couple of pages had one pictured.

For a less expensive and industrious solution, you could check out storage solutions at Home Depot, Bed Bath and Beyond, or depending on where youre at theres a store called The Container Store. It all boils down to what works for you and what flows. I bought some closeout husky storage boxes that work well for me. Ive also learned to let some stuff go if its sat for a year.

 

[kald]

How do I organize small hardware? I have a great old steel organizer, then I make it look like this:

 

[coolreed]

I keep my hardware in my cabinets in organizers and clear plastic jars. Out of sight until I need them.

 

[Zengineer]

Thanks - that's good to know. What department are they found in?

Kitchen supplies... with the pots and pans etc.

 

[PCO6]

^^^ Thanks. I'll check it out.

 

[fourjeepin]

Used to to have an entire drawer in my tool box filled with square jelly jars. Always wanted something like the Durham posted earlier, but wasn't willing to spend the money. Then I found my bins in a store that was being closed. Got what I thought was a smoking deal, then the guy tells me ... "oh, and everything that is in the bins, comes with it". I'll never forget that moment. I have maybe $100 bucks in these and they are all full of good stuff (I scrapped or sold of the junk/grade 2 hardware).

Last weekend I added a piece of Corian to one of the bins. Need to do that to the other one as they are on wheels and occasionally used as saw tables when working with sheet goods.

 

[ford guy]

Last weekend I added a piece of Corian to one of the bins. Need to do that to the other one as they are on wheels and occasionally used as saw tables when working with sheet goods.[/QUOTE]

Hey Jeepin,
Do you have problems with the thin washers sliding under the drawer dividers when you close the drawer? Oh, and I like how you spelled "coarse" !
Bob

 

[ford guy]

OK...here's mine. I really like the Plano plastic boxes since they are easy to carry to the job site. I like to buy in bulk, so I'll stash the extras in a bottom drawer until I need to refill the Planos. Normally I'll forget I have them, and go buy more!

My latest Craigslist score was this metal drawer set up

I love some of your ideas, please consider the little plastic bin idea stolen!

Bob

 

[RECox286]

In the 40 years I've been "saving up" for a 20 year box, my storage has exceeded

even my expectations. I use an old conex that was scrapped from our squadron

spaces. Consists of a metal shelf unit and metal bins that are roughly 5x5x16 or so.

When filled with nuts, bolts, washers, each drawer (about a dozen or so of them)

must weigh in around 30 # (guessing). The trick to finding any singular type is to

dump the contents into a large dishpan and start the witch hunt. Ha.

(Looks exactly llike the above pic, but with out the organization.)
Uncle Bob

 

[drmarkr]

 

[stevechie]

Jack very impressed. Did you make this or buy it. i am looking to do something like this but don't know where to begin. Love the garage, very organized and too clean unlike mine.

 

[rshadd]

Lately I've started using Durham's componet cabinets and like 'em a lot.

I'm using the small cabinets my electrical connectors, wire ties, shrink wrap tubing, fuses, etc.

It's handy being able to pull the tray and take it to where you're working.

 

[wellpoison]

Lately I've started using Durham's componet cabinets and like 'em a lot.

I'm using the small cabinets my electrical connectors, wire ties, shrink wrap tubing, fuses, etc.

It's handy being able to pull the tray and take it to where you're working.

this is what we use at work. we get them from kimball midwest. there awesome but pricey.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Since a big chunk of my bike buis is selling bolt/hardware kits I really should get organized,you guys have given me lots of ideas!
Thanks

 

[cvorkian]

Made Cabinet from scrap wood had laying around.

 

[dittle fart around]

Lately I've started using Durham's componet cabinets and like 'em a lot.

It's handy being able to pull the tray and take it to where you're working.

Selling a lot of these on line. Boxes can be had for around 20 bucks and the racks go for 75 bucks and up. How many times have I dumped the same coffee can looking for just one bolt and nut?
Every job site I've worked at have had the Durham cabinets.

 

[ishiboo]

Bringing this back up as it's a great thread. I picked up two of those Durham cabinets for $30 a piece, thought that was a bit high for Restore. Now I see this!

Also got a NEVER USED Kenmore Kegerator for $40. Took it to my friend who owns some bars and all the parts are there.

 

[firebird_gal]

I store all mine in the plastic containers with the doors and I used to sort mine based on SE screws flat flat flat pointed hex pointed etc and then I discovered and Online Hardware catalog that had CAD and so I copy to mention that to my computer and then bought some sticker paper for the printer printed the pictures of the hardware and small parts on the printer on the sticker paper and then I just cut out the picture peel the backing off stuck the sticker on the drawer to the corresponding Hardware.

 

[sunsation288]

I like this kind of thread

 

[Divcod]

After years of saving old fasteners and then wondering where they are I just scrap all used fasteners with the exception of some unique items on restoration projects. Now if I need a specific size /thread it is a trip to the local fastener supplier to purchase every length from the shortest to about 2 1/2 - 3". HF has plastic trays with moveable dividers that allow adjustment to fit all of the sizes. End up with a tray of the 1/2" x whatever thread in the same box. These can then be labeled and stacked to minimize the space requirement.

Might sound like a waste of time /money but it has saved many nights on projects because I had access to the correct fastener. Also I only by grade 5 bolts for general use but use grade 8 for higher load requirements. Would have attached a photo but will not be back in the shop for another month or so.

Cheers

 

[harleybuilder]

This is how I am starting to organize all of my small fasteners.

 

[TLCObsession]

Anyone know where to buy the insert trays for the Durham cabinets for a reasonable price? I bought a bunch of cabinets, but the insert trays are mostly 6 bins running the full width - great for pencils, heat shrink but not for fasteners. I have looked in the past, but the trays cost as much as the whole drawer.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Small, heavy duty (4mil) zipper lock bags. Several size. The little pieces of paper have the size of the item (those are all screws from dead laptops).

Then you put the bags in a bag !

In the garage, I can keep all my #6 hardware (machine screws, sheet metal screws, nuts, washer, lock washer) in separate bags then collect them into one plastic bin (Menards' small size, red). #8, #10 and #12 have separate bins. I try to buy small hardware at a local fastener store in boxes of 50 or 100.

Larger ziplock bags (10x13) are great for keeping plans cleaning while you are working. I even have some weird sizes (4x12, 6x18) to keep tools from rusting on my boat.

Buy the small sizes bags from online stores in quantity of 500 or 1,000 and spend the extra for the 4mil ones !

 

[JasonJ]

Using the small amount of wall space between the garage door and the side wall.

Some akron bins right above the work bench and below the over head cabinets.

 

[bobx]

amazon.com for the drawers and a couple hours measuring and welding up a rack for them.

 

[Junebuggy]

I've used a couple of these for a very long time hanging off the wall in my shop....very handy.