Nut & Bolt Storage

[John in OH]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

Got an old card file cabinet several years ago. It originally had a roll-up door on the front, but it broke up and that's why the cabinet got scrapped out. Bought a bunch of the plastic Akro-Mils bins to fill the drawers which are now used for nuts, bolts, washers, and similar fastener storage for items equal to/greater than 1/4".



Machine screws, wood screws, and miscellaneous items less than 1/4" are sorted and stored in the small plastic drawers in the Akro-Mils cabinets.



Nails, small pipe fittings stored on shelves or other small drawers.

 

[Jacob's Ladder]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

I just got these from my wife's uncle for free. I'm going to replace the missing door and then hit them with some paint in the spring. I can't wait.

 

[ThomasMaloney]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

These are really great ideas! The best ones are those that allow stackability so that you can save even more space. Some of the cupboard units that are home made here could totally double up as a store in itself. I myself would kill to have the storage space to stock up my entire collection of nuts and bolts. I'll probably have a go at some of the ideas here to see how things can best be organized. Thanks guys.

 

[coyotejake]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

I built all these storage racks using found lumber and HF bins. Super cheap, but lots of time spent milling scrap wood...Pick your currency, ha ha!

To make finding the right piece of hardware a little easier, I made a few dump trays that I use to sift thru and find the bolts and nuts I need.

The red and grey racks are about 10 years old, the unfinished ones I built a couple of weekends ago.

(Of course, the whole time I was building the new trays, I was haunted by the thought that I was spending time building storage for stuff that most people throw away.....)

DUDE, DUMP TRAYS!!! What an awesome idea!

 

[Sheppd]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

I just scored a pallet of Stackbin #1's. need to clean them up and get them painted, but for now they'll do fine. I only have about 150 left if anyone is interested...

 

[67carl]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

After checking Craigslist daily for months I finally got a library card catalog. The HF plastic colored bins are out, this bad boy is in.

BTW - the seller has 2 more just like this one.

 

[TheClaw]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

After checking Craigslist daily for months I finally got a library card catalog. The HF plastic colored bins are out, this bad boy is in.

BTW - the seller has 2 more just like this one.

These are cool. I bought one years ago from the Oak Park (as in Frank lloyd Wright) library. It was pretty old, lot of vintage patina. Wife liked it so much we have it in the house.

 

[930dreamer]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

I need someone to go through all my bins and sort into each fractional size.

 

[DPG]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

Gift from my father-in-law. He is a retired hardware salesman. Boxes are fully loaded with nice quality fasteners and misc odds and ends. A huge score.

 

[67carl]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

There's an auction I'm watching on line that has a Wilton vise (not in good shape), but they also have a load of other interesting stuff, including 3 or 4 of these metal Fastenal bins. It will be interesting to see what they go for.

 

[67carl]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

............

 

[e-tek]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

That is a very good looking area. Have the rest of your garage pics elsewhere here?

You're kidding right?

If not.... I'm going to kill your afternoon with the most viewed thread.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=55006&highlight=gauge+garage

 

[Richard Cranium]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

Got mine at a Ace hardware store that was closing...Richie

 

[-Brent-]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage



First version. Still needed a spot for all the random hardware I've acquired.



Grew to this Cole-Steel drawer set-up. Nice, quality, vintage piece. But now the top bin looked sloppy. As I got more organized I started running out of space. I wanted a cleaner look, too.



I got this one to add to the hardware storage. The man had another that wasn't in as good shape but it is complete. We're going to trade some stuff and I'll add that - then I'm done.




Done! I need to do some work to the one I just acquired before putting it to use. There's a bunch of surface rust in the lower drawers.

 

[shooting4life]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

After checking Craigslist daily for months I finally got a library card catalog. The HF plastic colored bins are out, this bad boy is in.

BTW - the seller has 2 more just like this one.

Where are you located in CA and how much did you pay?

I have wanted one of those forever, but everyone on CL seems to think they are worth 1k or more.

I have made do with this unit that I picked up for $75, it is much nicer than the HF plastic bin set up I had before.

 

[67carl]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

Where are you located in CA and how much did you pay?

I have wanted one of those forever, but everyone on CL seems to think they are worth 1k or more.

I have made do with this unit that I picked up for $75, it is much nicer than the HF plastic bin set up I had before.

I PM'd you with some information. What area do you live in? I agree that asking $$ are high. I got this one for $325. Not a steal but I felt a good deal. The one thing I'm dealing with is a metal rod that runs down the length of the drawer, right in the middle. It is held in place by the brass knob on the drawer front. I can remove it but then the knob is gone and I'm left with a hole. Doesn't look good. I believe the rod is a separate piece from the knob but I can't get it apart. Still working on a solution that doesn't destroy any parts...

 

[67carl]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

Closer view of the rod...

 

[Richard Cranium]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

Just cut it off and thread it and put a nut on it to hold it in place...Richie

 

[ctjohnson]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

Just cut it off and thread it and put a nut on it to hold it in place...Richie

I agree, that sounds like a simple solution.

 

[67carl]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

Just cut it off and thread it and put a nut on it to hold it in place...Richie

I agree, that sounds like a simple solution.

I really don't want to destroy any of it if I can help it... I thought they might be threaded together but it won't budge. I'll try a penetrating fluid and a vise and see if that can separate them.

 

[Lippyp]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

After checking Craigslist daily for months I finally got a library card catalog. The HF plastic colored bins are out, this bad boy is in.

BTW - the seller has 2 more just like this one.

I've got an old victorian one a bit like that, I think its missing one drawer and needs a new bit of oak veneered ply for a top as the old one is seperating. Not surprising really as I took it off someones bonfire before they could set fire to it and it must have been out in the rain for a while.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

I use these locally made plastic storage containers, works well for me.

View media item 27579

 

[RBailey]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

I made this a year ago and I'm already running out of space.

Damn, I hate being organised.

 

[Vvmvbb]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

I really don't want to destroy any of it if I can help it... I thought they might be threaded together but it won't budge. I'll try a penetrating fluid and a vise and see if that can separate them.

Yeah, might be press fit. Threaded or press fit, I'd try heat (brass expands more than ordinary steel).

Once you separate them, you might just glue the knobs back in place with, say, silicone so it's done quick and will be reversible.

Alternately, maybe find a replacement knob or cap you like and keep the rod assemblies together.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

I use a combination of plastic Plano boxes, plastic Jandorf boxes, and 2 metal drawers from Curtis Industries. I am still waiting to get one of the old card cabinets from the library my mom works at.

 

[67carl]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

Yeah, might be press fit. Threaded or press fit, I'd try heat (brass expands more than ordinary steel).

Once you separate them, you might just glue the knobs back in place with, say, silicone so it's done quick and will be reversible.

Alternately, maybe find a replacement knob or cap you like and keep the rod assemblies together.

Thanks, I'll give heat a try. As far as the knobs, they are held in place by a clip on the back of the drawer face that slides down into that groove you see on the back of the knob, so removing the rod won't affect the knob being put back in place. They really don't build them like they used to.

 

[Jacob's Ladder]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

The weather here is finally warm enough I could get outside and do some spray painting. I posted some pics of my new nut and bolt drawers a while ago but I didn't want to fill them until I painted them. I painted the outside gloss black and the drawers are blue with metallic flake. Then I ran to Tractor supply co. for some casters. Didn't realize they cost so much but they had a furniture dolly on sale for $20.(would have been $40 for just the wheels) So I built a beefed up bottom out of 2x6 and lagged the casters on it. Now I can start to get organized.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

Those are nice!

 

[Jacob's Ladder]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

Those are nice!

Thanks.
I don't know who I saw do it but I'm in the process of saving and acquiring every empty quart of oil. So I can cut the bottoms off and use them in the drawers. They fit perfect.

 

[brownbagg]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

one of the biggest problem in my shop is storage of parts and nuts and bolts that i will never use, buckets of pvc fitting that never be use. nuts and bolts. been thinking of trashing all of it and just keep a handful of the common bolts i used 3/8 7/16 1/2

 

[mdbeck1]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

Thanks.
I don't know who I saw do it but I'm in the process of saving and acquiring every empty quart of oil. So I can cut the bottoms off and use them in the drawers. They fit perfect.

I'm only one of those...

Don't forget to cut a few of those oil cans down the side to make it easier to sort stuff out.

...and if you cut down antifreeze bottles you can get some long bolts in them.

 

[Hot Chop shop]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

I saw this bad boy on Craigslist locally... Which is rare cause I don't see too many of these or antique vises or industrial style cabinets in my area. I gave the guy a call and went to take a look. I usually try to negotiate but the guy was old and had a great story behind it (he use to work for Howard Hughes and got it from work) so I didn't bother negotiating.
I'm going to be super organized now... Well in theory.

 

[rmmiller]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

GENIUS!!!!

not a bad ideal wish i wouldnt have moved my lower craftsman box to the trailer now.

That was my plan all along, replace my Craftsman I outgrew and use it for hardware. Until now I was planning in building dividers for it but now I have an easy solution thanks to DangerousDan.

 

[Pupuhd]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

I saw this bad boy on Craigslist locally... Which is rare cause I don't see too many of these or antique vises or industrial style cabinets in my area. I gave the guy a call and went to take a look. I usually try to negotiate but the guy was old and had a great story behind it (he use to work for Howard Hughes and got it from work) so I didn't bother negotiating.

What ever you paid, that unit is sweet. I love acquiring vintage items that has a great story behind it. Makes it worth more to me personally. Great buy!

 

[incurablescrounge]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

The paint job looks great. One set of drawers look just like mine. Any Addressograph tags on it? See post #88.
One place I got a lot of my boxes is my local hardware store. They use Dorman hardware and everything comes in little boxes. When they stock their drawers, they don't use all the boxes. They would hang onto them and give them to me.

 

[-Brent-]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

I saw this bad boy on Craigslist locally... Which is rare cause I don't see too many of these or antique vises or industrial style cabinets in my area. I gave the guy a call and went to take a look. I usually try to negotiate but the guy was old and had a great story behind it (he use to work for Howard Hughes and got it from work) so I didn't bother negotiating.
I'm going to be super organized now... Well in theory.

Wow, that is REALLY nice. I love it.

What did you pay?

 

[southalabama]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

For those cutting oil bottles. The table saw works wonders. Lots easier than a cutter.

 

[Pupuhd]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

For those cutting oil bottles. The table saw works wonders. Lots easier than a cutter.

In the past month I've drained, cut and cleaned about 130 oil containers. After draining the container, I've found it easy to cut them using a miter saw. I'm cutting them 3-½" tall and have a sharpie line on the left fence of the saw. Makes lining up a snap. Still have at least 200+ to go.

 

[Jacob's Ladder]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

The paint job looks great. One set of drawers look just like mine. Any Addressograph tags on it? See post #88.
One place I got a lot of my boxes is my local hardware store. They use Dorman hardware and everything comes in little boxes. When they stock their drawers, they don't use all the boxes. They would hang onto them and give them to me.

Thanks That cabinet of yours is awesome. Yeah they said Addressograph on the doors. I'm missing one door, and I was going to make one but I decided they would just get in the way.

 

[Strouty]

Re: Nut & Bolt Storage

In the past month I've drained, cut and cleaned about 130 oil containers. After draining the container, I've found it easy to cut them using a miter saw. I'm cutting them 3-½" tall and have a sharpie line on the left fence of the saw. Makes lining up a snap. Still have at least 200+ to go.

Have you been saving them for a while?