Organizing large quantities of misc fasteners?

[bobx]

amazon.com for the drawers w the removable bins and a couple hours making up a rolling rack.

 

[Rocky]

I use the same bins as "Justanengineer" did.

 

[Strouty]

Here are some of my cabinets, I have more stuff in my conex, but this is the basics for the shop.



















I actually had a nice stack of Durham cabinets and I am getting rid of them, my lista will hold 10 times the stock and it is easier to get at. I figure the durham cabinet will get me money so I can outfit the rest of my drawers with small parts bins.

 

[Beemer533]

Damn Strouty, that is a hell of a hardware setup! . If I was closer, I'd offer to take those Durham cabinets off your hands. They would work well for my place..

 

[Strouty]

Damn Strouty, that is a hell of a hardware setup! . If I was closer, I'd offer to take those Durham cabinets off your hands. They would work well for my place..

Thanks Beemer, the hardware storage seems to be an ever evolving living thing. As far as the Durham cabinets I have tried to like them, but they are just not working for me. Of course when I was convinced that they would work, I spent over $300 buying cabinets and bins for them. I think I have been trying to rationalize them just because of the money I spent on them, I want to concentrate on my lista cabinets.

 

[Caman]

Strouty, who makes the small red and yellow cups in your drawers? I'm thinking I may like those better than the white Akro mils cups I have on order.

 

[Strouty]

Schaller Corporation, they have many sizes available.

http://www.schallercorporation.com/plastic-boxes/

 

[Caman]

Thank you sir!

 

[Strouty]

You are welcome.

I asked the same question about a year ago, that was how I found out about them. the company also sells on ebay, I can't remember if the pricing was any different. Nice thing is they are made in USA, in Massachusetts.

 

[Beemer533]

Thanks Beemer, the hardware storage seems to be an ever evolving living thing. As far as the Durham cabinets I have tried to like them, but they are just not working for me. Of course when I was convinced that they would work, I spent over $300 buying cabinets and bins for them. I think I have been trying to rationalize them just because of the money I spent on them, I want to concentrate on my lista cabinets.

Other than the lack of volume, what don't you like about them? I'm trying to figure out how to deal with hardware in my garage now..

I'm just tired of cardboard boxes and zip lock bags all over the place..

This post edited by the NSA

 

[Strouty]

Other than the lack of volume, what don't you like about them? I'm trying to figure out how to deal with hardware in my garage now..

I'm just tired of cardboard boxes and zip lock bags all over the place..

This post edited by the NSA

I love the Durham drawers with the smaller compartments, but I hate the fact that I can't get hardware out of them easily. Almost all the drawers that I bought had the rounded corners to make it easier, it just doesn't work for me. Then I have found that I hate the lid, it seems like an extra step. The idea of it was that it will keep **** out of the parts, so it does what it is supposed to, I just don't like the lid.

Once I started to get the lista/vidmar cabinets (I know they are more expensive) I found that I really liked the little red cups. They are great because I can easily move something or bring just one cup with me or several. The Durham drawers can get heavy and cumbersome to drag out, plus I never seem to have enough flat space to put it where I am working. I have also dumped one or two trying to do this and that is really not fun. If I knock over one of the red cups, it is not the end of the world.

I think it comes down to personal preference and budget. I would try and find some old index card files, they are a happy medium. I always try to stay away from cardboard, it tends to get damp and then it will smell, or if it gets really wet, they are useless. These are the card file drawers.

 

[jd_1138]

I wouldn't throw the fasteners out. That's wasteful and would necessitate a trip to the hardware store the next time you need a fastener. Just buy some medium size bins and organize the fasteners based on size/purpose. Then as you acquire additional fasteners for other projects, you can then fill the bins up.

 

[Beemer533]

I love the Durham drawers with the smaller compartments, but I hate the fact that I can't get hardware out of them easily. Almost all the drawers that I bought had the rounded corners to make it easier, it just doesn't work for me. Then I have found that I hate the lid, it seems like an extra step. The idea of it was that it will keep **** out of the parts, so it does what it is supposed to, I just don't like the lid.

Once I started to get the lista/vidmar cabinets (I know they are more expensive) I found that I really liked the little red cups. They are great because I can easily move something or bring just one cup with me or several. The Durham drawers can get heavy and cumbersome to drag out, plus I never seem to have enough flat space to put it where I am working. I have also dumped one or two trying to do this and that is really not fun. If I knock over one of the red cups, it is not the end of the world.

I think it comes down to personal preference and budget. I would try and find some old index card files, they are a happy medium. I always try to stay away from cardboard, it tends to get damp and then it will smell, or if it gets really wet, they are useless. These are the card file drawers.

Makes sense.. I've got a ton of organizing to do, so I'll have to figure this stuff out soon.


Couldn't agree more regarding the cardboard boxes.. I don't like to use them for much at all..

 

[Strouty]

I would start looking at auctions, especially equipment or government ones. You can find great deals. Even Craigslist will spit out a deal or two every once in a while. If I was starting over I would look for a used lista, had I started there I feel I would have saved myself a lot of time and effort. The card files are a damn close second. Try and stay away from open air containers and drawers with light duty slides or bearings, those things can be a real pain. I hope to someday have all lista/vidmar cabinets and only a couple of shelves. All my plastic bins collect dust very well. Of course once I close off the stock room from the rest of the shop it should be better.

 

[Modern Jess]

I've found over the years that there are two classes of "things":

1) Parts of a set. A collection of all the 1/4" fasteners, for instance. Or a complete range of crimp terminals.
2) Random stuff. Three lag screws. A random assortment of bits and bobs related to a particular project. A handful of plumbing fittings. A pile of pegboard hooks.

After years of struggling with the central question posed by the OP -- how do the random bits fit into trays designed for sets of stuff -- I decided to organize them separately. This is my solution -- a bit over the top, but the idea can be applied on a smaller (or larger!) scale, and with any kind of organizer tray you choose.

I built the cabinet to hold everything in one place, but that's not the most critical part. The important point is that sets of things go in Sortimo organizer trays below, and the random bits go in Akro-Bins above.

Additionally, there are definitely times when you don't want to devote even a whole akro-bin to something. For that, I've got categories of stuff. One of my akro-bins is labeled "Random Washers". Another is "Random Imperial". And then another is just "Random.

I find that there's very little that doesn't fit somewhere in this system.

 

[johndoe123123]

Honestly, depends what your times worth. For much of this stuff these days you can go go on ebay and buy a nice variety pack to always have on stock in a neat organized hardware-store like fashion.

If you want to safe the oddball stuff... one bin for self tappers, another for drywall, another for nuts/bolts, and deal with it if you ever need to use it.

 

[Strouty]

I also have a dedicated misc bin and one specifically labeled "to sort". If I am in a rush, the hardware goes there, then I can put it back where it goes later. I think it has never been emptied.

 

[Strouty]

I guess I will have to start working harder on my organizing, I just bought a misc pallet at the auction and I now need to find homes for all the stuff!

 

[TONE]

I picked these up at Menards years ago. Not the best but they do the job.

 

[BigSteve63]

Here are a few of my solutions.. since I pack rat this sort of stuff. I don't mind keeping odds and ends since my system supports that. These are from my basement shop..

The first picture shows some home made storage, one with snuff cans (lerft) and another with those old photo film cans. There is also a traditional parts bin there with a place to store packaged drywall / utility screws.

The second picture shows my larger parts storage binds. I have everything from dowel pins all the way down to drawers with one size of solid brass screws in them. The small green cabinet in the lower left is full of cutting tools including tool bits, end mils, extra taps, knurling wheels, etc.

The third picture is my larger storage cabinet that has everything from shorts of metal / plastic "stock", all the way up to larger boxes of lag screws. The green bind on top is my "catch all" for all sorts of capcrews.. bolts of all sorts and fashions and sizes.

The last picture is of several Rubbermaid tubs of larger items, and also an overflow for larger boxes of fasteners for major projects.. I have a couple of boxes of anchors and drywall screws on there for example as I continue to put up walls in my basement and garage..

I don't need to go the the hardware store that often, but if I do it is usually for something really obtuse, and or to pick up a larger quantity of hardware for a major project..

Good luck with your project and outcome.. Of course, all of mine have been continual improvement... i.e. this didn't happen over night..

DLH - How did you mount the casters to the Gorilla rack? I have a couple of these that I want to make mobile.

 

[Mattlt]

I have a couple "bins of shame" on my bench top. They are categorized by screws, nails, bolts, nuts, etc. This is my go-to location when I need 1 or 2 of something - a quick drywall screw, or a nail to mount something on the wall. If I can't find what I need in these bins quickly, I can go to my regular stash.

Numerous people mentioned uniform-sized containers. This is what I like to use as well. What I do is this: Group like things in one bin. I like the shoebox sized Rubbermaid containers. When that one bin gets full, split it into two bins, and so on.

For example, start a Plumbing bin. When it gets full, split out something that would be distinguishable by itself, say Copper Fittings. Then, when necessary, split out into the next category, Galvanized Fittings for example. And so on. Store these bins next to each other so at least all your plumbing supplies are in close proximity.

 

[gungatim]

I made a rack to hold the AKRO bins. I hate going to the hardware store for 50cents of stuff...I buy bulk bags of common size fasteners at Menards and keep the bins full.

it's hard to find cheap rails to hang the bins, bins themselves are cheap and plentiful but the rails are another story. so I made my own from strips of sheet metal, put it on my HF bead roller with the flat dies and it makes a fine lip. cost-free if you have sheet metal scrap laying around.

 

[Mattlt]

Here's an idea I've posted before for mounting bins. Wire closet organizer shelving, mounted vertically.

 

[Labradorian]

I have been working on organizing my misc fasteners for the last couple of years. I get stuck trying to label the bins, I just can't commit. I have been reading a book about how our minds work and I think I have made a breakthrough. I am going to try what they call "functional organizing" it seemed too simple, but I realized I do it for other things, so why not hardware. Basically, you can break things down so detailed that you can't or won't start the organizing process. The way the described things so it clicked in my head was the way most people classify "birds" and "bugs" those cover a large group that can be broken down by some many different attributes, that it makes my head spin. Yet I can easily say that is a bird and not have to say blue jay or robin. So I am going to shoot for labels as simple as "screws", "bolts", and other broad terms. I am hoping it will at least allow me to get unstuck and then later I can break things down further if I need or want to.

good post, I here ya! I struggle with organizing too and how to go about it. How to categorized it all and what to label everything is a frustrating sometimes. Some people are good at it and some are not.
I'll check out this functional organizing you speak of.

when it comes to bolts, does one separate a 3/8" 1" course thread from a 3/8 1" fine thread, or does one just put all 3/8 bolts together.? my head hurts

cheers

 

[Movover]

Here's an idea I've posted before for mounting bins. Wire closet organizer shelving, mounted vertically.

Now that is a great Idea! I have few lengths just taking up room in the corner..

Thanks!

 

[altersaddle]

good post, I here ya! I struggle with organizing too and how to go about it. How to categorized it all and what to label everything is a frustrating sometimes. Some people are good at it and some are not.
I'll check out this functional organizing you speak of.

when it comes to bolts, does one separate a 3/8" 1" course thread from a 3/8 1" fine thread, or does one just put all 3/8 bolts together.? my head hurts

cheers

While I haven't read the book that Strouty is talking about, the key takeaway from functional organizing is to allow you to quickly determine the function of a thing (fastener, in this case) so that you can classify it and move on to the next thing.

If you spend too much time thinking about the specific purpose of the item, rather than chucking it into a bin of like items, you will probably get distracted. I sure will.

I have several buckets of "useful things" that need to be processed. I will be sorting them functionally. To answer your question, you put all bolts together to start with. Bolts share a function - to fasten things that have holes together. If your bolts collection now has too much in it to quickly get what you need out of it, you sort it again. You probably won't be able to apply "function" as the description for the second or third pass, so choose some other attribute. Size or length.

I tend to group things by size so I can rummage through a container that I know has "bolts from 1/4" to 1/2" of varying length" to get one I want.

How you sort things is a very personal preference, and one way won't work across the board. Myself, I plan on sorting by function first: Metal, wood, plastic fasteners, and then by size.

 

[mdbeck1]

good post, I here ya! I struggle with organizing too and how to go about it. How to categorized it all and what to label everything is a frustrating sometimes. Some people are good at it and some are not.
I'll check out this functional organizing you speak of.

when it comes to bolts, does one separate a 3/8" 1" course thread from a 3/8 1" fine thread, or does one just put all 3/8 bolts together.? my head hurts

cheers

I tend to put all of the same size bolts together (say 3/8" or 1/4") in the same bin regardless of thread, bolt length, head type.... I also put the washers and nuts in the same bin. When the bin gets close to full I sort out the item that is causing the problem. Say pull all the nuts out into another container or pull the fine threaded stuff into another container.

 

[TheOtherChris]

I built this from an old server rack.
It is two sided so it will hold 10 of the deep trays and 28 of the shallow trays. I had bins and drawers and boxes of fasteners and stuff everywhere. Now it is all in the same location.

 

[Strouty]

Another tip I remember reading about was to put two sizes of hardware in the same bin. They need to be so different that you can spot them easily, so have 1/4" and 1/2" together but not 3/8" and 7/16".

Today I have to sort the stuff I bought at the auction. Most is in containers but there is still a lot of it. I may setup an area just for the sort. Then I will order my bins to fit the quantity.

 

[Strouty]

I will buy entire pallets like this for $50 or less. This one cost $50 but it had a lot of electrical connectors I know I can use.

Here is what I am starting to work with:

 

[Strouty]

Anyone need any toggle bolts? I have been at it for about 2 hours, there is some very interesting stuff in this lot for sure. There are a few things that I have no idea what they are, then there is a bunch is misc junk that I will scrap rather than sort. I am going to have to relabel my drawers, one for each size ¼", 5/16", and ⅜", this is going to overtake my current setup for sure.

 

[Strouty]

I found that I needed multiple categories during this sort. I used presorted, where the hardware was in a container and appeared to be labeled correctly. I used misc when anything was mixed. I used a 5 gallon bucket for scrap and a trash can for trash. Then I ended up with some oddball stuff in an unknown pile. I made a pretty big dent and I have to shuffle things in my cabinet around so I can fit things in like groups. I updated in my thread, but I figured I would wait until I had more done before jamming this thread up with my pictures.

 

[edwinh]

After seeing the re-purposed server rack and a few others here and on youtube (thanks all for the inspiration!) - made my own version of a rack for the HF containers this weekend with wood I had around. Can hold 20 of the little ones or 10 of the big ones, mix and match. Gonna get more bins this week to fill it out. Rolls right under the bench on the other side of the shop.

 

[TheOtherChris]

My wife just saw this thread and said "This is just a guy version of scrapbooking".

 

[Sokoloff]

My wife just saw this thread and said "This is just a guy version of scrapbooking".

 

[Strouty]

I guess she could be right, but I would never compare the two. I think for most of us it is a mild case of being a hoarder mixed with the fear that we won't be able to buy what we need and a little bit of surrounding ourselves with stuff so we don't feel alone.

 

[Labradorian]

While I haven't read the book that Strouty is talking about, the key takeaway from functional organizing is to allow you to quickly determine the function of a thing (fastener, in this case) so that you can classify it and move on to the next thing.

If you spend too much time thinking about the specific purpose of the item, rather than chucking it into a bin of like items, you will probably get distracted. I sure will.

I have several buckets of "useful things" that need to be processed. I will be sorting them functionally. To answer your question, you put all bolts together to start with. Bolts share a function - to fasten things that have holes together. If your bolts collection now has too much in it to quickly get what you need out of it, you sort it again. You probably won't be able to apply "function" as the description for the second or third pass, so choose some other attribute. Size or length.

I tend to group things by size so I can rummage through a container that I know has "bolts from 1/4" to 1/2" of varying length" to get one I want.

How you sort things is a very personal preference, and one way won't work across the board. Myself, I plan on sorting by function first: Metal, wood, plastic fasteners, and then by size.

I tend to put all of the same size bolts together (say 3/8" or 1/4") in the same bin regardless of thread, bolt length, head type.... I also put the washers and nuts in the same bin. When the bin gets close to full I sort out the item that is causing the problem. Say pull all the nuts out into another container or pull the fine threaded stuff into another container.

thanks guys.

 

[southalabama]

Nuts and bolts threads are some of my favorite.

I'm slowly building a collection mostly from tractor supply. I also buy more than I need for a project and save the rest. I just inherited my grandmothers miscellaneous hardware assortment. I guess it runs in the family.

My shop time is valuable. If I have to stop to run to the hardware store I never regain the momentum. That day is shot.

 

[Strouty]

My shop time is valuable. If I have to stop to run to the hardware store I never regain the momentum. That day is shot.

I would say you may need to look at how long you spend organizing and sorting, it costs time and money to store the hardware. Ask me how I know.

 

[Boost Creep]

i use schaller bins to organize my stuff too. got several drawers that look like this