Organizing parts bins, need input

[mendozer]

I make a miter station and also obtained a few parts bins containers for a steal off the list of Craig. I have 120 small bins, 24 big (they all have dividers, so I could double that number easily for variety but lose capacity).

I made a list of the most common things I'd use, that way I wouldn't have to run to the store for little things here and there

Thoughts on the sizes, types, anything I missed that you would put?

 

[Mattlt]

That's quite a list!

Maybe further break it down by drive type? Phillips, Square, Torx, etc.

Suggest buying bolts/nuts/washers at a place that sells by the pound so you can grab more of the sizes you will use instead of whatever package size is offered at some stores.

 

[MushCreek]

I find that I run out of short (1") carriage bolts and machine bolts first. You can always cut down longer ones, though, as long as they are fully threaded. I have nuts and washers running from #6 up to 3/4". I buy most of that kind of stuff by the pound at TSC.

 

[matt_i]

I might have missed something but you are calling for 18 bins to store 3 sizes of nut (??) I understand there are nylocks, torque prevailing, square nuts, etc but I can't think of 6 useful types...

 

[mendozer]

I might have missed something but you are calling for 18 bins to store 3 sizes of nut (??) I understand there are nylocks, torque prevailing, square nuts, etc but I can't think of 6 useful types...

in that example I listed the three most common nut sizes I've used, of two types. That was a typo and should be 6 bins not 18. I must have carried that cell down from the bolts, which had three lengths, making that count 18 bins. I was going to do just regular, and maybe locknuts.

Good point on the by the pound places, I was planning on the small baggies at home depot that are a buck or so each with anywhere between 5-10 pieces of the item.

One thing is the really long bolts or lag screws won't fit in here, so I may make simple shelves to store these flip top "parts bin" containers I got at costco. Probably can hold up to 6" bolts in there, or maybe make my own plywood trough. Don't want to go overboard but I hate whenever I'm mid project and go "****, have to drive 20 minutes to buy two washers now". Really puts a damper on my mood haha.

I will likely have several bins empty for the random stuff that I'll need once in a blue moon like a pack of star washers, or a spare nylon spacer, stuff like that.

 

[rigid1]

Depending on your location you may want to try a Fastenal store. In most cases they will have bag quantities like 50or 100 of your most common used sizes of washers, nuts, screws etc. Much less than small packages of 5 or 10 at a time

 

[mendozer]

to give you an idea of the bins

 

[engineer2]

I am sorting 40 years worth of screws, nuts and bolts plus what I inherited from Dad. It basically *****. You fill a bin with #8 sheet metal screws, and then you find another container of them. Or you find variations of screws and wonder where to put them. Is it a #8 or a #10? Might be a #9 or some Chinese size. Whatever you do has to have the flexibility of creating more bins or dividers. On a similar GJ thread someone suggested tossing all the oddball and extra and just buying what you need when you need it. They might be right.

 

[softailgarage]

Do any electrical work? I would need bins for connectors as well, ring lugs, spade lugs, **** lugs, red, blue, etc.

 

[mendozer]

Yes I have that stuff in a separate area, but I imagine I'll have bins here left over for terminal adapters, splices, etc