Small parts storage: horizontal or vertical?

[jives]

Hi all:
The "green beast" resto reminded me or a question I wanted to ask regarding small parts storage. I'm sure this has been covered someplace on GJ, but a quick search did not come up with answers. The question is, small parts cases (horizontal storage) or small drawer storage (vertical).

Right now my loose nuts, bolts, screws, washers, hardware, and everything else is either stored in a small vertical, plastic drawer storage cabinet. Larger items and bulk fasteners are stored in plastic food jars.

I'm in need of a larger and more coherent system. I've never used the case-like horizontal storage, like this:

http://images.containerstore.com/ca...oke_x.jpg?width=1200&height=1200&align=center

I could see having 4 or 5 of these stacked on a shelf. Or, just a couple more storage chests, like these:

http://images.containerstore.com/ca...102_x.jpg?width=1200&height=1200&align=center

Pros, Cons?

 

[Matt M PA]

I gave or threw away my vertical bins with drawers. Took up too much space, and couldn't find things. I had several that belonged to my later Father, too.

About this time last year, I went over to HF and bought 5 of their 24 compartment cheap clear plastic cases. They were something like $3.99 each.

Then, I sorted all the stuff I had. Sheetrock screws and similar went into one; nails into another; picture hangers/furniture pieces like plastic shelf supports into another, nuts and washers into another...you get the idea.

My thought process was that I could grab the one needed and take it to the task. I leave them on a shelf stacked.

My automotive fasteners are in one of those metal racks that the hinged metal boxes....but for the house related stuff...I wanted it to be portable.

 

[finn]

The cases are ok if you need portability. Otherwise the item you need is always in the bottom case.

I'd look for someone bigger than the drawers you linked to, though.

I stumbled upon some hardware store bolt bins which had been donated to the local Restore outlet. They were cheap and perfect for my needs.

 

[rockettgpw]

I got tired of shuffling the boxes around so I came up with this storage rack, 1" pipes for verticals and light angle for the rails. The boxes have cost from $30 to $5 each. With this I nearly dont need any other small parts storage.

 

[jives]

I think this ^^^ may be the way to go.

 

[rharman]

I have 4 of these. Made two sets of back-to-back mounted on lazy susans inside one of my garage cabinets.

156 drawers!

 

[bucktruck]

I much prefer a vertical drawer system that are either placed on a bench top or hung on the wall. The only problem with wall mounting is that you have to hang them low enough so you can see into the top drawers.

Also, be aware that if you by the cheapie plastic HD type cabinets and hang them on the wall, they will sag over time unless you fully support the bottom. (Ask me how I know )

We use these at work https://www.mcmaster.com/#bin-box-storage-cabinets/=15adquh and while they are expensive (~90 bucks ea, ouch!) they are far superior to consumer grade plastic ****. I'll probably buy a couple of them when it comes time to replace the ones I have. After all, they will last me the rest of my life and after spending thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours rebuilding the garage, why skimp?

 

[sctattooer]

I love these things:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PV1OY0A/?tag=atomicindus08-20

They tilt out, and interlock to stack. I have them everywhere in my shop

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

My storage area:


Found the cabinets on Craigslist for free. Most of my nuts & bolts, bits & pieces are in plastic cases. I intend to upgrade them eventually to better quality cases with metal hinges.



And these old standards for nails and drywall screws:

 

[jives]

I've never been a fan of the stackable plastic bins. At my office shop they are always being overfilled, hard to get stuff out of, dislodging from their stacking slots when I reach in for something.

 

[tarmy]

View attachment 602651

View attachment 602653

View attachment 602655

Here is what works for me. I have cabinets full of these too...probably a total of over 50...

 

[crewchief888]

i use these....

all the drawer sections were damaged after years of use in service trucks, and were being scrapped. some of the racks had already been scrapped before i got my hands on them.

a couple evenings with some leftover plywood....

and some straightening of the twisted/cracked racks...

 

[jives]

View attachment 602651

Here is what works for me. I have cabinets full of these too...probably a total of over 50...

Yeah, I think this could be me. Thanks all. . .

 

[Richard Cranium]

here is mine.

 

[rharman]

here is mine.

Looks like you found a hardware store going out of business. I've always wanted a row of those little plastic drawers.

 

[TONE]

Not the best photo, but shows what I have.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

here is mine.

Showoff...

Tommy

 

[Victorymike18]

I am a big fan of the Harbor Freight cases with the removable bins. See this thread for an excellent cabinet build for them. Scroll through as some others (including myself) added their versions.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=289281

 

[dw1]

here is mine.

I have the same storage bins. My neighbor gave me a bunch of them.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Tone, I like you set up, looks nice and clean.
Ls. would you like to come and play in my shop?

 

[JohnK007]

Not the best photo, but shows what I have.

That's a mighty big beer fridge you got there!

 

[jives]

I am a big fan of the Harbor Freight cases with the removable bins. See this thread for an excellent cabinet build for them. Scroll through as some others (including myself) added their versions.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=289281

Can't believe I missed that thread. Good ideas in there. . .most beyond my needs, but hey, one can dream.

 

[PelicanPines]

Here is my setup... with Hillman cabinets and a few Durham all metal drawers.

 

[Bottlecapdigger]

Im on the lookout for a lista cabinet/parts drawers or similar type. This how I'm going to organize my small parts. These type of industrial cabinets aren't cheap even used, so I may be looking for awhile. BCD

 

[cliftonbros89]

Here's what we have. That's mainly just storage for thinks like nuts and bolts. But there will be more add this winter for things like electrical, etc. The bins are from a place we used to buy hardware from. They all were relabeled last year. But they work great to organize a lot of different fasteners in one place. Not always the greatest for mobile solutions. But there's ways to work around that.



Also recently picked up some Durham drawers recently for some other storage.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jives]

So, I started this thread because a local public surplus auction had the mail sorter cabinet below up for auction. Thought it would make a good place to store parts cases and replace my current broken down and inadequate and mismatched parts drawers.

So, with your ideas and pics, it seemed as though this would work if I got it at the right price. New, these things are pretty pricey, $400-600. Bid the minimum of $5.00, and lo and behold, that was the winning (and only) bid. Now I own it.

It comes apart in the middle, which I will do. Don't really need 72 slots, but 36 slots hung on the wall or on top of the workbench will work nicely. Time to start scoping out cheap multipacks of storage containers to slide in.

 

[-Brent-]

Index card files suite me best. I've had pretty the whole range of options but these hold more/larger hardware. So, if I have a half-box of nails left over I can store them, easily. Same thing is true if I buy a pound of nuts or bolts for a project, they can sit in their respective drawer rather than laying about.

 

[saryon7]

I use those stack on bins. I like them because they are see through and re-arrange-able. Here is the storage system I am working on. It still needs the skin put on it, but I am still working on my skills with the bead roller, before I take it to the sheet metal, sides and top.
That being said, I think the best hardware storage systems are the Vidmar cabinets, but I don't have that kind of money.

 

[Catadj78]

Not the best photo, but shows what I have.

How high are your ceilings? Looks great

 

[TONE]

How high are your ceilings? Looks great

Thanks, I think they are 12 feet or right around that.