spare/leftover nuts/bolts?

[Mr. Soup]

Growing up my dad had a drawer in his toolbox dedicated to nothing but spare/leftover/extra nuts&bolts.
I don't want to dedicate a tool drawer to that stuff so I have everything just tossed into a 5gallon bucket.
What do you guys use to keep that stuff in? Anyone have a clever idea for this stuff?
Pics would help.

 

[southalabama]

Go to google. Google garagejournal bolt storage. Or google garagejournal hardware storage.

Google search better than this forum search.

Will pull up dozens of threads. By the way these are my favorite threads.

I just got some hillman bolt bins. Still in storage. Before that I've used everything from cut down oil bottles to schaller bins.

 

[crewchief888]

i keep most of my hardware in these.

i even have one drawer full of OEM "leftover" hardware from my s-10 blazer.

 

[Richard Cranium]

here is mine.

 

[L5wolvesf]

Separated into plastic jars (peanut butter etc) by type of fastener. Esy to seeand access and mostly sorted.

 

[6PTsocket]

Growing up my dad had a drawer in his toolbox dedicated to nothing but spare/leftover/extra nuts&bolts.
I don't want to dedicate a tool drawer to that stuff so I have everything just tossed into a 5gallon bucket.
What do you guys use to keep that stuff in? Anyone have a clever idea for this stuff?
Pics would help.

Do as I say, not as I do. If you sort them out, you are more likely to use them. If the pile is too deep you will give up and buy new hardware when it might be down in there some place. If it is just a bunch of rusty stuff that you are not likely to use, get rid of it. As to your original question. My small stuff is in metal Acro Mills cabinets with the little plastic drawers. The big stuff is in those slide out garage hardware lidded drawers that I added latches to, so they don't dump as I do not have the shelf unit and only a few drawers.

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[Superbec]

I usually mount all the fasteners back to the vehicle, if not I throw them away in my neighbor's backyard

 

[skipnay]

Nut bolt storage will be something I will be following

 

[KM223]

here is mine.

Nice!

 

[6PTsocket]

Nice![emoji106]

Those are the kind if drawers that I have loose. Nice set up

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[bob15]

If you don't want to keep it (by the sounds of your writing), save a couple 5 gallon buckets and then bring them to the scrap yard for about $0.05 a pound.

I have my nuts and bolts organized by sizes and are sitting in plastic bins in an old microfiche cabinet (about 10 drawers worth).

 

[gdocktor3]

Place a towel or old shirt in the bucket first, then dump items in. Now, you pull shirt out as a whole and put back in as a whole. Not piece by piece.

 

[jd_1138]

I'd get a plastic bin system or some compartmentalized plastic bins (with lids). HF has them pretty cheap and sort of organize the fasteners and hardware. I never have to run to the hardware store to buy bolts, nuts, washers, screws, nails, etc.. I already have it all here. I buy it by the pound at hardware stores.

I don't think I'd dump it all in a bucket. Also it's nice if you have to go fix something at a relative's/friend's house. You can grab the box of fasteners and take with you. Because no one will have fasteners at their house.

 

[Teenager with old tools]

Hardware store nut bolt display bind


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[PelicanPines]

here is mine.

I second the Hillman cabinets... I have 22 cabinets... along with 10 Durham and about 20 other portable parts bins...

 

[mbshop]

I have stuff sorted in those cheap plastic parts trays sold by hf. Also use peanut butter and other plastic bittles. Also use plastic shoe boxes to store larger stuff. Last is that I use pill bottles for the smaller odds and ends. Sort it and label it and it makes life soooo much easier. At my shop I had parts bins labled with part numbers. Very few strays as it took more time to look than just grab a new one.

 

[ken w.]

I have a few bins just for factory OEM hardware separate from my new ASE / metric fasteners. These would be the hard to find fasteners I acquired from working at car dealers and every trip to the salvage yards. I used to keep it in one large bottom box drawer and two small top box drawers. Now that these boxes are home , I'd rather have tools in these drawers.

 

[48548]

I bought these last year when hd had them on sale. Milwaukee storage bins.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0177J6V3G/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Mr. Soup]

All excellent suggestions
I think if I tried to sort everything I'd spend an entire weekend sorting all the odds and ends I have.
Perhaps a handful at a time and by next thanksgiving it'll be all sorted out.

 

[CJM8515]

I have sooo many jars, containers and whatnot of various odds and ends. I could spend an entire week organizing them I think. I also have 5 drawer type boxes with dividers full of nuts and bolts I recently ordered just to have. McMaster-carr is sweet for that lol.

 

[WWheeler]

I have about 100-150 small and large glass baby food jars with the lids screwed to the bottom of wooden shelves in the garage filled with assorted nuts bolts etc from various sources. I inherited this system from an uncle but I must say I really like it and I added many jars to it more than 20 yrs ago when my kids were busy emptying the original contents of each jar into their diapers - so the jars were essentially free or they would have been tossed in the bin. I can easily see the contents of every jar and they unscrew and screw back on with less than a half turn.

 

[Richard Cranium]

There is a lot of nice storage systems out there, You have to figure out what works for you.

 

[sgtmac]

I have a box all the spare stuff goes in. I call it the "hundred year box". I was told by an old airline mechanic that every good mechanic needs a "hundred year box". I of course asked what's in it and he said " boy that box has any and everything in it, there's **** you won't use in a hundred years. But you may find that one nut or bolt that could save the day"

Since the. I've always kept a "hundred year box"

 

[lilredex]

Here are mine, mainly smaller stuff. 1/4", 5/16", and 3/8" (and some misc. metric) are on shelves on the back side of the workbench, in coffee cans.

 

[WagonHo!]

Nut bin
Bolt buggy

 

[Commendatore]

I bought these last year when hd had them on sale. Milwaukee storage bins.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0177J6V3G/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I looked at those yesterday and they seemed nice. Current price was $20 marked down from $25. This is the train of thought that stopped me:

"How many do I need, two? Five? Ten? Never mind."


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[48548]

I think I bought 6 or so. They are awesome.

 

[FigureItOut]

The best thing going right now in the little organizer bins are these HDX 2 packs at HD for $10. They're no Sortimo, but they're decently made, certainly good enough to sit on shelves or racks storing hardware. If Christmas brings the usual HD gift cards, I'm thinking I'll pick up 25-50 of the two-packs and build some racks for them.

 

[CJM8515]

The best thing going right now in the little organizer bins are these HDX 2 packs at HD for $10. They're no Sortimo, but they're decently made, certainly good enough to sit on shelves or racks storing hardware. If Christmas brings the usual HD gift cards, I'm thinking I'll pick up 25-50 of the two-packs and build some racks for them.

I bought those very same ones to store all the newer nuts/bolts I bought. No issues so far. A rack to store them in would be good though,t hey do interlock but would be way to heavy lol.

 

[FigureItOut]

I bought those very same ones to store all the newer nuts/bolts I bought. No issues so far. A rack to store them in would be good though,t hey do interlock but would be way to heavy lol.

Yeah, there's a popular rack built by a member for the HF organizers, I'm sure you've seen the thread. I may do something like that, but not nearly as nice. There's no way I'd do all those drawer slides. His is really freaking awesome though.

I'm glad to hear you've had no issues, they look okay and the price is unbeatable, but I'm averse to the HDX brand.

 

[CJM8515]

Yeah, there's a popular rack built by a member for the HF organizers, I'm sure you've seen the thread. I may do something like that, but not nearly as nice. There's no way I'd do all those drawer slides. His is really freaking awesome though.

I'm glad to hear you've had no issues, they look okay and the price is unbeatable, but I'm averse to the HDX brand.

Yea so far so good. The ones I have M10, M12 and M16 stuff in are quite heavy and I havent had an issue. Right now they are just stacked up on the bench. I looked at the HF ones before I bought these and decided they were better overall.

 

[FigureItOut]

Yea so far so good. The ones I have M10, M12 and M16 stuff in are quite heavy and I havent had an issue. Right now they are just stacked up on the bench. I looked at the HF ones before I bought these and decided they were better overall.

I'm sold. Thanks for the testimonial.

 

[fourjeepin]

I started with one drawer, but then realized how long it took to find what I needed. Then I started collecting square jelly jars about 6" high. They fit perfectly in my tool box. These lasted about 6 years when I started looking for something better. Luckily an HD in town was relocating and selling everything in the store. It took a few visits to find the guy in charge, but I ended up buying all of the bins in the store for $800. I thought this was a great deal until he dropped a bomb on me - this price included all of the contents. I hope I kept my composure, but might have gasped loud enough for folks in the next state to hear.

They palletized and shrink wrapped them. It took two trips with my car hauler to get it all home, then a couple of months to organize it all. I kept most of the hardware, but sold the majority of the bins. Even after buying hardware to fill the gaps, I am still money ahead and have more hardware than I could use in 100 years.

Enough words - I know you want to see the pictures.

 

[CJM8515]

I'm sold. Thanks for the testimonial.

No problem. Glad to help out. The heavier oens I use the lathes ont he side that would lock the drawers together normally just to make sure they wouldnt open.

 

[fourjeepin]

And one from the inside.

 

[byoungblood]

I sort out the SAE/Metric hex bolts/nuts in some drawer organizers.

I've got smaller machine screws in a couple of small organizer cases.

All the self tapping, sheet metal, and some wood screws are in a few assorted bins. Since I usually just grab something that looks like it will work when dealing with those types of screws they're not as organized as everything else.

 

[Mr. Soup]

I love the idea of the 100year box. I got this old box from my grandfather, he said he had it forever. Thinking I found the perfect use for it.

 

[Finky198]

At this point the bulk of our excess is kept in 5 gal buckets about a half dozen or so filled to the brim. talk about heavy.... But The stuff we use often are in bins and are kept semi organized. One day I hope to find a lista or vidmar style cabinet and organize them all. Theres lot of money in fasteners. I started getting the HF organizer boxes, But it would take a pallet of them to organize it all. So I'm leaving those for small and light weight items...

 

[XxToolAholicxX]

Coffee cans are great for that porpouse...

 

[Know Wosad]

Sandpapers to the left. 36 to 600
Bolts nuts washers right 1/4 to 5/8 from 1 to 3 inch length
Metric on another wall 5.5 to 16. All grade five. Black. Paintable
I toss leftovers in accordingly and the oddball stuff is in a metal drawer surplus thing. 10x32 x 4 and stuff like that. Machine screws etc.