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Spill Proof Small Hardware Storage

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willf650

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Does anyone know of a small hardware storage box about the size of this one 11”x7” that won’t let hardware migrate from compartment to compartment.

IMG_1738.jpeg

I have bought a few of these style boxes and now have this one and put 3mm of foam on the lid to try and stop the washers from migrating around. It’s still not great as it’s a cheap box and this is heavier than the previous one.

This is a small hardware box I keep in my work truck with #6 to #10 machine screws in of varying sizes. I would like something small like this that positively seals the little compartments to stop migration.
 
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Fav Onefour

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Funny thing, I just went on a search for a similar storage solution. I wanted to put the misc. tool bag fasteners into one container. Dang tough to find something tough and tight. The tool company storage setups are generally big boxes and I was looking for a smaller container that would fit right in my tool bag.

Oddly enough, I found a variety of box types in the fishing tackle area in a sporting goods store. There were waterproof, no rust boxes too. Not sure what the trick was with those things, but they weren't cheap.
Like you mentioned, I was also looking for something sturdy enough to keep items from migrating. Quite a few of the fishing boxes had sturdy latch assemblies to keep the lids from flexing. That alone was helpful.
One thing I didn't see were boxes with consistent sized compartments. They had dual side storage, and many options of box size, but they all had a variety of compartment sizes.
 
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theoldwizard1

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All of my small to medium sized fasteners are stored in HD (4 mil) zipper lock bags ranging in size from 2x3 to 8x10.

The very small items have a note placed inside stating what it is. (Yes, those are M2 machine screws.)

Screenshot 2025-11-04 202212.png

Then related bagged items (say all #10 fasteners) are grouped into a box or larger bag. There is a second box of #10 "sheet metal" screws, various lengths. I do the same even for thing like 1/2" nuts and washers, just bigger bags

Screenshot 2025-11-04 204935.png

You can't keep large quantities of larger thing, but I have about a dozen 1/4" bolts of each from 1/2" to 4". Fewer bolts as sizes go up. No bolt stock on 1/2", 7/16" and 3/8", but nuts, washer and lock washers.


These bags (I buy 100 at a time) have saved my in countless ways. The last thing I did was take all items related to small engine repairs, each in their own bag, and placed them into a larger bag. If I am doing a "remote repair", I just grab the bag and a couple of tools and I am good to go ! I even put my special hollow ground jet screwdrivers, jet cleaning kit and #61 - #80 drill bits and index in the bag !
 
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finn

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The Dewalt boxes are pretty good, but stay away from the cheap HF boxes. I bought a second HF on sale a week or two ago. I forgot how much I hated the m, since I’ve been mostly using a couple of Dewalt. The new HF irreversibly warped sitting on the shelf, and one of the flimsy latches popped, allowing the contents to intermingle.

I was pissed, mostly because I bought it, despite knowing it was junk

The Dewalt boxes have rigid transparent covers that hold their shape. I try to buy small fasteners packed in the little cardboard boxes, although they’re rare now. The little coxes typically fit in the container bins.

I don’t like the plastic bag method. They’re hard to fit into the bins, and all look the same, so it takes a lot of sorting..
 
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theoldwizard1

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finn said:
I don’t like the plastic bag method. They’re hard to fit into the bins, and all look the same, so it takes a lot of sorting..
Click to expand...
Check my second photo. Lots of different items fit in that bin and are easy to sort through.
 
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willf650

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I have some of the Dewalt cases and they are decent but they are larger and don’t have as many compartments in them.

I also do use bags at times but have never purchased them in quantity. They are normally just bags stuff comes in I save. I was honestly hoping for case of some sort as it’s more practical.

The Dunham case maybe an option as I have two racks of the smaller 13” ones. They just don’t have the quantity of individual compartments as these little plastic cases.

The pill cases maybe an option that works.

I did find these and ordered a pair. I’m hoping they work as all the compartments are permanent, no removable dividers so I’m hoping that makes the case more rigid. They also have overlap built into the lid. I’m just not thrilled with the single snap style latch. If they aren’t suitable I’ll return them.
IMG_0194.jpeg


I was hoping someone found one of these little cases constructed as good as a packout organizer. I’d be willing to pay for it if it worked.
 
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Skyman

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willf650 said:
I did find these and ordered a pair. I’m hoping they work as all the compartments are permanent, no removable dividers so I’m hoping that makes the case more rigid. They also have overlap built into the lid. I’m just not thrilled with the single snap style latch. If they aren’t suitable I’ll return them.
IMG_0194.jpeg


I was hoping someone found one of these little cases constructed as good as a packout organizer. I’d be willing to pay for it if it worked.
Click to expand...

For frequent use, I'd be a little concerned about the durability of that living hinge.
 
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racecougar

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Yeah. The whole premise of this thread is that the lid will keep the compartments sealed if you tilt / go vertical with the container. I wouldn't trust that style latch to keep the lid closed, and when it does let go, the situation will be worse that just a little compartment-to-compartment mixing.
 
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dscheidt

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Fav Onefour said:
Oddly enough, I found a variety of box types in the fishing tackle area in a sporting goods store. There were waterproof, no rust boxes too. Not sure what the trick was with those things, but they weren't cheap.
Click to expand...
The trick is fishers spend money. Not just on the boxes, but on the stuff that goes in them, so spending money on good storage is worth it.

it’s amazing how bad the plastic organizer boxes that are available at retail are. I have a lot of Plano boxes, which are okay. They’re durable, the lids stay shut, but the dividers ****. They don’t stay in place (hot glue goes a long way), and because the boxes flex a bit, small pieces like washers and tiny screws can migrate. A piece of thin foam solves that, but then you can’t see into them. (Idle thought for someone with a fancy 3d printer: print dividers that are a smidge taller, with that height being in TPU or something, so there’s a squishy gasket between the dividers and the top. )

Good boxes like this exist, and are cheap. I know that because I have some. They came with some random hardware assortments, which cost not much more than a Plano 3700 costs. The coolest of them have 10 or so compartments, each about 1 cm wide and with their own individual lid.
 
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theoldwizard1

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Everyone is missing something from the title

SPILL PROOF !

My suggestion is not perfect, but you won't spend an hour resorting all of your "smalls" if you drop the box !
 
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Tdbo

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willf650

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Tdbo said:
This is the cat's meow:

Plano Molding 5231 Double Cover Stow N Go Organizer, Porsche Red - Tool Chests - Amazon.com

Plano Molding 5231 Double Cover Stow N Go Organizer, Porsche Red - Tool Chests - Amazon.com
www.amazon.com

Picked it up at Menards on sale for next to nothing several years ago.
I could have bought six of them for what Amazon is charging for one.
Wish I would have bought more than one.
Click to expand...
This is a little larger than I was looking for but looks promising. I just ordered one from Home Depot and its about 1/2 of what Amazon wanted.

The small cases I ordered are going back because of the lid with only the center latch. You can pull up the outside corners because of that so beating around in a truck is an accident waiting to happen. It's a real shame they don't have the nice latches on either side as this case is constructed well and stiff. With every compartment molded in with no removable dividers the case has no flex at all for being plastic.
 
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rsparks64

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Another vote for checking on fishing tackle boxes. They have many sizes and configurations. A lot of the reasonable size ones that you might store in your tool box can be found inside tackle bags. Many of the tackle bags or tackle boxes are sold filled with those boxes. Look for a tackle bag or tackle box on sale that has some of the lure boxes in it. Some of the best ones I have in my garage tool boxes came from sporting goods stores. Some of the soft sided tackle bags come in handy as well if you buy one that has the fly and tackle boxes in it.
 
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Roert42

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willf650

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rsparks64 said:
Another vote for checking on fishing tackle boxes. They have many sizes and configurations. A lot of the reasonable size ones that you might store in your tool box can be found inside tackle bags. Many of the tackle bags or tackle boxes are sold filled with those boxes. Look for a tackle bag or tackle box on sale that has some of the lure boxes in it. Some of the best ones I have in my garage tool boxes came from sporting goods stores. Some of the soft sided tackle bags come in handy as well if you buy one that has the fly and tackle boxes in it.
Click to expand...
I have tons of Tackle boxes and the issue I have with them is the same as others have mentioned. The irregular sizes of the compartments and the removable dividers that don't stay rigidly in them. The waterproof ones I have are pretty good but they still suffer the compartment divider issues.
Roert42 said:
Plano has other nice options as well. They make a lot of good stuff.

Amazon.com: Plano EDGE 3700 Premium Deep Tackle Utility Box, Clear and Yellow, Waterproof and Rust-Resistant Bait and Terminal Tackle Storage Organization Box : Musical Instruments

Amazon.com: Plano EDGE 3700 Premium Deep Tackle Utility Box, Clear and Yellow, Waterproof and Rust-Resistant Bait and Terminal Tackle Storage Organization Box : Musical Instruments
www.amazon.com
Click to expand...
I haven't seen those before. Those look like the most promising "tackle boxes" provided I can get extra dividers to make small compartments.
 
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