what to do for nut and bolt storeage

[Bad00SS]

Right now I have a bucket that's half full of nuts, bolts, washers, cotter pins, ect. That has came off of old cars and projects where bolts were left over. they have accumulated over the years and the packages of nuts and bolts that are bran new I have left overs from a project just get thrown in there too. I need some sort of organization. My grand father uses glass jars and screws the lids to the bottom of his garage cabinets for his but I don't really want to do this in my garage. any other ideas?

Here's how my grandfather does it.

 

[FTWingRiders]

Something like works for me.. HF bins and some plywood. There are a few threads showing different variations.. Its a popular solution to handle all the little stuff.

 

[lis2323]

Something like works for me.. HF bins and some plywood. There are a few threads showing different variations.. Its a popular solution to handle all the little stuff.

That’s a tidy solution. [emoji106]

 

[kjdhawkhill]

For my homeowner projects I try to only keep a selection that fits in something like this:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Keter-9-40-in-Drawer-Resin-Tool-Box-Multiple-Colors-Finishes/3083761

My theory is that paying for anything more to store spare parts (that are readily available)takes up unwanted space and doesn't save me enough time to justify the cost or space. There are four, no five (minimum) hardware stores within two miles of my house. I can think of three autoparts stores that take less than 10 minutes to get to, as well. I'm not opposed to keeping a few leftovers around as a cost savings, but any hypothetical "next project" likely will require more than I'm willing to store, so its a calculation of cost (savings) vs clutter.

For my hobby, I've got something even smaller, as bicycle odds and ends are even smaller.

 

[Rewind97]

I do the something similar but with plastic jars so if they fall they won't break. I just have mine stacked on a shelf.

 

[Copymutt]

Due to the huge quantity I just sort by rough size. Such as under 3", over 3/8 Diam. etc. and throw em in folgers coffee plastic cans.
When I need bolts I dump the appropriate can into a large tray, about like a small garbage can lid and sort thru to find what I need. I could improve on the concept by making the sorting tray in the shape of a single plane funnel and save time restocking. I do the same for washers, nuts, lags, carriage, ubolts, hooks, springs. All,are on shelving and easy to reach.
The tiny stuff goes in compartmentalized plastic drawer bins.

Incidentally those Folgers cans make a great container to brine a duck in the night before smoking.
Jim

 

[sberry]

Bolts.

 

[lis2323]

Your storage system will change with your needs and as you accumulate more fasteners. I started out with bottles and tin cans when I was a teen over 50 years ago.

This is where I’m at today:

 

[Millwrong]

Something like works for me.. HF bins and some plywood. There are a few threads showing different variations.. Its a popular solution to handle all the little stuff.

I like it! I did something very similar...:

 

[JoeMcGov]

Your storage system will change with your needs and as you accumulate more fasteners. I started out with bottles and tin cans when I was a teen over 50 years ago.

This is where I’m at today:

Very nice. How close are you to Birmingham, Alabama???

 

[lis2323]

Very nice. How close are you to Birmingham, Alabama???

No where close. But you would be more than welcome.

 

[jd_1138]

This one at HF is only $28 and comes with the rack and the bins. A larger shelf like others have posted above is even better.

I have 4 of these. It saves a lot of time to have hardware separated and easy to find.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I use a combination of Stack On 39 drawer plastic units hanging above the workbench, and some of the black and yellow Harbor Freight plastic organizers.

 

[ddawg16]

FTwing…..you and I think a like....

What is good about those storage bins....if you organize them right, it makes it easy to grab one and take to the task.

For example, I have one that is just for wall anchors.....it even has the right size drills in it for the respective anchor size.

I have another just for copper plumbing parts.

Last weekend I actually got around to doing some cleanup on the garage.....I had all these left over packets from TV wall mount kits....so I left the hw in the packet and stuck them in some bins....the packets had the screw size on it...

 

[crewchief888]

all drawers were saved from the scrap bin.....

 

[koondog]

Here is what I use. Works well for me/ATTACH]

 

[lilredex]

Also have my share of tins and jars on shelves. But, found a bunch of cases at a garage sale for the smaller stuff. The last photo (not my setup) is what I hope to do with them all.

 

[lilredex]

A few more...

 

[[email protected]]

Best $50 cabinet ever. Spent another $100 on bins.

 

[glentre]

Here's mine, all behind closed doors. Photo taken before I filled it with more bins. Spray cans stored on inside of doors.

Glen

 

[pbon]

I use the plastic storage boxes with multiple compartments. They are roughly 14x18. Some from HF, which has them in 2 or 3 heights, some from other makers. I stack them on shelves, 3 or 4 or 4 high. I have about 20 boxes. I think the racks for them that people have made are great, but mine are in a tall cabinet.

 

[hemiallen]

Here's mine, all behind closed doors. Photo taken before I filled it with more bins. Spray cans stored on inside of doors.

Glen

Are the spray can holders a commercial item? Looks to be maybe blow molded plastic with round holes?
Thanks

 

[fourjeepin]

I paid $800 for all of the bins from a store that was moving. I thought it was a good deal until the guy told me it included all of the hardware. I spent weeks sorting it and kept far more than I intended. I sold the rest to cover my investment and fill some gaps in the bins.

 

[rk_tek]

I currently have 5 racks that store 8 of the HF shallow organizers or 4 tall ones and plan to make another batch of them as I keep finding stuff to organize.

 

[Lonstar]

Get ready for a bunch of posts......

This has been a major problem for me. Not just nuts and bolts - all the little (and not so little) things I have. Electrical stuff, cotter pins, even the mundane like rubber bands and popsicle sticks. How to store, where to store, and most important - how to find.

I have a large garage and a lot of stuff...I know, I'm the only one on this thread that has that...and the frustration of not being able to find something I know I f'ing have pisses me off to no end. Extremely frustrating.

The pics attached show what I used to use. Countless times I've opened little tiny drawer after little tiny ******** drawer looking for the bolt, nut, fastener, widget, thig-a-ma-jig...whatever, that I know I have but can't find. Or looked through the plastic 'catch all' bins. The expensive 4 drawer bins are a ton-o-fun. Don't know if it's in there but I'll waste time sliding out each one and looking in it. Better make sure you have the handle above just right or the lid on the drawer below won't stay up...grrrrrr!

 

[CHuDWah]

The previous homeowner left several cabinets similar to this when we bought the house - they're the old style with metal case and labeled hard plastic drawers.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

I tend to keep separate the set of fasteners if I take a car apart ie. 67 Firebird gets a bin with a tub of body bolts, one of interior stuff, another with suspension hardware, etc.
Unless its a POS that nobody will ever care about.

 

[CHuDWah]

Your storage system will change with your needs and as you accumulate more fasteners. I started out with bottles and tin cans when I was a teen over 50 years ago.

This is where I’m at today:

WOW - you got your own hardware store!

 

[Lonstar]

I had a huge stroke of luck. Went to my local True Value to have some glass cut. Meaning I brought in my sheet of glass and they cut it to the size I needed. BB stores don't do that, that's why I went to True Value. While someone was cutting the glass I struck up a conversation with another employee. Conversation turned to their fastener selection and the drawers they had for them. He commented that they were replacing the plastic drawers with new ones, but not the metal base cabinets they were in. I asked what they were doing with the old drawers. He said they were throwing them out. After more blah blah he called the owner, next thing was me at their back door getting a gaylord box full of drawers.

Pic shows a small amount of what I got. There was over 500 in the gaylord box. Most had the dividers still in them.

 

[Lonstar]

I now had to build something to put them in. After several weeks of working on it when I had time, I had this.

 

[Lonstar]

While building it I went to the store to double check the height of the cubby hole (the trays have a raised part on the back end to catch the drawer and allow it to tilt down). While there I saw they were selling some of the metal cabinets the drawers were in. Not only that, they were selling them with the drawers full of the fastener/widgit that was in each drawer. I asked the manager (the guy that called the owner on my first visit) why they were selling them after he told me they weren't. He said they were no longer needed after the redesign. I told him I wanted them.
"How many do you want Lonstar?"
"All of them".
Another call to the owner took place.
He gave me a great deal on the 27 box frames they had for sale.

 

[Lonstar]

This is what I have now. I was so excited to have something to organize my stuff in I bought a label machine that connected to a PC and every color of label tape that printed in black type (didn't want white font on a light color, just black font so I could see it better). Then I took my laptop out to the garage and downloaded clip art pictures of whatever was in the drawer. I also bought a large, better grade glue gun and glue sticks to add more dividers to most of the drawers.

Words can't describe how much better it is now. I'm still in the process of organizing it all. That's one downside - the laborious task of separating everything and organizing/labeling it. The up side is when I want something I know where it is. I'm extremely pleased so far.

Pics show 16 of the metal bin bases (6 drawers each). I have 11 more and a few hundred drawers.

 

[Blain]

Thats awesome!

 

[Jeffgage]

I bought these for $50 for both. They were gray. I spent $25 in primer and paint. I plan on glueing 1 of the items that will be in each cubbie hole. Nuts bolts washers in one. Screws nails and zip ties in the other. They are 24" tall by 34" wide

 

[glentre]

Are the spray can holders a commercial item? Looks to be maybe blow molded plastic with round holes?
Thanks

Hemiallen,

Yes, they are molded plastic with flanged edges so they can be screwed to a door or wall. Got them on line but can't remember product name. PM me if you can't find them and I'll dig through my paperwork for a name. They work well and the best part is you can identify what you have at a glance. Before, I had them all together on a shelf and had to move a bunch of them to find the can I wanted.

Glen

 

[carryallman]

i had about 50 of them plastic holder bins /tossed them out /nobody wanted them ! think i might have seven out back /need to smash them & haul away ! wish you guys were closer to iowa !

 

[vette-kid]

Bolts.

I used to have a small one like this. It was ok, but a pain to see in and reach into.

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[vette-kid]

Best $50 cabinet ever. Spent another $100 on bins.

Is that a card file? I'd make room for something like that for$50!!! Right now I have junk stuffed into old laundry detergent bins (the ones the pods come in). It's terrible.

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[[email protected]]

Is that a card file? I'd make room for something like that for$50!!! Right now I have junk stuffed into old laundry detergent bins (the ones the pods come in). It's terrible.

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Sure is. Got lucky on this one. Hoping to find a couple more.



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[NUTTSGT]

I bought a few sets of HF bins and used mostly the blue ones. I made a spot under my workbench for them and added doors.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1276457&postcount=181