Fastener/Small Parts Organization

[KWRB]

I spent some time this morning sorting my dot head bolts. I was scrounging for coffee cans, Mason jars, bags, and cardboard boxes.

I was thinking about getting one of those segmented cases they sell at hardware stores for my IH fasteners and IH small parts.

But I'm curious what others have. Inspire me!

[Mike H]

picked up a 60 drawer metal cabinet at sale 

drawer size is 2'' H 5''W 24'' L

got bolts, cotter pins ,pex fittings  ect.

paid 20.00 for it

check restores and other resale shops

lots of choices to get

[oleman]

For automotive I use the metal 6" X 6" X 18"  metal drawers all metal with slots every inch in a drawer that use stamped steel dividers.

For electronics I use the the tray-type drawers with sort of cup-cake set-up for the tiny parts like 0-80 and a 4-40 is a large size and other circuit board  hardware.

Zorro online has a very good selection of storage choices, Durham MFG is very good hardware and the small parts tend to very costly, even has a lockable storage set, and that is what Zorro has available but at a limited .

Every plastic drawer I have ever used long term as failed, but I have been at this for more than 70 years and still working.
 

 

[656hydro]

Depending on how many you have, I used this setup for fasteners, hydraulic fittings, and plow parts. I bought the metal racks from Grainger but I don't think they carry them now. McMaster probably has them. The shelves are adjustable and 4' long, 1' deep about 7' tall. Particle board  1'x 4' is available any lumber store. The bins are from Grainger and come in different widths. As you can see some bins are plastic for heavy items. I like that I can store a lot in a small space. I hot glued the corners for strength, made labels from an Avery template, and then put wide tape around them to keep the labels clean and more strength. Make sure your tape ends at the back of the box otherwise it catches on the other boxes. 110 boxes fit on each shelf unit. I used over 10 of these for my business.

[ray54]

Been some years so I forget if it was coffee or a coffee creamer my MIL liked that came in little cans. Cans were 2 x 4 x 1.5 tall rectangles. Had plastic lids. They fit in a tool box drawer in the service truck tool box. Painted them solid color and used a marker to label.

[460]

I am doing some fastener organizing as a hobbiest/house repair, really saves both time and money running to the harware store for hardware.  I prefer the folgers plastic coffee cans for most stuff.  I am just starting to label them.

[mader656]

Milwaukee packouts.

[mmi]

48 minutes ago, mader656 said:

Milwaukee packouts.

DEEEP pocket $$$$$ here.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-PACKOUT-20-in-Deep-Small-Parts-Organizer-with-6-Compartments-and-Quick-Adjust-Dividers-48-22-8432/317039249

[oleman]

ON the cheap side!

I use clear plastic straight sided prescription medication bottles, [I just save them when the medicine is consumed] they come in many sizes BUT fail quickly when exposed to tech chemicals and such. The urine specimen bottles have a good seal in them and more durable. I have some of those that are over 3 years old in my electronics shop, still good. Used for tiny hardware items.

Straight sided peanut butter containers  are good but a dishwasher will tend to melt them.

Avery has (artificial paper laser shipping labels that stick to most surfaces that are water prof and HP toner is very wear resistant) makes a good label for ID'ing BUT not free!

My neighbor just gave me an under the washer metal drawer and foundation assembly  for a late model LG, appears to be strong enough for a great storage container drawer.

 

 

 

[Super A_sepa]

I really like our bolt bins at home.   We bought these online used several years ago.   They can be bought new but they are expensive.  One of those things I don't think about the cost now that we have them.

 

The bolts are organized but not all of the shop around them. So it goes I guess. 

[vtfireman85]

The large wooden box and beat up screwdriver to dig with has always been a winner for me. 

[mader656]

7 hours ago, mmi said:

DEEEP pocket $$$$$ here.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-PACKOUT-20-in-Deep-Small-Parts-Organizer-with-6-Compartments-and-Quick-Adjust-Dividers-48-22-8432/317039249

Gotta be mobile. packout just work everytime. Buy once cry once and dont have to the stuff off the floor.

[farmallman77]

Best thing I have made in a long time.  All shelves slide out.   I had the stanley organizers for smaller items so I kept those.  I did make those shelves the same dimensions as the packout units in case I upgrade later.   

 

I have standard wall mounted bolt bins for nuts bolts and washers. 

[farmallman77]

I grew up with multiple coffee cans full of random hardware.  Once I moved out I vowed to never use them again. 

[Mr. Plow]

My "hardware store".

Bolts are in steel drawers in an older US GENERAL tool box. 

[yellowrosefarm]

Don’t buy one of these where the plastic bins break and the thin metal shelves bend

 

[acem]

For small stuff fishing tackle tray boxes work good.

Interweb pic below.

[65806]

I bought a bolt rack and drawer rack for all my hardware.  I built shelves that hold buckets and totes.  Every bucket and tote is numbered and I made spreadsheets to know what’s in each one.  Need something just check the spreadsheet I placed in clear holders mounted on side of shelf.  As you add or remove items just update spreadsheet.  In my experience labeling the contents on the container becomes outdated information pretty quick. Took a while to get everything organized into the buckets/totes but has since saved a lot of time looking for stuff you know you have but can’t remember where you put it  

 

 

 

[12_Guy]

You guys are entirely too organized. I do have a small group of wall mounted plastic bins for new bolts but the used stuff is in cans. Someday I would like to get my shop organized. 

[1256pickett]

I need a better system. Have a couple (8-10?) old grain elevator buckets bolted to the wall for most common size bolts. They work great but don’t have enough of them, or room on that wall. 

When I bought my place I tore down an old dairy barn and before I tore it down I went through and salvaged as much as I could. About $500 worth of scrap metal came out including 5 metal 5 gallon buckets full of broken bolts and bent nails! That guy never threw anything away. 

[yellowrosefarm]

Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.  That's why depression era people never wanted to throw anything away. They lived through a real time of shortages of everything.

[Lazy WP]

Dad used baby food jars, but my kids didn’t baby food didn’t come in jars, so I don’t have a good answer 

[KWRB]

17 hours ago, mader656 said:

Gotta be mobile. packout just work everytime. Buy once cry once and dont have to the stuff off the floor.

I was looking at the Stanley products yesterday. American made, stackable. Hadn't made up my mind when I got a tornado warning on my phone. Grabbed my four year old and left in a hurry.

Still haven't made up my mind. Almost finally had something.

But, I don't do tornadoes. Lived through one last summer and I don't care to ever see it again. Went pure Dad mode. I remember the dad and his innocent little kids that died at Home Depot in Joplin.

[KWRB]

2 hours ago, 65806 said:

I bought a bolt rack and drawer rack for all my hardware.  I built shelves that hold buckets and totes.  Every bucket and tote is numbered and I made spreadsheets to know what’s in each one.  Need something just check the spreadsheet I placed in clear holders mounted on side of shelf.  As you add or remove items just update spreadsheet.  In my experience labeling the contents on the container becomes outdated information pretty quick. Took a while to get everything organized into the buckets/totes but has since saved a lot of time looking for stuff you know you have but can’t remember where you put it  

 

 

 

Oh my God, that's beautiful. That's the stuff dreams right there.

[KWRB]

@65806

How did you get those Lawson products storage units? I looked years ago and I believe they wouldn't sell to the public,or I couldn't find a vendor, or something. Can't recall exactly, but I remember thinking it was weird how hard they made it to purchase