Cheap (free) way to (better) organize (spare) nuts (by size)

What is your cheap (free) way to (better) organize (spare) nuts (by size)?

When I was a kid, I labeled each set of nuts by tying a wire through the middle and tagging the end of the wire.

Then when I had more money, I bought complete sets including the cases and drawers of assorted sized nuts (and bolts). In addition, I would buy a pack of 5, 10, or 50, whenever I needed a handful of them.

Now? Decades later, I have a huge jumble of nuts in plastic Costco mixed-nuts jars (fittingly) all jumbled up.

What I'd like to do is simply organize the nuts by size so I don't have to pick through them every time I need just one nut to fit, but I'm done with the organized kits (which I can buy at any time).

I'm thinking of drilling holes in a block of wood and screwing in a dozen or so commonly sized 6 inch bolts, and then just threading the spare nuts on the upended bolts.

Before I begin, I just wanted to ask for better ideas, and, if you have implemented the idea I just listed of screwing the nuts onto upstanding bolts, what is the common set of bolts you'd suggest?

Reply to
Alexei Kuznetsov
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Well, don't know how many you think is a bunch nor what ranges you've collected over the years but...on the farm here there's everything from #4 and #6 thru the range of inch from 3/16" to >1" in both NC and NF plus grades from 2 thru 8. Add on that metric from 5 or 6 thru 27 or so, say, again with the differing grades and it gets to be combinations nearly uncountable. But, storage is in wall bin racks in the shop for new and nearly new stuff; there are smaller bins that cover the ranges for used stuff. Dad bought a whole bakery stock of bread pans that are

1-lb load sized in 4 pans/set in a banding that sat on the oven belts. They, in homemade racks are the prime storage for used stuff, labeled by size; nuts/washers go in same bin for a give size and lengths for bolts are grouped into only 3 or so per size. There I don't keep track of hardness but do separate out the NF/NC.

As far as your idea for a much smaller (I presume) range, rather than the actual bolt and threading them on there which would be a real annoyance in both putting on and to take off imo, if you think there are few enough to do such, I'd just use a plain rod of smaller diameter so they just drop over. Wouldn't stand the tipover the other would, but could be arranged to have a keeper if really needed.

Reply to
dpb

I sort everything like that in:

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Bad example, rather expensive, but there are far cheaper ones. You get the idea....

Reply to
James Wilkinson Sword

Machine screws/nuts in one bag, larger (SAE) fasteners in another. This is only for when I need one or two.

If I need more (for a project) I just go and buy them.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Danniken

Since you said "free" keep them in jars. If you want to be more efficient, get some of these.

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I have 4 about this size over my workbench, although the drawers are bigger. But they were much cheaper when I bought them.

Reply to
Vic Smith

I dont have any *SPARE* nuts. I only have TWO NUTS and neither of them are spares. Besides that. both of my nuts are the SAME SIZE.... I dont need to organize them. They hang between my legs no matter where I go....

Reply to
nutty

Do that then put the proper size nut on the threaded rod. Hand a board or piece of angle iron on the wall. Cut slots in the board or iron just a bit larger than the rod. Hang the rod by slipping the threaded on nut over the board/iron. You might need a washer on the rod and over the slots but those are chepe, cheep, cheap. A cheaper way would be to buy some twine or heavy string. Tie a nut to one end. Drop the others over then attach the twine to a nail on the wall.

Reply to
Dean Hoffman

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