Storage of hardware - ideas needed please. (possible duplicate)

[Greg Millen]

Well, my untidy ways have finally got the better of me. I searched the shop for nearly an hour looking for a packet of 12mm coach head bolts I had just bought. I sat the project down and began the hunt, looked high and low, checked the bins, drawers, shelves, floor, benches - everywhere. Finally I decided to just go to the borg and get some more, so I put the project in a safe place and, you guessed it, there they were - under the project. While I was looking, I realised that I have never attempted to get a proper system set up, and now I was paying the price (yet again).

Reading the archives, I came up with some broken links and a few ideas (and I am still googling away). But one thing the years spent here have taught me - I will not be the only one to benefit from a discussion on this subject (I've seen photos of a lot of your shops guys).

So, I want to sort myself out and create some sort of sensible, c l e a r l y l a b e l l e d , storage system. This is where you can help, if you have a sensible, easy to store, retrieve and labelled hardware system in your shop - I'd really appreciate seeing any pics you may have. If you have a link, great.

I would like to know the way you store - by type, size, nuts, bolts, nails etc.

Containers? Bins? Jars (standard or sealed top)? Boxes? Pegboard packs? Is there some software that is good for doing labels? What other considerations should I be aware of?

I don't care what it looks like in the end, so long as it is functional and safe - (I'd rather not have to pick hardware out of broken glass again, it's the pits, DAMHIKT)

TIA

[Mark Jerde]

I have a three drawer Craftman roll around chest that holds most of my screws, nails etc. I also have two 12" x 18" x 3" plastic organizers with see through lids and about 20 compartments in each. One has my washers, the other small bolts & nuts. Works for now.

C.H. Becksvoort has a neat system.

Plamann built one in a wall. -- Mark

[Victor Radin]

Recently saw someone using recycled library card catalogs for small parts storage. I remember looking at someone on the Wreck's website, unfortunatly I cannopt remember WHO it was.

There's also plastic bins, parts cabinets with never enough drawers, and my personal favorite- coffee cans for large quantity junk, pill bottles for small stuff.

[Rick Gibson]

I use metal cabinets with 40 to 60 drawers mounted on the wall. An example seen here.

have 6 of them mounted on the wall, works great for small parts. The only problem is remembering to put the parts away when you bring them home.

Rick

webservant for

> -- Mark

[Diane]

At the blue borg there are plastic storage bins in red/blue/yellow. I made a rolling cabinet on wheels 5' tall x 24" x 24". The upper shelves hold 5 accros of the yellow bins. The lower shelves hold the blue and the bootom with clear lexan over it hold the red. The red one hold what used to go in coffe canns. One side is for fasterners. One side for hardware. One side is for bits/attachments/machine parts/drill bits and the forth side is for project supplies like sand paper/glue/small clamps/etc. I also made a portable wooden box that holds three yellow and one blue bin. This I use when I want to take hardware to the garage, etc. The bins are cheap. I thing they are 10/$ 5.00 for the yellow ones. I got card stock from office max and printed with the laser printer onto the card stock and then cut it to fit the slot on the bins. I thought about putting draws on the unit out of lexan to keep dust out, but then It probable would not be convienant. I will try to post a picture up on abpw if I can. I spnt less time building the unit then I did hunting for one screw.

Eddie

----- Original Message ----- From: "Victor Radin" Newsgroups: rec.woodworking Sent: Saturday, April 03, 2004 8:36 AM Subject: Re: Storage of hardware - ideas needed please. (possible duplicate)

[Unisaw A100]

When we moved and I was setting up Keeter Shoppe Y2K I was working out of banker's boxes. It was the pits. Anyway, with some inexpensive MDF and plastic boxes I set everything straight and haven't hunted for hardware since.

I'll put up pitchers on abpw.

Next up, something similar for tools.

UA100

[Eugene]

I have a bunch of the small plastic divided boxes (like the ones for fishing). Just had to buy a bunch more and expand to one box for #4 bolts, one for #6, one for #8 etc. I like them over the drawers because when the lids are closed they don't get the dust inside like all the little drawers do.

[Mark & Juanita]

In article , [e-mail] says... ... snip

Take a look on my page, , both in the "Shop Pictures" and "Woodworking Pictures #2", look in the corner for the storage bin system with yellow bins. It was not a cheap solution, but I got the storage bin system from ,

It looks like they are having a sale on this unit, $200 is not a bad price for the amount of storage provided. By adding the dividers in the drawers, you can store and organize a large amount of nuts, bolts, screws, and other small items. One thing I want to do in the future is wrap a cabinet enclosure around the metal skeleton and add doors to 1) eliminate the amount of dust collected by the open bins and 2) make it look more like a part of a wood shop vs. a warehouse. But that's a few projects down the road.

[p_j]

I was in the same situation as you and I confess have lost and found things pretty much the same as you.

I use the 4 compartment stacking inserts for 5 gallon buckets. Inexpensive and works great. I'm able to take my hardware supplies upstairs or outdoors, the buckets themselves stack and everything stays clean and dry.

[Larry Jaques]

On Sat, 03 Apr 2004 12:51:49 GMT, "Greg Millen" brought forth from the murky depths:

It gets to us all eventually (and often.)

Some plastic boxes, some jugs of mixed hdw (Aieee!), some organized plastic bin boxes. Search Ebay for "storage bins" for the best of all worlds, plastic bin boxes. Add dust covers to the front and Bob's yer uncle.

have 2 of these, combined, with the extra bin storing some of the new hardware I have. I also bought some garage sale jars of mixed hardware which is a bad idea.

I want to move to these and add dust protection. While clear bins are nice, open bins are easier if you can keep the dust out of them. Tilting drawers are a nice combination.

Akro Mils tilt 'n lock storage bins

or check for same on your little island there. ;)

Alternatively, make a scalloped front on a wooden bin storage system to allow finger/hand space to pick out hardware. 45° wedges create the front (as parts retainers) and allow you to slide pieces out more easily. A cloth/plastic sheet/acrylic front keeps dust out.

[Greg Millen]

I also have some of those, and a number of others. Part of my problem is clear labelling and consistency. From what people have suggested so far, I seem to have a bit of each.

though, that it would be nice to have, but not ideal. I would prefer to take the boxes on the road with me, and not have to decant them. I'd also like them to be transparent if possible.

I'll post some thoughts on this a bit later.

that we were all like Tom !

thanks for the links and thoughts Mark,

Greg

[Greg Millen]

looks promising. Do you get much dust in them? are they susceptible to rusting? How do you label them?

cheers,

Greg

[Greg Millen]

I like the simplicity and utility. In fact, my only beef, at a stretch, is I can't see what's in the containers. Otherwise, it meets the majority of my criteria (I'll post the criteria later - I don't want to exclude anything just yet)

Good simple shelves - biscuited?

I am going to summarise what I find in this search, included will be links to tool storage ideas (just how the heck DO you store tailed tools?).

Greg

[Greg Millen]

[Greg Millen]

As you suggested Mark, the open bins are the flaw in this design. I seem to get amazing amounts of dust in the shop along with moisture, so rust is a concern. I have to say though, the drawers in that bench are f a n t a s t i c. I think you've inspired me to do something similar.

Thanks for the ideas.

Greg

[Greg Millen]

I had a few of these too, I found the trays brittle and "sticky" when I tried to remove them. Dust got in also so I think I'll move on from them, tenjewberrymoochalldesame.

Hmm, spendy, $20 for two big drawers? There ain't a crowbar strong enough. I have a few 'ZAG' style tilt'n'locks that are nice, so long as you don't add a size, then everything needs to be reshuffled. I also find that dust ingress is still a problem and I am forever blowing them out with compressed air (well, ok, it's fun too!).

Thanks for the ideas Larry,

Greg

[Greg Millen]

I've seen those, and use one for my garden sprinkler bits and pieces. Ideally though, in the shop I prefer to be able to 'browse' without having to unstack things.

thanks,

[Doug Winterburn]

Being space challenged, I have a roll around clamp/hardware/assembley cart. Some of the hardware storage is open bins. If they get too furred over, I hit them with the compressor air gun - from a judicious distance and everything becomes visible again with 99.4% still in the bins :-)

-Doug

[Mark Jerde]

I've learned *not* to dump boxes of screws etc. into labelless bins, but leave them in the original, labeled boxes. ;-) This won't work when I graduate to 5 lb & larger boxes...

-- Mark

[Greg Millen]

Here's a summary of what has been proposed plus some other items I stumbled across. I have included a list of likes/dislikes for my storage needs.

Likes:

- metal pull handles (easy to use with "gluey" fingers)

- transparent containers

- removable containers that remain sealed

- clear labels

- easy to insert a mid-size in system

- non breakable

- easy access

- easily transportable

- large enough to get three fingers in to grab item.

Dislikes:

- allows dust entry

- "tricky" lids or latches

- heavy

Storage ideas.

Library card drawers:

Plamann built one in a wall (caution - allow 20min to browse). Tire metal storage cabinet search on "Mastercraft 43-Drawer Metal Cabinet "

Mark's shop storage - note particularly the bench drawers and yellow bin storage:

wall of tools:

Sliding storage shelf:

tool storage shelf - (please, don't ask for plans)

Dowel Storage Rack: