I need effective / efficient method to sort / store fastener hardware - what works?

[hawkeye54]

As in the title, as part of my long-overdue garage clean out, I will have lots of various sizest types of fasteners to organize and store for quick retrieval - what methods work for you ?



Rick

[Hugh MacD]

I use the "everything goes in an old can" approach. Maybe I ought to watch this thread closely

[wizbang 13]

the indica is better for this job

[Garret]

An age-old problem. Glass jars break, most "parts" drawer units have drawers that are too small, commercial nut & bolt bins are awful big.

My brother bought a Pick-A-Nut cabinet - actually shelves with cardboard boxes. Great solution, but not cheap & AFAIK, they're out of business.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Screwfix, click and collect with amazon prime and Ebay for exotica.

In the past I've tried the "Bung it all in a big tin" approach, followed by the "lots of smaller tins and jars" system,including the "fasten the jar lids to the underside of the shelf and screw on the jar method"....

[bluedog225]

Big rusty galvanized bucket. And several coffee cans. And some cracked plastic things. Then go to the hardware store and buy what you need.

[SchoonerRat]

Adam Savage has done a bunch of great vids on sorting. He did one that is EXACTLY what you need.

It might be this one. It's certainly worth a look anyway.

[bluedog225]

This is an area where “sort by type” really shines.

Way too many variations to sort to granular detail. But wood screws, bolts, washers, etc works great.

[hawkeye54]

Big rusty galvanized bucket. And several coffee cans. And some cracked plastic things. Then go to the hardware store and buy what you need.

This last is the method I use most - it doesn't help that I work in a 'big-box' store - - - That's why I am seeking solutions

[Tom from Rubicon]

Bought one slightly less capacity from Northern Tool.
Strongway Single-Side Bulk Storage Rack Unit with 47 Assorted Bins — 36 1/2in.W x 14in.D x 46in.H | Northern Tool

[Breakaway]

I gave up --except for some specialty pieces and one " general" coffee can. and now let the hardware store down the road organize the fasteners. Saves loads of time.

Kevin

[ahp]

Google <boltdepot.com>. All kinds, sizes, materials and very economical.

[ron ll]

Best thing I ever did. This works

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nuts.jpg

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[Autonomous]

I don't organize them by size, just wood screws, machine screws, hex bolts, pins & clips, washers, nuts, etc.

[Don Z.]

Old ways work. This:


Info on how to make your own here: https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/95246

[Garret]

Old ways work. This:


Info on how to make your own here: https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/95246

That much work to store fasteners is just........ Nuts!

[willin woodworks]

Coffee cans. Duct tape labels, BIG letters...

[Canoeyawl]

For years I used a tall library file card cabinet full of drawers, which was the best solution ever.
I lost it in a business dissolution and regret it to this day. Now for good used stuff I have cookie tins, and coffee cans on a shelf.
New stuff in compartmented boxes, stacked up and labeled on the ends as N/C ,N/F, Metric, British, Springs, Washers, set screws, allan screws, misc pins clips and keys etc. (I also separate out SS which is several other cans of worms)

And I still search craigslist for a suitable cabinet with long small drawers to no avail, but just recently I have started to use a roll away tool box with all drawers top to bottom and added wooden dividers or bread tins in the drawers. And that seems to be working. I probably have a hundred pounds of fasteners.
Bronze and wood working/ boat building stuff is in an old wooden dresser in another part of the building. An old walnut gun cabinet has no real value today but set on a dolly it makes a fantastic tool cabinet with a glass front and retrofitted with shelves which is cheap.
search mc master carr for compartmented boxes, they have some heavy-duty stuff (fasteners are heavy) that is hard to find elsewhere, but not cheap.

[JimConlin]

The Covid pandemic provided the opportunity to recover from the one-big-bucket model and try to impose a little order. Here’s the heart of the stockroom.
08C7260A-BAAF-472D-B3B6-479D67797E46.jpg
The principal storage units are the boxes with the orange gubbins. THey’re from Home Depot and their partitions are removable, permitting storing bigger and smaller parts. Each box is devoted to a type of fastener. I have boxes for:
Stainless 10-24, 1/4-20, 5/16-18 and larger machine screws, bolts, nuts, etc.
Pan head, oval head and flat head stainless self taps,
Bronze wood screws
Other bronze and copper fastenings.

This covers only the stainless and bronze fastenings.
I have other stashes for drywall screws (over workbench), Exterior screws & lags, eye bolts and ordinary steel and galvanized nails and other fastenings.

[Mark0]

Hi,
Another option... We purchased a pile of 3 ring binder pencil cases with windows. Works great, you can see what is inside, can open one at a time and just grab the sizes you need for each job. Easy to store on a boat.

Cheers,
Mark

cabinetDoor.jpg

[MushCreek]

I have a LOT of stuff, so I have several systems. I have metal shelving with 36 roughly 4x4x12 plastic bins. For small stuff, I use Harbor Freight compartmented boxes, which I built a dedicated rack for. It holds everything from electrical stuff to small fasteners to Kreg stuff. I like that you can remove some of the boxes and the rest stay in place when the lid is closed. Lastly, I have a number of coffee cans full of stuff that defies proper sorting.

[Nicholas Scheuer]

Rows of small glass jars with lids, each visible from the front of narrow shelves made from scrap lumber hanging on the shop wall like cabinets..

[ahp]

Rows of small glass jars with lids, each visible from the front of narrow shelves made from scrap lumber hanging on the shop wall like cabinets..

I have seen small glass jars with lids, and the lids were nailed to the joists overhead.

[MushCreek]

I have a bunch of good-size plastic jars from cashews. They're pretty good for overflow, as at least you can see what's in them. The coffee cans need to go. Of course, simply getting rid of a lifetime of stuff would help. I hang onto everything. I must have ten clutch alignment tools, for vehicles I no longer own, and never plan to get.

[timo4352]

Pouring out your coffee can, or whatever container, on to newspaper or something similar allows you to pick up the pile and pour it back into the can easily once you've found the one you were looking for.

[Garret]

Pouring out your coffee can, or whatever container, on to newspaper or something similar allows you to pick up the pile and pour it back into the can easily once you've found the one you were looking for.

Ron's tray (post #13) is a fancier way & less likely to tear with a big load (DAMHIKT)

[ron ll]

Harbor Freight, $2.99. Buy two or more. Dump bolts in one, nuts in the other and find a match.
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[TerryLL]

IMG_2563.jpeg

I have 16 of these drawer cubes, each with three drawers, so 48 drawers total. The drawers are sized to take commercial bin cups available from Grainger and other places. It's easy to lift out just one cup with the screws that are needed.

The drawer cubes are 12x12x12, so they transport easily and can be stacked in lots of different ways.

[kbowen]

I don't actually recommend this, but if you break your wrist and run a 3" splinter in the other hand that needs surgery, then you can't do much boatbuilding, and you are reduced to sorting out those buckets of random screws that you never would otherwise. I use the difficult-to-break plastic jars from peanut butter and pickled herring, and gallon cans with the side cut out.

Ken

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[hawkeye54]

All great ideas, folks - Please keep going with thread updates . . . .




Rick



( PS My 'signature' says it all )

[Nicholas Scheuer]

Doing that would prevent me from taking a selection of fastener with me in the tool bucket for work away from home, like stainless stuff out to where my boat is stored8 miles away.

I have seen small glass jars with lids, and the lids were nailed to the joists overhead.

[Bruce Brown]

another sorting/pouring method is get an old frisbee, cut a 1" hole on the perimeter, and when you want to empty it put the hole over the jar.

[jpatrick]

This is method I adopted years ago. It worked for me because most items on the shelf were added one by one, not a whole bunch at once. So I found it easy to remember what is in the containers. Of course the labeled boxes are obvious. The system has gotten a bit awkward since I retired and don't actively use it and replace boxes regularly. Also what doesn't help are the poorly made and poorly labeled boxes that are sold by the nearest big supplier. Anyway... the key to the system is the shallow shelves. Nothing can get hidden behind another.

Jeff

Screws.jpg

[Nicholas Scheuer]

The pouring tray appearing in #13 & #27 looks nice, and the Frisbee idea is cool, but I made one out of some leftover aluminum flashing.

[Paul Schweiss]

[QUOTE=hawkeye54;6653345]As in the title, as part of my long-overdue garage clean out, I will have lots of various sizest types of fasteners to organize and store for quick retrieval - what methods work for you ?

A grandchild, between 8 and 12 years old, with appropriate ‘wages’ or bribes.