fastener storage

[willis stose]

What,how,do y'll store the myriad of fasteners we accumulate over the years. Looking for the "perfect" way. Thnx.

[Mike Heidrick]

I think I have about a dozen of those multi drawer plastic bins and about a dozen plano boxes. Definately not the ideal solution. Keeps it organized though. I hand wrote labels and slide them behind the clear plastic drawers. It mostly works. I keep the Kreg screwers and drawer and glide hardware low and accessable. Other stuff much higher and out of the way. seems like I still continue to buy from F&F (love bolts by weight and not by piece!) on each project so i do not know why I keep so much on hand.

[Keith Avery]

I recently bought 2 used full size Stanley Vidmar cabinets, they came with hundreds of dividers. I believe they will be my final bolt, screw, fastener storage solution. If you watch cragslist, ebay, etc you can find them for $400-650. I believe each of the drawers is rated for 400lbs, the one I used for fasteners has 12 25 inch by 25 inch drawers.

[Matt Meiser]

Here's what I did: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?125556-Project-Hardware-Storage&p=1268005

[Robert Chapman]

I have some tip out bins from McFeelys that work well for me. They are plastic but pretty heavy duty. Check www.mcfeelys.com (http://www.mcfeelys.com)

[Marty Paulus]

This is what I ended up when I got fed up with my cabinet full of screws: 173662 173661 They work great and are portable. Saves trips to the cabinet!

However I still have a coffee can full of orphans

[Brian Tymchak]

I screwed 4 of these stackon 27 bins (http://www.amazon.com/Stack-DS-27-Drawer-Storage-Cabinet/dp/B000Z5HY40)in a 2x2 configuration to a piece of plywood, which in turn became the door to a shallow 3" cabinet in which I (will someday clean off my bench and) hang all my wrenches, sockets, ratchets, extensions, and any low-use non-woodworking hand tools if there is any room left. There are different stackon bin configurations available depending on your needs.

Brian

[Jerome Hanby]

I always thought that kind of storage problem would be a great excuse for building an apothecary cabinet

[John Seiffer]

I have some bins labeled and organized for stuff I have a lot of. But I also have 3 misc. Bins - one for screws, one for nut&bolts and one for washers. Then I have a plastic sorting bin - about 9 in square with 1 inch sides and a pouring lip at one corner. When I want to find something I pour the bin into the sorter and sift thru it. Then pour the rest back. I think I use these as much as the organized stuff.

[Ray Newman]

See also:
Large mobile storage unit --
www.woodworkslive.com/index.php/topic,7754.msg0.html#new (http://www.woodworkslive.com/index.php/topic,7754.msg0.html#new)

Screw cabinet --
www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?149363-Screw-Cabinet (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?149363-Screw-Cabinet)

[Don Bullock]

I just recently bought four of these,

http://images.lowes.com/product/converted/085529/085529400456lg.jpg,

from Lowe's. I also use storage bins for most of my wood screws.

[David Laaneorg]

At work we use a library card catalog set of drawers. With most libraries swithing to online computerized catalogs, many of these nice older ones are becoming available. Great for sorting out all kinds of things.

[Alan Lightstone]

I just make MDF inserts for my cabinet drawers. Virtually unlimited storage, and looks great with the drawers closed.
173704

[Tom Grant]

After trying many kinds of storage boxes, bins and cabinets over the years, I've concluded I don't like any of them. A couple years ago I bought fancy plastic storage box with a goofy pivoting opening section that was a constant disaster waiting to happen. But rather than using dividers (that are a pain to move), it redeemed itself by using a couple dozen little plastic cups to put stuff in. This makes it really easy to organize, and re-organize stuff.
This really appeals my inner OCD. It let's me shuffle things around when I decide that length of screw should take priority over the head style (or visa-versa a month later). Another advantage over the bigger plastic storage boxes, is that it's easy to take one or two of these cups to your bench. But maybe I'm the only one the ends up with three or four of the larger storage boxes stacked up and open on the bench?
So anyway, my next shop organization project is to buy a bunch of bin cups of one brand or another that have several different sizes.
http://www.mcfeelys.com/images/pages/487657tab.jpgSystainer Inserts
http://www.mcfeelys.com/systainer-inserts
http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/278513Y_med.gifQuantum Storage Bin Cup
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_storage-organizers+bins-racks+bin-accessories
I'll use a bank of kitchen size drawers to hold a ton of them. In this perfect world 30 whatsits can have their own segregated little yellow cup, while 2000 dohickies can live in peace in their larger blue cup right next door.

I'm sure I'm late to this particular enlightenment. It appears those darn Festoolers have been there for years. Interesting how they're so quick to preach Track Saws, but they've kept this one to themselves...:D

[Matt Meiser]

Good lord! Anyone who thinks Festool is expensive, check out the prices on the Northern Tool link. $22-33 for a plastic cup? I love the idea but it would be cheaper to just buy a box of screws and throw them out instead of storing :D

The Systainer cups was my first choice when I built my storage unit but the cost for all the cups would have been outrageous. The obvious benefit is the easy rearrangement, and only taking the cups you need to the bench.

[Jon Endres]

Good lord! Anyone who thinks Festool is expensive, check out the prices on the Northern Tool link. $22-33 for a plastic cup?

They left out the part that says you get 48 of them for the price. That's not a bad deal at all, you can build a small cabinet with 3" deep drawers, sized to fit a dozen or 15 each of those cups, and have a nice compact hardware cabinet.

[Matt Meiser]

That's a little better! This is the part I saw:

What's Included



(1) Bin cup

[Don Bullock]

At work we use a library card catalog set of drawers. With most libraries swithing to online computerized catalogs, many of these nice older ones are becoming available. Great for sorting out all kinds of things.

I've been looking at them, but the prices I've seen have been far too expensive. They seem to have become an "antique" that has a big demand for some reason.

[Jay Maiers]

I've got a few of these containers:
http://www.harborfreight.com/19-bin-portable-parts-storage-case-93928.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/8-bin-portable-parts-storage-case-93927.html
I bought mine at the big blue Borg, but the units at Harbor Freight appear to be identical (at a lower price).

I use them for fasteners that I need to keep mobile. I've got one for outdoor fasteners (SS, deck screws, etc.), one full of anchors for hanging stuff around the house (pictures, etc), and another one full of drywall screws.

The rest of my hardware is slowly making the trip into rack mounted Akro bin clones:
http://www.harborfreight.com/wall-mounted-storage-bins-65889.html

When I finally get enough bins and boxes, I'm planning on building a rolling cabinet to contain it all along with other hardware bits like hinges, knobs, etc.

[Bob Riefer]

Jay wrote:

I use them for fasteners that I need to keep mobile. I've got one for outdoor fasteners (SS, deck screws, etc.), one full of anchors for hanging stuff around the house (pictures, etc), and another one full of drywall screws.


Geez Jay, you've done what I should have done ages ago. I have the hanging wall bins in the barn - that's great. I have the little plastic drawers in the barn - also great. But each time I have a project, I fill up a little container with what I need. And everytime it's a pain. But a couple of those mobile units organized by type of task is the way to go. Good call.

[David Christopher]

this is what I use

[Jay Maiers]

this is what I use

Holy organized Batman!
Dave, that's exactly what I want to build to house all of my bins and boxes. Do you have a problem with stuff in the door bins spilling out if you slip and close the door too hard?




Thanks Bob. The larger cases work well for drywall and wood screws, nails, etc. The small cases are pretty good for machine screws and nuts. I have found, however, that none of them work well for thin washers (#10-ish and below). They tend to slip up and over the tops of the bins. I bought a bunch of small "craft baggies" at Wally World to keep the washers where I put them ;)

[ian maybury]

I posted a similar query a while ago - but was thinking of storing drills as well as fasteners. Not sure how it's gong to play out, but I've ended up with several types of storage (not sure exactly how I'll divide stuff between them yet):

1. Wall mount bins, in my case made by Clarke and much like those Jay bought. The one issue I see there is that they be inclined to fill with dust and debris if kept in a open shop.

2. Storage cases like the HF units Jay mentions, in my case stackable and with removable dividers for adjustability. An issue here may be that if the dividers manage to work upwards in their slots the contents of a section may leak through underneath into the next compartment.

3.Several metal storage cabinets with small plastic drawers, made by Clarke. My sense is that it's important that the drawers are easily removable so you can tip the content out to sort through them.

IKEA can be a good source for low cost storage units of one sort or another too. e.g http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60071358

Ian

[David Christopher]

[QUOTE=Jay Maiers;1584422]Holy organized Batman!
Dave, that's exactly what I want to build to house all of my bins and boxes. Do you have a problem with stuff in the door bins spilling out if you slip and close the door too hard?



Jay, everything stays unless you slam the door hard

[David Hostetler]

I have 2 of these...

http://images.lowes.com/product/converted/085529/085529400456lg.jpg

Except mine came from Home Depot.

The thing I hate about them is that you have to order the drawer dividers separately.

For the few items I have in larger quantity than the bins support, I have plastic coffee cans on a shelf.

I am not super happy with this setup. I am wishing I was using something more like...
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/415fi0Rk%2BhL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

I would like a method to be able to more easily remove the stuff and take it to the bench. The wall mounted boxes just don't cut it...

[Rick Moyer]

I have 2 of these...

http://images.lowes.com/product/converted/085529/085529400456lg.jpg

Except mine came from Home Depot.

The thing I hate about them is that you have to order the drawer dividers separately.

For the few items I have in larger quantity than the bins support, I have plastic coffee cans on a shelf.

I am not super happy with this setup. I am wishing I was using something more like...
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/415fi0Rk%2BhL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

I would like a method to be able to more easily remove the stuff and take it to the bench. The wall mounted boxes just don't cut it...

I have one of the bottom containers shown for some fasteners, but you have to be careful that the cross-ribs in the lid fit precisely over the bin edges (they don't always) or some smaller pieces will work their way from one bin to another. Otherwise, it IS a nice way to transport many different items easily.

[Mikail Khan]

I have a few stack on bins, but I am considering buying some dandy drawers.

http://dandydrawers.com/


MK

[Rick Moyer]

I have a few stack on bins, but I am considering buying some dandy drawers.

http://dandydrawers.com/


MK

Are Dandy drawers the same thing as exotic shorts? Oh nevermind, that's a different thread..:p

[Eric DeSilva]

I have a few stack on bins, but I am considering buying some dandy drawers.

I use them, and have been quite happy with them. Easy to build a cabinet for them, and cheap enough that you can buy a boatload. You can divide each drawer into two parts (one divider long ways), three parts (two short dividers sideways) or six (combination). I've got three dedicated drawers for 8-32 machine screws (pan head, hex head, and normal), specific drawers for #6, #7 and #8 Kreg pocket screws, one for shelf pins, one for confirmats, even one for M7 bolts--you can get seriously compartmentalized. I think I've got like six dozen of the things in a 6 x 12 array. No way I could have organized all that stuff w/o 'em.

[Jack Pinkham]

This outfit has metal compartmented boxes which fit in matching cabinets. The individual boxes slide out from the cabinet and can be opened, or they may be removed and carried to the work site. The box tops latch.

http://www.durhammfg.com/catalog.html?id=44

[Joe Jensen]

I have a few stack on bins, but I am considering buying some dandy drawers.

http://dandydrawers.com/


MK

I made some racks with Dandy Drawers like 25 years ago. They have held up incredibly well in the heat of Arizona.

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w99/AZEngineer/IMG_0253Medium.jpg
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w99/AZEngineer/IMG_0251.jpg

[Arvid Podsim]

Best method I found is to store parts in shallow drawers to keep the saw dust out. Thinking about 112 Plastic box assortment from
http://www.schallercorporation.com/servlet/StoreFront

[Darrin Davis]

Two words.....Card Catalog

I was lucky enough to get 4 card catalogs from our local high school's library. With computers these days card catalogs are not used any more and are usually just sitting in storage. Our librarian was happy to get rid of them since they were just taking up space. They already have drawer pulls on them ready to insert labels into. I took some 1/8" hardboard to line the bottom with since they were built with an open slotted bottom. I also had to remove the inner drawer hardware that the cards slide on. Now I have more drawers than I could possibly need. I guess I need to order more stuff to put in them.
173903

[dennis thompson]

I have the most sophisticated method, old peanut butter jars screwed to the bottom of every shelf in my shop, label them ,easy to see through & cheap (of course you have to be in a household that uses a lot of peanut butter)
Dennis

[Lee Ludden]

I use the same containers as Jay. I picked them up on sale at HF. I use one for each size/type of fastener. I built this basic cabinet to hold all of the containers. Here it is before I put the face frames and drawer fronts on.
173961

[David Hostetler]

I've got a few of these containers:
http://www.harborfreight.com/19-bin-portable-parts-storage-case-93928.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/8-bin-portable-parts-storage-case-93927.html
I bought mine at the big blue Borg, but the units at Harbor Freight appear to be identical (at a lower price).

I use them for fasteners that I need to keep mobile. I've got one for outdoor fasteners (SS, deck screws, etc.), one full of anchors for hanging stuff around the house (pictures, etc), and another one full of drywall screws.

The rest of my hardware is slowly making the trip into rack mounted Akro bin clones:
http://www.harborfreight.com/wall-mounted-storage-bins-65889.html

When I finally get enough bins and boxes, I'm planning on building a rolling cabinet to contain it all along with other hardware bits like hinges, knobs, etc.

Jay,

Thanks for the links. I am going to have to go to HF with a stack of 20% off coupons. I have a set of the "real" Akro bins from the BORG, and they charge for 3 of them, what HF charges for a Dozen of the blue ones, AND a dozen of the red ones, AND the wall mount rack...

Those briefcase style containers will solve most of my storage problem though. I seriously need to cram the same amount of stuff in less wall space... And I want to add portability... Do you have any trouble with the small parts going between compartments when they get moved about?

[Lee Ludden]

David

Do you have any trouble with the small parts going between compartments when they get moved about?

None at all. Even the small 1/2" #4 screws stay in place. The lids have ridges in them to keep the tops of the boxes lined up.

[Jay Maiers]

Jay,

Thanks for the links. I am going to have to go to HF with a stack of 20% off coupons. I have a set of the "real" Akro bins from the BORG, and they charge for 3 of them, what HF charges for a Dozen of the blue ones, AND a dozen of the red ones, AND the wall mount rack...

Those briefcase style containers will solve most of my storage problem though. I seriously need to cram the same amount of stuff in less wall space... And I want to add portability... Do you have any trouble with the small parts going between compartments when they get moved about?

Just so you're aware: people report that the bin hanger doesn't work real well. I used some z-clip scraps from work, so I never had to contend with that issue.

The containers work quite well for anything with a little thickness: screws, etc. Washers can slip from section to section. I keep all of my washers in baggies inside of the compartments to prevent migration.

[Don Bullock]

Two words.....Card Catalog

I was lucky enough to get 4 card catalogs from our local high school's library. ...
173903

Darrin, you were indeed lucky, especially if you got them at a good price. The sets I've seen in stores here are several hundred dollars.:eek:

[Don Bullock]

Just so you're aware: people report that the bin hanger doesn't work real well. ...

That is very true. I just bought Wall Mounted Storage Bins from HF. The blue bins fit on the plastic wall mount, but the red ones don't. The flange on the back is too small. I just cut mine in half and am using just the blue bins. It works for me, but I'd suggest not buying that set from HF.

[David Cefai]

These jars are disposable, meant to be used for chemical sampling. I get mine from work, after they have been used to collect water samples.

Any Laboratory Supply company should have them and, being disposable they should be quite cheap (sorry, never bothered to ask the price). They come in boxes of about 100, I believe.

[Joe Von Kaenel]

This is what I did. It is 174878expandable. I found I would have 3 boxes of the same fasteners before organizing.

[Larry Fox]

I use one of those Festool Sortainers. It was given to me as a gift and it is definitely overkill for what I need. I do like the portability of it though.

[Gary Herrmann]

I really like these. These are the deep version. They have a shallow version and a much smaller one. My wife keeps trying to steal them for her hobbies. Maybe not as convenient as tipout bins, but I can pick up a whole case and take it with me anywhere or just grab one of the removable boxes out of one. I'm not prepared to admit how many I have...

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ultimategarage.com/shop/images/014710-3pk2-400.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ultimategarage.com/shop/part.php%3Fproducts_id%3D3979%26osCsid%3D772gnrhtt me1hvg0ave74kgiu3&usg=__dV20_lL1X28C--BQeR31O8ej7Qs=&h=300&w=400&sz=42&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=69KRwCOAmlzCzM:&tbnh=145&tbnw=193&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dstanley%2Bzag%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26bi w%3D1728%26bih%3D765%26tbs%3Disch:1%26prmd%3Divns&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1135&vpy=83&dur=923&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=148&ty=78&ei=CLcTTeiQFoKclgfSvanWCw&oei=CLcTTeiQFoKclgfSvanWCw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=33&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0

[Jon Endres]

I really like these. These are the deep version. They have a shallow version and a much smaller one.

That's essentially the exact same thing as Harbor Freight sells under its' Storehouse brand. I was not prepared to spend the money for the Stanley/Made in China version over the HF/Made also in China version so I picked up one of each, deep and shallow, in HF yesterday. I realized quickly that I need about a dozen more. They are decent, stuff doesn't not fall out, they latch tightly. The QC on their molding process is a little off, but otherwise they are good. I am going to built a shelf unit to store them flat, and label each one for contents.

I also like the Plano utility boxes as well, and I have a few of them. I am trying to consolidate my fastener storage.

[Tom Walz]

And a coffee 'can' or two. I always buy a couple extra for a project in case one is bad or I lose one. After 40 years of building and repairing there are, somehow, an awful lot of really odd ones in twos and threes. Odds are I will never use them again but you never know.

Besides my grandfather had coffee cans full of odd parts. He also taught me about the miracle of a hand plane in clear fir on a warm summer day.

[Dar Lounsbury]

I also have used these and they work great. I was able to get three units of these drawers for free when our district went to CPUs for their catalogs.

Dar
Two words.....Card Catalog

I was lucky enough to get 4 card catalogs from our local high school's library. With computers these days card catalogs are not used any more and are usually just sitting in storage. Our librarian was happy to get rid of them since they were just taking up space. They already have drawer pulls on them ready to insert labels into. I took some 1/8" hardboard to line the bottom with since they were built with an open slotted bottom. I also had to remove the inner drawer hardware that the cards slide on. Now I have more drawers than I could possibly need. I guess I need to order more stuff to put in them.
173903

[Kevin Gregoire]

be sure to check out Fastenal
http://www.fastenal.com/web/search/products/material-handling-storage-packaging/storage-equipment/_/N-gj4xp2&Nty=0

[Bob Riefer]

When this thread started, I was just in the mode of setting up my fastener/sorting/tool/storage area in my shop. A scrap piece of corian counter top, some extra construction materials, some home made solutions.. It ain't as pretty as some, but it works nicely and maybe some of the ideas will be helpful to others here.


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