Need parts cabinet ideas

[Tom Hoffman]

I'm getting tired of not having adequate storage for things like screws, bolts, nuts, etc. I purchased one of those plastic storage cabinets from the big box store with the clear pull out drawers, but quickly outgrew it. I could just buy more plastic cases, but I would like to build something myself - something with a least 200 individual "cubbies" or mini drawers.

A while back, I remember seeing in a woodworking magazine, a simple design using plywood, dados, and 1/4" Masonite, but for the life of me I can't find it. I would appreciate any ideas or suggestions for such a project.

[Greg Koch]

Tom,

This what you're looking for?

http://www.plansnow.com/wallbins.html

[Bruce Page]

Tom, I bought one of these for $35 from a local surplus store. A little clean up and a coat of paint and it was as good as new. The 18 drawers, each 3X5X17 hold a lot of stuff!

[Steve Clardy]

I use-------------coffee cans. From 3# to 1#.
3# for screws 1" and up. 1# for smaller screws.
You can either lid them, or keep them in a drawer like I do.

[Bruce Lewis]

I built a replica of a library card file. Those things have lots of 3x5x18 drawers. (mine is 8 drawers high and 8 drawers wide -- 64 drawers). I don't think I'll run out of space for hardware any time soon.

I put a little frame on the front of each drawer under the knob so I can put a piece of paper (or a picture) of what's in the drawer in it.

The whole thing sits on a 4 foot wide, 24 inch deep (too shallow to become a catchall with the nest of drawers on it) bench made to hold it. The bench also has 12 drawers (six 6 inches deep, three 8 inches deep and three 10 inches deep -- all are ~14 inches wide). The nest of drawers is also anchored to the wall (don't want it tipping over on me) since it's quite heavy -- especially with stuff in it :eek:.

[Art Moore]

This might fit the bill:

http://store.woodstore.net/apfriencab.html

[Ned Bulken]

I built a small set of those, fun little project, quick and easy to make, but they do collect dust, just fyi

[Frank Pellow]

Tom,

This what you're looking for?

http://www.plansnow.com/wallbins.html
Those look good Greg.

I just counted, and I have 91 of the coloured plastic bins that hook individually onto the wall and they are serving me very well, but I kind of wish, I had seen the ones you have referenced earlier and made my own, rather than buy all the plastic ones

[Tom Hoffman]

Thanks to all who replied. “Hanging” bins, plastic or otherwise look interesting to me. One could enclose them in a cabinet of sorts to keep the dust out. I'm captivated by Art’s apothecary cabinet idea. Certainly more elegant and would likely become a heirloom item to pass down.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
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Gee……. do I build something easy, quick, and functional, or do build something more difficult, takes longer, but is functional and longer lasting ……? How much time do I have? Geez, I can’t wait to retire – maybe decisions like this will be easier? (probably not, voids always fill up fast). WWWW (weekend warrior wood worker) for now anyway.<o:p></o:p>

[Frank Pellow]

...
Geez, I can’t wait to retire – maybe decisions like this will be easier? (probably not, voids always fill up fast). WWWW (weekend warrior wood worker) for now anyway.
Tom, decisions of this sort certainly have not become any easier for me since my retirement. If anything, they have become more difficult. Because, before I retired, it was usually quick and dirty if I was making things for myself. Now, in theory I have the time to make nicer things for myself, but I seldom do.

[Bart Leetch]

This is my simple way of making storage. One thing in a small shop I have found doors over parts storage don't work very well because invariably something will get set in front of it like a piece of plywood. Then I have not only to lean the plywood or other item out of the way but also open a door before I can get to the tray that has what I need in it.

[Per Swenson]

Tom,

I am not going to be of much help here.

Only because I am on the wagon for being a packrat.

My new motto...save nothing.

It costs me more money to find something then it does to send someone to

the store.

You will notice in the picture below the drawers are not labeled.

Mostly because you couldn't get a label large enough.

For me this setup is nothing but a big headache.

If I wasn't such a backsliding packrat, out it would g,o contents and all.

Per

[Jeff Patrick]

My local fastener supplier sells screws, nuts, etc. in boxes of 100 each. These are labeled as to what they are. Stainless, brass, zinc plated all have different colored labels. Very nice. So I made a shelf unit: 5' wide, 3' tall, 4" deep. Everything is 1/2" plywood including the back. I spaced the shelves about 4". This has no doors. Everything is visable. The little boxes of screws are placed to show their labels. The only problem is I've outgrown it. I need more room.

[Larry Norton]

Here's what I did. I used MDF and 1/4in. hardboard. I sized the openings to fit Rubbermaid shoe boxes and then found that boxes that hold 6 bottles of honey that B.J.'s Warehouse sells fit the openings perfeectly.

[Bruce Page]

Here's what I did. I used MDF and 1/4in. hardboard. I sized the openings to fit Rubbermaid shoe boxes and then found that boxes that hold 6 bottles of honey that B.J.'s Warehouse sells fit the openings perfeectly.

Holy Cow Larry! You & Per must have a lot of "stuff"!

[Bruce Wrenn]

A couple of weeks ago, I went to dump. Someone had thrown an old IBM card cabinet into metal bin. I couldn't retrive it-boo hoo! Those cabinets could hold a ton of cards. All the drawers were on ball bearing slides. Frozen food containers, the kind you put up strawberries in would work perfectly in drawers. One of my WW associates has one, and I LUST AFTER IT everytime I go to his shop. Just think- No more searching through brown paper bags. To make matters worse, local farm supply outfit sells bolts, including carriage bolts, nuts, and washers-BY THE POUND! Some how, every time I go there some more bolts follow me home. They look like lost puppies in the store.

[Ryan Lee]

I have a couple of pull out drawers/storage bins from fastenal. They are available in a few different configurations so you can store large or small fasteners. They are a nice metal bin with a plastic liner. The cabinet that holds them has 4 slides so I can have 4 bins.

[Robert Malone]

Believe it or not, Larry knows where everything is.

[Andy Haney]

I eat peanut butter, and it comes in plastic jars. Those jars won't break (at least dangerously) and you can see what's inside. Mostly these are stored on shelves, but I have a place where the tops are conveniently scewed to the bottom of an overhead shelf support. I keep the things overhead that I access most, and they're easy to see.

Sorry, no pics for the police.

Andy

[Per Swenson]

Wow Larry!

But it looks like you can see your stuff.

My problem , it sounds like a Deep Purple drum solo when

I'm opening and slamming those drawers for that 10/32 stainless shoulder bolt

with a alen head that isn't there because my brain isn't big enough to

remember its in the garage with the travelling hardware. So, after a 1/2

hour of frustration its of to Schaeffer nut and bolt and well the whole day is

shot for a 24 cent bolt. Its just me folks, sorry, but I really do have a

love/hate relationship with hardware storage.

Per

[Richard Wolf]

Listen Per, if you are looking to get rid of those drawers, I may take them off your hands, full or empty!

Richard

[chester stidham]

I got lucky one day when the place I work at redid the store room and got a bunch of bins the kind that are 4" wide x 16" long and about 4" deep and bilt shelfs for them one above my work bench and 2 on the wall and use about 60 of them works great foe me you can pull them out most ot the way and they telt and cetch the edge of the shelf above and stay or pull them all the way out and take thwm with you.:o

[Todd Burch]

I bit the bullet and made this over a year ago - it' still waiting for the lowr drawer fronts to be applied (see white arrow - those are the drawer fronts). And, it's still got a pile of crud on it from "get stuff off the floor - here comes Hurricane Rita" from last September. (This should be an indication of how much woodworking I get done these days).

There are 51 drawers - 42 on top and 9 below.

Todd

[Rob Bodenschatz]

I found some good ideas on McMaster-Carr's site:

http://www.mcmaster.com/nav/enter.asp?pagenum=1469

I particularly like this:

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