How are you organizing fasteners?

[Mike Heidrick]

[Brian Henderson]

Are you guys talking about these ones?
https://m.harborfreight.com/tool-sto...ner-61881.html

I think that's the same ones I got, yes. So far, so good.

[Brian Henderson]

I use bins like this. They work well.

https://images.homedepot-static.com/...60-64_1000.jpg

I've got a bunch of those too, but unfortunately, they're a gathering place for dust and debris as well.

[Brian Henderson]

I have wall mounted bins with clear plastic drawers for the majority of the fasteners I use. For those sizes I use a lot, there's a unit with larger, hinged bins. These bins hold several hundred of a given size, such as 1.25" #8, 1.5" #8, 1" #7 trim head and 1.625" #7 trim head screws which are what I use the most of. For the less used fasteners and a lot of other needed but speciality fasteners and hardware, there's a unit with a lot of smaller clear drawers. I have them marked using a label maker to speed up accessing the "correct" fastener needed in the moment.

For bulk screws, I just leave them in the boxes, I've got a box organizer and I can take as many as I need and not have a mess all over the shop. It's just for the small stuff, where I have a handful of screws or washers, that I use smaller containers.

[Brian Bres]

I am in the process of orgaizing things a bit. I struggled with this and decided in the HF parts storage boxes. I am going to make a cabinet base to house the boxes. Very similar to the last 2 photos in this post. https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....05#post2775505

[Nick Decker]

I have several "depositories" that are not very organized. When I need something, I do a quick check there and usually end up going to the store. My grandfather used Folgers cans and I can't seem to break out of that mold.

[Brian W Evans]

I recently started using these:

dewalt.jpg

I have one "suitcase" for 1/4-20, one for pocket screws, one for small screws, one for bigger screws, etc. The yellow containers are removable individually so I don't have to lug the whole thing to the work bench. I cut the label off of the boxes of screws and drop it in the container so I can see what's what. For smaller screws I usually just put the whole box in the container.

I am in the process of building shelves that these will slide into. They're more expensive than some of the options mentioned above but I really only need half a dozen. At $20/each I can live with the cost.

I also have various containers of unsorted hardware that will possibly never be sorted.

[tom lucas]

I hear ya! I was in the same boat. It took me 2 full days to sort and organize all the hardware I had accumulated. Here is what I did.

I bought several of these:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-15-C...0034/204515485

I have one each for #6-10, 1/4/-20, 5/16 machine, sheet metal screws, wood variety screws, specialty hardware, small nails.

For bigger parts and larger bulk storage, like carriage,lag bolts, large nails, bulks screws I use this:
https://www.zoro.com/durham-cabinet-...95/i/G2781563/

It was the cheapest steel large-volume storage I could find. It holds a lot and has movable dividers. The 1 lb plastic bins that wood screws come in from the store fit nicely inside too (3 to a drawer) without much wasted space.

For the homedepot organizers, at first I just stacked them on top of one another. I got tired of the one I wanted always being on the bottom. So, I built a shelf system from MDF sized perfectly for the bins. Love it. I'll take a photo today and post later.

I tried several options. The open bins collect too much dust and debris. The plastic drawers just don't hold up and are too small in many cases.

[tom lucas]

I also have an old index card cabinet that I use in my basement. It has removable trays that hold a huge amount. It is really heavy duty and serves as my basement work bench too. I think it has 6 drawers, each with 5 3' deep trays. If you can find one of these or similar vidmar cabinet for a reasonable price, and have room for it. They are hard to beat. Mine has holes in the bottom of the trays. I just line with thin cardboard from shoe boxes. The vidmar bins are too steep for my pocket book though, even well used.

[Jim Becker]

LOL .. that wall is kind of behind a work bench and way out of the line of fire. ..Plenty of things to afford interference. A wayward missile would have to bounce off several things before it clipped a jar.

Do not underestimate Mr Murphy's athletic qualifications when it comes to throwing objects...

[Terry Hatfield]

I am in the process of orgaizing things a bit. I struggled with this and decided in the HF parts storage boxes. I am going to make a cabinet base to house the boxes. Very similar to the last 2 photos in this post. https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....05#post2775505

That's my thread. Glad you found it helpful. I think those HF plastic boxes are quite a good solution for organizing and storing anything hardware/small part related. They come in a couple sizes. Super easy to build a bin for them or they are made to stack.

https://www.harborfreight.com/19-bin...ase-93928.html

[glenn bradley]

I morphed into this model some years ago. Since I don't use a lot of metal fasteners it has worked out well for me. I store everything from 3/8" bolts to #2 brass screws to router bit overflow in them.

Storage-containers (2).jpg

It has worked so well that I use a similar approach for things like jig hardware, my drill doctor, dremel, router dust collection fittings, adhesives that come in tubes and bottles, and other larger stuff.

Storage-containers (6).jpg

[andy bessette]

Most of my fasteners are organized in plastic, compartmented boxes with fixed partitions, similar to "K" if you click on the first item in the upper left corner on the McMaster-Carr page. Though many of mine are solid color, rather than clear.
https://www.mcmaster.com/#compartmented-boxes/=1biwjqz

[Mike O'Keefe]

I bought 2 Milwaukee organizers at Home Depot. They will hold box of screws and the organizers snap together . Mike O'Keefe

[tom lucas]

Nice workbench Terry.


Here is the photo I promised:
IMG_1236[1].jpg