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/showthre...rage&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

[Marty Paulus]

This is what I ended up when I got fed up with my cabinet full of screws: stanley box open.jpg Stanley box closed.jpg 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 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

Screw cabinet --
www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?149363-Screw-Cabinet

[Don Bullock]

I just recently bought four of these,

,

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.
IMG_0902.jpg

[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.
Systainer Inserts
http://www.mcfeelys.com/systainer-inserts
Quantum Storage Bin Cup
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...in-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...

[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

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.