Ideas for hardware storage

[HANK METZ]

I consolidated my collection of storage media into a mobile station, it makes it very convenient when working on a project to just wheel up to it, sit down and cherry pick my hardware needs. Some cabinets were thrift store purchases, some were roadside gifts, mobile gantry was all recovered assets.

Mobile Storage I.jpg

Mobile Storage II.jpg

[John Coloccia]

For nuts, bolts and screws I just use a commercially available clear bin system available at pretty much any home center.

What I struggle with is storage for other types of hardware that I have leftover from projects, purchased for "inventory", found in odd places, etc...

Maybe that's best and simplest. I'll post some pictures later, since a couple of guys asked to see. It's just a lot of crippy cra...er....stuff. I tend to have a lot of stock on hand for stuff like this, because when I need a bolt, or a washer for example, I'll often just buy a box figuring that I'll use them...and I DO use them, so why not buy them cheap? Then I take jigs apart, and I end up with boxes and bags full of random hardware with no way to organize it. The problem just keeps getting worse because when I work, I don't have time to crawl through a box, so when I need a bolt, I just drive 2 minutes to the local hardware store, and buy whatever I need. That's much quicker than sorting through a pile of hardware for 20 minutes with no guarantee that I'll actually have what I need.

[Brian Deakin]

I am a pharmacist working in the United Kingdom I store my nuts ,bolts nails and screws in used manufacturers containers

You could ask at your local phramacy

Please note to remove the labels from containers place hot water inside and label peels off

regards Brian

[Eric DeSilva]

I'll second the Durham units--they hold a *lot* of different hardware. Not a homemade solution, but they work pretty well for my needs. They also have units will full extension slides that you can use to rack 'em up. I also use a bunch of dandy drawers for larger stuff:

http://www.dandydrawers.com/

[Darrin Davis]

We use our libraries old card catalogs in our high school woodshop. We have 4 of them stacked on top of each other for 60 total drawers. I'm not sure what we would do without it.
cc.JPG

[Keith Outten]

Not exactly an elegant solution but its inexpensive and uses normally unused shop space. The plastic oil cans are almost indestructable.

[Kent A Bathurst]

..........I'll often just buy a box figuring that I'll use them...and I DO use them.........

1. Leave 'em in the box. I betcha there are 6 - 8 box sizes +/- that handle 75% of your stuff. The box sizes tend to graduate with the size of the item - 1/4" hex bolts have one size for up to 2.5", then another size for up to 4", etc [making this up - just an example - I have a lot of those hex bolts for jigs, etc.]

2. Felt tip pen -write the contents on the end - bold.

3. Now - I'll try to explain this last bit - Assume you want to get cute / uber-organized / approaching OCD:
> Build 2-sided shelves - pick a dimension, say 18" wide - that will work in your shop. Center panel with shelves on both sides of the panel.
> The shelves are mounted with pins, or some similar hinge-type thing, at on end, which becomes the rear.
> You flip through the shelves like the pages of a book.
> The ends of the shelves have notations for what is on each side of that shelf.
> Not all shelves are created equal depth - depends on the size range of that family/class of item going there. But - you can put the boxes on the shelves front out of side out, to get the items in the correct range for that shelf's depth.

If you plan it out, you can leave room to expand the row of shelves, and you can build it so the shelves are removable, to reorganize as events dictate.

Me - I gots me a couple of those cheap metal boxes with, say 20+ pull-out plastic trays. And, I have maybe 20 of those stackable things that are maybe 4" x 6" x 8" deep for bigger stuff. In those, you would find one labelled "5/8" Zinc carriage bolts - All Lengths". In it are a bunch of zip-locks for each length. Another bin for 5/8" Galvanized". YOU get the drill.

My wood screws have a completely different storage scheme.

[Roger Feeley]

My brother gave me an old Microfilm cabinet. It turned out to be ideal. It has about 10 drawers, each about 4" deep x 20" wide x 24" deep. I used cheap plastic electrical boxes to hold all sorts of stuff.

[John Coloccia]

Thanks for all the ideas, guys. For now, I decided to just buy a bunch of HDX and home depot plastic organizers. That will do me fine in this shop. I'm also going to pick up a bunch of dandy drawers. I didn't know they existed, but they're perfect for a lot of things!

Thanks everyone for the help and great suggestions