# Question How do you guys store your nuts bolt and washers ?



## ebgb68 (Jan 4, 2015)

I did some work in the pole barn and now want to figure out a way to store my crap. Right now I have twentyfive ish coffee cans with different items. I had them on shelves under my work bench but I want everything off the floor to eliminate dirt catching areas. 
Thanks Ed


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## brav65 (Jan 4, 2015)

I use storage boxes like these




I pick them up when they are on sale.  Husky at HD makes a similar one.





I store them on shelves standing up with a label facing out so it is easy to pull out the case I need.  I have about 10 of them now and it is great to have what you need when you need it.  The little boxes can be taken out of the case and used as needed.  When you close the lid all the little bins are locked in place.  They are not cheap, but they work great.


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## JimDawson (Jan 5, 2015)

Here are my solutions:

The double sided rotating storage, fits nicely in an area that would otherwise collect junk.  Attached to the wall with a 2x4, and has a bracket at the top that is the upper ''bearing''.  The lower bearing is a piece of 2 inch pipe sitting on the floor with a big washer on top to support the weight.  The shaft is a length of 3/4 pipe.  The back boards are 3/4 inch partial board, and the bins and brackets are from HF.





I picked the red ones up at HF, the yellow ones came from a hardware store closeout.  I don't think HF sells these any more.



The roll around storage bin.  It's pretty stable, I just hope I never tip it over.:talktogod: The bins are from HF





The sliding door storage for hanging stuff.  A 1x2 frame faced with peg board.  The rail is a 10ft length of Uni-Strut, I found some skate wheel type bearings that would fit in the Uni-Strut.  Everything from Home Depot.  All of the shelving is 16 inches deep and made from 2x4 and 2x2, and 3/4 inch particle board.  It is supported off of the floor, but attached to the wall.

The storage bin boxes are regular cardboard storage bins 12 inches deep that I picked up somewhere. Available from many places.  You can get them in plastic also.





For small parts storage, the multi-drawer storage cabinets are great.



Air compressor stand, and small piece metal rack.  Aluminium on the top shelf, steel on the bottom.  Made from 2x2x0.093 steel tubing with 3/4 plywood shelves.




And of course the misc bolt bin.


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## Dave Smith (Jan 5, 2015)

ebgb68 said:


> I did some work in the pole barn and now want to figure out a way to store my crap. Right now I have twentyfive ish coffee cans with different items. I had them on shelves under my work bench but I want everything off the floor to eliminate dirt catching areas.
> Thanks Ed




Ed---ScrapMetal started a thread called--where do you keep all your stuff---it has many members answers and pictures---I suggest it would help you and others to search for that thread for storage of items in your shops--it was a good thread------Dave
and Jim---I like where you mounted your compressor


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## Andre (Jan 5, 2015)

Those little plastic drawer cabinets work great for small nuts, bolts, screws, washers, etc.

http://cdn4.stanleysupplyservices.com/images/p/172-589.01_s500_p1._Vddd3a08d_.jpg


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## coolidge (Jan 5, 2015)

:holdphone: hello, hoarding intervention institute do you pay a finders fee for referrals?





My local Wilco Farm store sells grade 5 and grade 8 bolts by the pound! Once a year they have a 30% off sale and I stock up. I store mine in plastic bins.


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## Dan_S (Jan 5, 2015)

I'm like Brav65, only I'm more of a cheap skate. :shush:


I have several of these Plano brand containers.
http://www.amazon.com/Plano-23701-0...unting-fishing&ie=UTF8&qid=1420493806&sr=1-31

You can get them just about anywhere, Menards, Lowe's, HD, Walmart, Target, etc. They come in a huge range of sizes an subdivision schemes. The range in price from about $1 to $9 depending on the size you get and where you get it from.

They have a lot of uses, for example tool bit storage.


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## ebgb68 (Jan 5, 2015)

Thanks for the replies I knew there would be some good ideas. I haven't said this but I've worked in the hardware business for 33 years. I used to bring home everything that was being thrown away for my dad. Our shop looked like Jim's posted above but you could hardly walk though it. I inherited the inventory but between two moves and lack of space I had to get rid of some of it .

I will be working out there every night this week I will show you the progress. 

Thanks Ed


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## brav65 (Jan 5, 2015)

ebgb68 said:


> Thanks for the replies I knew there would be some good ideas. I haven't said this but I've worked in the hardware business for 33 years. I used to bring home everything that was being thrown away for my dad. Our shop looked like Jim's posted above but you could hardly walk though it. I inherited the inventory but between two moves and lack of space I had to get rid of some of it .
> 
> I will be working out there every night this week I will show you the progress.
> 
> Thanks Ed



I am an Old Yankee, when I was a kid we never went to the hardware store, we went to the bone yard and pulled what you needed off of something else.  It kills me now when I have to go and pay $.15 for a 1" 1/4-20 bolt!


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## ebgb68 (Jan 5, 2015)

brav65 said:


> I am an Old Yankee, when I was a kid we never went to the hardware store, we went to the bone yard and pulled what you needed off of something else.  It kills me now when I have to go and pay $.15 for a 1" 1/4-20 bolt!



I gave away five lifetime supplies and it still hurts when I have to buy.


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## ebgb68 (Jan 6, 2015)

Well I tore into the mess tonight and  think I need to let go with some junk. 
Cotter pins by the pound .


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## xalky (Jan 6, 2015)

The misc. bolt bin that Jim showed reminded me of the 5 gal bucket I have full of oddball bolts and screws that I got. I've thought about chucking it so many times but it never fails to bail me out of a jam. So, I keep it. Sometimes I gotta dump the whole thing out on the floor to find what I'm looking for. :nuts: Anytime I buy something that has bolts included, there always seem to be extras, and usually they are not your run-of-the-mill type of screw, so I really don't have a spot for them....they end up in the misc bolt bin.)


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## Dataporter (Jan 7, 2015)

Andre said:


> Those little plastic drawer cabinets work great for small nuts, bolts, screws, washers, etc.
> 
> http://cdn4.stanleysupplyservices.com/images/p/172-589.01_s500_p1._Vddd3a08d_.jpg



IMO What I don't like about these is, unless you label them carefully, you have to pull out all the drawers to see what's in them.


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## fastback (Jan 7, 2015)

Well I guess I am like everyone else and use a little of all the above.  I did find something that works well for my small stuff like 2 - 56, 4 - 40,  6 - 32 nuts as well as the small cap screw etc.  It is made from used medication containers.  As we age we end out with prescription drugs etc.  I remove the labels and print new ones with my tag labeler.  The rack is made from plywood, Masonite and hard wood trim.

Paul


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## ebgb68 (Jan 7, 2015)

fastback said:


> Well I guess I am like everyone else and use a little of all the above.  I did find something that works well for my small stuff like 2 - 56, 4 - 40,  6 - 32 nuts as well as the small cap screw etc.  It is made from used medication containers.  As we age we end out with prescription drugs etc.  I remove the labels and print new ones with my tag labeler.  The rack is made from plywood, Masonite and hard wood trim.
> 
> Paul


Very nice and yes lots of pill bottles here too.


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## eugene13 (Jan 7, 2015)

I have about 100  2lb coffee cans on a shelf, all marked by size or content, 3/8 long, 3/8 short, rod ends, hinges, hose clamps, etc. when i need something I dump the contents in a large gold pan and begin prospecting, it's cheap and it works for me.


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## Dave Smith (Jan 7, 2015)

Dataporter said:


> IMO What I don't like about these is, unless you label them carefully, you have to pull out all the drawers to see what's in them.



I agree with you and Marcel about how nice it is to have buckets or drawers of just much misc of items----the little plastic drawer organizers are fine for some things--as long as the majority of what is sorted in it is all similar type items---otherwise you have to search through a lot of organizers for a special drawer.------you may not need 10 pounds of cotter keys(pins) but when you need one they should be just where you can find them for the right size-----one thing very nice about having buckets or drawers of stuff you want to keep---is this-----FIRST it is very quick and easy to throw extras in with them to sort later-----SECOND and just as valuable---is when you are scrounging and looking through them for a certain item---your eyes and your memory are seeing all the other items in there that you are searching through--THAT is why you go to that drawer or bucket in the first or last place to look because your memory has lately stored those parts locations for you--------when you finish a project and don't have time to find all the little drawers to sort your leftovers--it's easy to just throw them in the TO SORT bucket or drawer.------I do like to have a lot of items sorted in cabinets--but it does take a lot of time to sort everything----so I have cabinets and organizers full and I also have my mixture  buckets and drawers------my memory when I was kid brings back an old neighbor that explained this to me---if I was looking for a special screw or nut with special threads for my bike--he would bring out a flat container of a mixture of nuts bolts washers and many other things--if I didn't find it in that one he would just bring me another one to look through--you know--I always found what I needed---and that's why I value those unsorted mixture drawers-----one for tiny stuff--at least three or more for small--medium--and large----some separate ones for just electrical stuff---and now you get the picture-----one more problem with sorting in the little plastic drawers---you always find some things are just too long to fit in the drawer with with the other similar items------------I am trying to sort all my items but that's the story of my cluttered but interesting and useable shops-------------some day  :victory:-------------------Dave


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## Dave Smith (Jan 7, 2015)

fastback said:


> Well I guess I am like everyone else and use a little of all the above.  I did find something that works well for my small stuff like 2 - 56, 4 - 40,  6 - 32 nuts as well as the small cap screw etc.  It is made from used medication containers.  As we age we end out with prescription drugs etc.  I remove the labels and print new ones with my tag labeler.  The rack is made from plywood, Masonite and hard wood trim.
> 
> Paul




Paul--yes I use those small med bottles for lots of items also---they lay down in some drawers and make good containers for taps in connection with each size of small threaded nuts and bolts up to 1/4 "-----the small and larger sizes are also very handy to put mixtures of small stuff in--- labeled unsorted misc. ----put the lids on tight and throw them in your unsorted buckets or drawers----the clear peanut butter jars and similar type with screw on lids are also good for this and you can see what is in the jars easily before dumping them out for the item you need-----you don't even have to label these-----when I am stripping an item down for the parts I keep a couple of them handy to throw the parts in to sort later---------- --Dave


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## Dave Smith (Jan 7, 2015)

eugene13 said:


> I have about 100  2lb coffee cans on a shelf, all marked by size or content, 3/8 long, 3/8 short, rod ends, hinges, hose clamps, etc. when i need something I dump the contents in a large gold pan and begin prospecting, it's cheap and it works for me.



I do that too and it is nice that the lids keep the items clean and you can label them easy with a marker between the handle grips---yup--at least one a month--they mount up continuously ------and who would throw away such good cheap storage-----not me----I also just dump them out on a tray for seeing misc and then put them back----Dave


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## Fabrickator (Jan 7, 2015)

I keep a complete selection of bolts, nuts, lock and flat washers (1/4" - 1/2") in the blue storage bins and the common sizes screws (#4 - 10) in the typical multi-drawer organizers.  I also have a selection of Metric allen cap screws/nuts M3 - M8.  I optimized my space by building a hidden, sliding door storage space behind my lathe.  It's sometimes a chore to get to some of them, but I don't have to do it too often.

The pic that show it best is with my old Craftsman/Atlas lathe instead of my current G0602.


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## Fabrickator (Jan 7, 2015)

JimDawson said:


> Here are my solutions:
> 
> The double sided rotating storage, fits nicely in an area that would otherwise collect junk.  Attached to the wall with a 2x4, and has a bracket at the top that is the upper ''bearing''.  The lower bearing is a piece of 2 inch pipe sitting on the floor with a big washer on top to support the weight.  The shaft is a length of 3/4 pipe.  The back boards are 3/4 inch partial board, and the bins and brackets are from HF.
> View attachment 91498
> ...




It's obvious that you've been "around the block".  Love your collection and storage ideas.

I worked for a Kentucky good 'ol boy  who used to say " I keep this sh*t around in case I want to do any work".


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## ebgb68 (Jan 8, 2015)

I've made some progress on cleanup still trying not to save everything . 
I pickup up a couple cabinets from my bosses first divorce sale and never done anything with them.
This one had o rings 



This one had some items in it the wife is going to take the odd stuff to the Restore . 
	

		
			
		

		
	



    This is about half the cans once the bench is clear I will sort them into better assortments.


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## RandyM (Jan 9, 2015)

Here is my hardware center. White labels standard sizes and red are metric.


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## fastback (Jan 9, 2015)

Randy, I like the color code idea.  I'll try to remember that one.  

There are a lot of good storage ideas on this thread. I expect I'll be borrowing a lot of ideas.

Paul


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## Kevinb71 (Jan 9, 2015)

Randy I have always admired your shop when you post pics. Nice bolt cabinet.

Ed 
My shop looks a lot like yours! I always have so much Odd ball crap that I don't want to throw away (like your faucet seats bin)but don't want to store them in valuable space either. My solution was to take them out of those good storage containers and move them to the coffee cans and put them up and out of the way, but labeled and easy to find on the rare occasion they are still needed. My apologies for my example of faucet seats if you still use them a lot.:whistle:


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## itsme_Bernie (Jan 9, 2015)

brav65 said:


> I am an Old Yankee, when I was a kid we never went to the hardware store, we went to the bone yard and pulled what you needed off of something else.  It kills me now when I have to go and pay $.15 for a 1" 1/4-20 bolt!



Exactly!  I never get rid of anything without removing all the nuts, bolts, springs, and pins!  

Now I never have to leave to get parts like that either.

Bernie


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## kvt (Jan 9, 2015)

Don't have any pictures of it but remember the old glass baby food and small jars.   Well the under side of the shelf is covered with lids screwed to it, and jars hand down,   Smallest jars in front and larger in back,   Can see what you want and get to it,  Then the buckets and boxes are stored on top of the shelf.   But the trusty old potato chip can full of old bolts, nuts and various other items always seems to be what saves the day.  At times the wife has called me cheap for saving it all and not wanting to go buy new stuff, but then it is normally something of hers that is fixed by the old bucket of stuff.

KVT


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## NightWing (Jan 9, 2015)

I remember that baby food jar trick of screwing the lids onto the shelf bottom and the jars hanging from them.  Great for small parts.

When I was a kid, my parents were friends with a nice but miserly couple.  The husband was a bank executive and he walked to work every day for many years.  He was always scanning the sidewalk and gutter for stuff.  Every time he found a nail, screw, nut, washer, whatever, he would tuck it in his pocket.  Once home, it would go into the appropriate baby food jar under the shelf in his basement.

He used to brag that in so many years, he never had to buy a screw, nut or a washer because of his collection.  He was indeed a miser's miser.

My dad used to joke that this man squeezed a nickel so hard, the buffalo cried.


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## Billh50 (Jan 28, 2015)

Dan_S said:


> I'm like Brav65, only I'm more of a cheap skate. :shush:
> 
> 
> I have several of these Plano brand containers.
> ...



That's what I do for all my small parts. I put a label on the side like "nuts" "washers" "Dowels" etc. and the stack them on the shelf. I buy mine at Harbor Freight when they are on sale.


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## chips&more (Jan 28, 2015)

Sadly, my organization has gotten totally out of control. I have crap from floor to ceiling. If I need a fastener, it’s easier for me to go to the local hardware store! And I would be walking out of a hardware store (my garage) to go to an organized one to get what I need!


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## pebbleworm (Jan 28, 2015)

I used Kardex files:
https://www.google.com/search?q=kar...a=X&ei=IRXJVK_WCtP4yQS23YKgCQ&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ
Rip out the paper and you have a solid set of wide, shallow drawers  that makes it easy to find the part you are looking for.  Finding them is the hardest part.  They are functionally obsolete so either get treated as junk or as a valuable collectors item.  They are monstrously heavy so often get left behind when a business closes.  Most of the ones I have seen in the past 10 years were in abandoned buildings.


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## RVJimD (Jan 28, 2015)

I have been following this thread since it was started because I am TERRIBLE at keeping the shop clean and or organized.  Thanks for all the tips and ideas!

Maybe it is just cause I use an iPad but for me the title of the thread reads,  

"Re: Question How do you guys store your nuts..."  And not one joke about it!  You guys are way to politically correct!  :makingdecision:

thanks against for the site everyone!

jim


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## Hamstn (Jan 28, 2015)

My first bolt storage was coffee cans, 2 gal buckets ect. I would buy any container with bolts at auctions. Also had and bought old machinery that I would strip down for the metal and I would keep all the bolts, nut, washers. Then I moved on to a 3ft by 4ft box with 4" sides were I would just dig through everything til I hopefully found what I needed. This was when I really didn't have much of a shop to even work in.

I finally was able to build a nice shop. I answered an Graig's list ad for a massive pile of bolts. When I finally got them all loaded the back of my truck was rounded. I knew I needed a good way to store all of them so I bought a bunch of the plastic storage bins and built a rack.



I picked up this bolt bin a year ago and have it 3/4 of the way full of the most used sizes. When I get low on an item I make a list of what is needed, call it in, and a place that sells bulk will have everything ready. Usually they will just grab a hand full (Scoop) of each item when you ask for a bin restock. (poor picture but you get idea)



I also have a bunch of the 19"? metal boxes with trays for button head, flat head, socket head, grease zerks, ect. all mounted in a cabinet with rails. You can see one of them in the picture above left side.


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