How to organize ye olde bolt bucket?

[MikeInOr]

I had a pretty decent collection of misc. nuts, bolts, washers, etc. in 3 old Folgers coffee cans. I recently came home with two 5 gallon buckets about 2/3rds full of misc. hardware, most in very decent (new looking) condition for $20.

How do you make heads and tails out of organizing such a haul? My initial thought is several large Akro bins and a day sorting them out into common approximate sizes.

Has anyone ever come up with a good organizational strategy for ye old bolt bucket?

 

[benmychree]

Pigeon hole bins.

 

[Boswell]

I suggest Successive approximation approach.
for instance, start with very easy to identify differences and few choices such as (Wood screw, Machine screw or Tool.
Then take one of the piles, for instance the wood screws and resort it by large, medium or small
Rinse and Repeat until everything is in its proper place.

This technique works for me because
1. I can take a break at any time and there is immediate value in what ever I have done so far.
2. I don't get overwhelmed by the scope of the work.

 

[CluelessNewB]

Boswell has the right idea. When I was a kid, that was a job my Dad gave me. I remember sorting hardware using an old Rheingold beer tray. My Dad eventually graduated from old baby food jars to Acro-Mils storage drawers. There was always a can for miscellaneous items that still didn't fit in any drawer category. I did learn the more important screw sizes and threads when I was rather young.

 

[DiscoDan]

Boswell is right on

 

[WCraig]

@Boswell 's approach sounds about right to me, too. I like to use an old baking sheet when sorting. When the fasteners are spread out a little, it is easier to spot stuff that is the same size. Metric parts, though, can make the job harder. At a glance, it isn't easy to tell a 1/4" v. 6mm bolts or 3/8" v. 10mm. And, of course, either could be fine or coarse thread.

It's funny...sorting fasteners isn't a job I look forward to but time passes quickly while doing it and there is a degree of satisfaction in putting the stuff away in a sorted fashion.

Craig

 

[MrWhoopee]

Danish butter cookie tins. They're wide and relatively shallow, making it easy to sort through the contents. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes. They're durable and stackable. They're free and come filled with delicious cookies.

 

[mattthemuppet2]

this is what I use One for metric, one for SAE and one for the various other random screws/ etc I have. Makes finding the right bolt/ tap or even just putting new/ found ones in the right place an absolute dream. My friend made fun of my OCD a while back, at least until I pulled out the six 10-24 screws that he needed in about 5 seconds.

 

[woodchucker]

Danish butter cookie tins. They're wide and relatively shallow, making it easy to sort through the contents. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes. They're durable and stackable. They're free and come filled with delicious cookies.

View attachment 380374

You forgot to mention, that you enjoy eating the contents to create new storage bins.
I have a bunch of those too as storage, my dad used to do those and baby food jars, that he mounted the tops to a 4x4 and put a rod through it so he could have stuff overhead at the workbench.

 

[C-Bag]

I have decades of nuts and bolts I kept from parts that got swapped out. So Harbor Frieght had these great HD plastic organizing trays and I’ve been sorting through and getting them into those trays. And when I’ve finally gotten them sorted then they will go in this old Aeroquip bin unit I picked up cheap on CL. It’s an ongoing project when I get the urge. I also suggest size gauges standard and metic to help speed sorting.