Managing disparate random fasteners, etc

[dian]

i dont spend money on any containers. i leave the hardware in the boxes it comes in. they go into drawers. for other stuff i use rectangular plastic cottage cheese boxes that go into cardboard boxes milk containers come in. these are just the right size to go into the cabinets i buit. i have a free, steady supply of both.

[J Tiers]

My solution, the green drawer set. The other larger drawers are for other things

Usually the nuts and washers for the size are in the front compartment of the first drawer of the size, but when they were sorted, some ended up on screws, and were not moved. It's not a problem, and I never changed it.

[Paul Alciatore]

Au contraire! Most of my stock was purchased in boxes of 100. A few items in 500s or more. And, for most items under 1/4" there is absolutely no problem fitting them in a single Rx bottle. Many of those bottles fit in a cardboard bin. In the 1/4" and 3/8" sizes, I still get the smaller things in 100s but larger ones often are offered by McMaster and others at a quantity price when you buy 50, 25, of even 10. The mini bins will hold a lot of the larger fasteners. I do limit my purchases of 1/2" and larger hardware to just a few more than I need immediately. The system seems to work out very well.

Oh, and those cardboard bins come in a variety of widths from 2" to 12" as well as 12" and 18" depths. So you really have a lot of flexibility. When I get a chance I will take some more photos. The ones I posted are several years old and I have done a lot of organizing since then.

And yes, even those bead boxes often have 100 small items like small sized screws, nuts, or washers in the individual round containers. Generally speaking, I only have #4 and smaller stuff in them. Why waste the shelf space when these small containers work so well.

100 IS my first choice when purchasing fasteners.

Anyway, my main point was modularity. To me that is the key to not only organizing things but to keeping them organized.

Paul A , I don't know where you get your stocks but if its 3/8 or smaller fastener , I often buy 100 lot.. and always with nuts and washers. Your bead boxes are too small for that .

[OaklandGB]

I'm still in coffee cans. After over 60 years of amateur auto and lawn equipment wrenching I have a few coffee cans of fasteners left that I keep by type only. Bolts, nuts, washers are my basics. Small fasteners I keep in a 30 drawer plastic organizer.

I used to keep all the extra fasteners that came with "some assembly required" purchases, but those are now so cheap, that I've tossed all of it in the trash. Anything I don't have, I go to my local ACE hardware and buy grade 8 stuff as needed. If I come across some nuts, bolts, or washers off an engine, I will add those to my collection but otherwise, I already have enough junk without adding more.

Bottom line, keep the good (usually older) stuff, and toss the rest.

[MikeHenry]

I use a variety of storage solutions for fasteners, my favorite being a Lista cabinet drawer stuffed with boxes of screws from McMaster-Carr, organized by size and head style. For smaller fasteners, say 5 mm or less I've used 50 mL centrifuge tubes like these:

https://www.amazon.com/Stellar-Scien...strial&sr=1-29

They come loose for a bit less money, but I use the ones like in the listing above because the styrofoam base makes for dense storage.

[Black Forest]

This is how I manage my nuts, bolts, washers and screws. Sir John gave me hell for wasting so much space. The shelves are old shoe and boot shelves.

[true temper]

Here is my accumulation of 40 years. I don’t have to go to town very often.

[J Tiers]

Sheesh.... And our neighbors call US "the hardware store".

[Tundra Twin Track]

True Temper :THAT'S A LOT OF STUFF

[true temper]

[PStechPaul]

That's enough to make even 3PLB jealous!

[Tungsten dipper]

I think we have a winner.

[Black Forest]

True Temper does it say ACE in front of your house? That is a serious collection of hardware. And basically very well organized.