What did you do today?

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

Does earthquake insurance cover the effort to re-sort all the stuff that would be dumped onto the floor? <G>

It most certainly does in deed not cover it

[Cenedd]

It most certainly does in deed not cover it

Just epoxy all the stuff into the bins. Won't fall out then ;-p

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

Just epoxy all the stuff into the bins. Won't fall out then ;-p

You just gave me a good idea. I've been wondering about trying to catalog everything and an easy way to locate which bin something is in, and if I even have what I'm looking for without going through and looking in all of the bins.

If I take one item out of each bin and epoxy each item onto a piece of cardboard or hardboard in a grid that matches the bin grid and display them as panels, I'll be able to just see all hardware nicely labeled and displayed and can quickly see if I have what I'm looking for and know which bin to go grab it from too, vs looking through all of the bins. It would also be a good way of organizing the bins in sections.

[754]

Most bins have a card holder in the front to write a description.

[CCWKen]

It'd be cheaper to just glue a picture of it to the card board. That's how they do it at the hardware stores.

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

Most bins have a card holder in the front to write a description.

I can also see inside the bins. Walking around checking 100's of bins and bending up and down to see if you have something is what I'm trying to avoid.

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

It'd be cheaper to just glue a picture of it to the card board. That's how they do it at the hardware stores.

I was thinking of just taking pictures but think it might be hard to gauge the actual size from the pictures. I have so much unknown and non-labeled hardware that it would take forever to actually size it and label it so I was thinking a visual display that is significantly condensed is probably the easiest way. And when I'm looking for an unknown sized nut for example, if I glue one sample of each nut I have to a hard board, I could actually try threading the bolt that I have in my hand into the nuts until I find one that fits/etc.

[754]

I guess you can't tell bolt size by looking at the threads, use a caliper if the EYEcrometer does not work..
I arrange mine in drawers with partitions then label.
So 1/4 inch , next drawer 5/16, next 3/8..... I may have 3/8 to 2.5 and another drawer for 3/8 longer than that.
Same with nuts. . And the dividers separate fine from coarse most of the time. Lockwashers from flatwashers etc..

[CCWKen]

You could turn the picture into a line drawing and put that on there to identify the fastener type/style. I don't have any of mine labeled. I keep a pretty good selection of 1/4, 5/16 and 3/8" bolts and screws from #6 to #12 and 1/4". I can usually tell the size and thread by looking at them. I don't need no stinking labels. When I go, I sure don't want to make it easy for the auctioneer. He's going to sell them as a lot anyway. Let the next slob worry about it.

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

Here is video of some of the bins.

[Arcane]

You could turn the picture into a line drawing and put that on there to identify the fastener type/style. I don't have any of mine labeled. I keep a pretty good selection of 1/4, 5/16 and 3/8" bolts and screws from #6 to #12 and 1/4". I can usually tell the size and thread by looking at them. I don't need no stinking labels. When I go, I sure don't want to make it easy for the auctioneer. He's going to sell them as a lot anyway. Let the next slob worry about it.

You definitely have a lot better calibrated eyeball than I have!

[CCWKen]

I wouldn't need labels for those but I would at least keep like items in an area of arms reach or so. But that's the way I work. I don't always need a washer, nut and bolt but some people do. I usually don't need small screws getting in the way of looking for nuts either. But, arrange the bins for you!

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

I wouldn't need labels for those but I would at least keep like items in an area of arms reach or so. But that's the way I work. I don't always need a washer, nut and bolt but some people do. I usually don't need small screws getting in the way of looking for nuts either. But, arrange the bins for you!

They definitely need to be re-arranged. I mostly just threw them up there as I was emptying bags of hardware that were previously just stacked on shelves.

[CCWKen]

You definitely have a lot better calibrated eyeball than I have!

Nah, I work with those sizes all the time. I can tell an #8-32 from a #10-24 on sight. Same for the others. A lot of my taps are loose in a draw. I can pick those out too.

Added: That metric stuff in another story though.

[MattiJ]

Nah, I work with those sizes all the time. I can tell an #8-32 from a #10-24 on sight. Same for the others. A lot of my taps are loose in a draw. I can pick those out too.

Same here, M3 to M24 I can eyeball correctly about 99.9% of time. M2.5 might need caliper to differentiate from M2 and M3.
Metric fine threads are also usually quite obvious but those I have to measure if they are "extra fine" or just fine.

You can tell also solid carbide drills or endmills from HSS drills/mills without even thinking about it, solid carbide feels way too heavy in your hand.