JosephThomas Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 How do you guys like to organize screw/nails and other little items in your shop? I don't have a lot of drawers right now, mostly just a messy stack of little boxes inside cabinets, and it's time to fix it... I am mostly talking about 15-20 different kinds of screws/nails/washers and other similar sized items that come in little cardboard or plastic boxes. I like the idea of little 'drawers' like this kind of thing, because it allows you to organize and quickly get at things, but it takes up valuable counter space I don't have, and is the least mobile solution in the world. I'm not a tradesman for a living, but I do bring tools over to friends/family's homes somewhat often to help with things, so ease of transport is on my mind...and these suck for that. On the flipside, I like that little boxes like this travel a little better...but they're super inefficient for someone like me that is mostly using them at home, my workflow with these things goes something like this --> Pull the box out, find a horizontal surface to set it on, fail to find one, try to remove 500 things from my horizontal space, give up, set box on the ground, open it up, retrieve screws, close box, leave it there, trip over it 5 minutes later, rinse and repeat. Also, many of these type of boxes are cheaply made and just spill from one section into another whenever you stand the box up. I am sure right about now is the time when the green-kool-aid man will show up and start talking about sortainers, because yeah, they would sorta have the best of both worlds when looking at the 2 items above ...but let's be realistic, my shop is still in its growth phase, and it would just be complete overkill and a poor use of my limited budget. I have also considered the l-boxx from bosch, which seems nice, but isn't that much cheaper than festool...and I'm not even sure the price difference is worth it when you consider the quality difference. What are all you guys doing? Pictures or links are particularly helpful if you guys have 'em. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 I use jelly jars, with labels on the lids, in a pull out in a cabinet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 I use plastic boxes. I found this design many years ago in an American Woodworker magazine. I also have a drawer with hard board dividers for bigger parts 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 I don't. I just throw them away and buy the hardware I need for each build. That stuff drives me bananas. I keep a few boxes of drywall screws in various sizes for making jigs and a few boxes of brads and pin nails, but that is all I really keep in my shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 Yeah, you need a sortainer. They are so choice. Highland sells a systainer with spax screws in it, you basically get a bunch of free screws. It's a really good deal. Otherwise I keep screws in their box on a shelf. I don't keep a bunch of miscellaneous junk laying around to warrant drawers full of stuff. I got away from hoarding long ago. Most of that stuff is so cheap you can really justify tossing it out every now and again. Home Depot sells a Dewalt version of the Stanley thing you posted... It's nice because you can tip it over and the contents don't shift. I keep dominoes in there. I have another one for t-track/incra jig stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 I organize in drawers like .pkinneb does.. This storage is also in my work station where I need them. To me there's nothing worse than some sort of storage bin that you have to dig thru to find what you need. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post shaneymack Posted November 21, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 No comment. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 I've got a toolbox that opens like a fishing tackle box. Small and large plastic cups full of all the sizes I use, shop or job site. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 1 hour ago, shaneymack said: No comment. Is it green? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 Is it green? Ssshhhhhhhhhh.. Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxdabroxx Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 Ive got a couple of these things that my dad's work was throwing out. They aren't completely organized yet, but it is a start. I live about 20 miles from town so having stuff like fasteners on hand is a must. It really sucks when you don't have the right screw to finish a job and have to spend an hour driving to pick up $2 worth of screws. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterDrow Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 I recently bought some containers similar to that Stanley Sortmaster you posted there. Got one for bits, stops, and dowel centers and the rest are filled with screws of varying types. Tried to keep similar types together in a way that made sense. Some sticky labels added make it easy to visually see which box I need to grab off of the shelf. Very glad I did it because I kept misplacing the boxes of screws and bits all over the damn place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Chet Posted November 21, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 I use a Kev-stainer designed by Orgo Man. Top drawer of my assembly table. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephThomas Posted November 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 Thanks guys. Mel, I have no idea what part of your comment was serious and which was sarcastic... If any. :/ Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21meyer Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 I use these boxes from Harbor Freight. I used to have a bunch of the Stanley boxes you linked to but not being able to remove the trays was a deal breaker for me. The HF boxes don't take much abuse in my shop but I do carry them around and have never had an issue with parts shifting inside. If you have several of these boxes you can mix and match the different size trays between boxes. I have about 15 of them and have been very happy with them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 Plano stopped making these after I had a few dozen. The Harbor Freight versions are usable and if they ever do fail, they're cheap. The cubbies are made from some old t1-11 that I got from a neighbor when he demolished an old shed; reall high class stuff here. I hold everything up to about 3/8" bolts in these. Larger than that and bulk for restocking are in other containers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 I have several sortmasters, Stanley, no complaints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted November 22, 2016 Report Share Posted November 22, 2016 I took pictures today. We work out of it in the shop then refill it from bigger boxes of screws. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freedhardwoods Posted November 22, 2016 Report Share Posted November 22, 2016 My system isn't quite as fancy as the rest of you. This is just a small part of what I have. I had to take down some shelves for my shop addition. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted November 25, 2016 Report Share Posted November 25, 2016 Don't waste too much time on storing a lot of hardware. A little here and a bit here and your wondering why my space is cluttered. Storage is the shop killer. As mentioned buy what you need, when you need it. If you just gotta have it buy a dual sided husky box or similar and convert the smaller drawers with dividers for some hardware and use the larger drawers for useful items like hand tools... Those staney,milwaukee and dewalt boxes look fine in the begining but they take space., I don't care how you stack em... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freedhardwoods Posted November 26, 2016 Report Share Posted November 26, 2016 It would be extremely frustrating, time consuming, and expensive for me to run to a store all the time. I buy in bulk when I can. Having an extensive storage area is very important to me. Here is what most of the cabinet shops use to carry cabinet installation fasteners. They build them heavy because they see some pretty hard use. You could probably build a lighter version If you wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted November 26, 2016 Report Share Posted November 26, 2016 I used a little red plastic tool box when I had a cabinet shop,Held everything I needed and some for a cabinet hardware, Cabinet shops buy in bulk to increase profits. When your talking about a small hobby shop, generally your going back and forth to work enough to hit a hardware store on the way home when something is needed, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted November 26, 2016 Report Share Posted November 26, 2016 I cannot imagine hardware causing a storage concern, and I have way more than some. My framing, roofing, siding, and drywall bulk are in lidded square buckets that stack. A few of these discussed trays in cabinets or drawers are plenty out of the way. The question about lid interface is the key. You don't want to resort a tray Ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 26, 2016 Report Share Posted November 26, 2016 5 minutes ago, freedhardwoods said: It would be extremely frustrating, time consuming, and expensive for me to run to a store all the time. I buy in bulk when I can. Having an extensive storage area is very important to me. Here is what most of the cabinet shops use to carry cabinet installation fasteners. They build them heavy because they see some pretty hard use. You could probably build a lighter version If you wanted. It depends on what you build. A cabinet shop obviously needs to inventory their mostly commonly used hardware. I build 3 or 4 pieces of furniture a year. I keep some drywall screws in 1/2" to 3" lengths, figure 8 connectors, some brad nails, and some pin nails and that is it. Everything else I order or buy on a per project basis. It all fits in one small drawer. Most of my projects use almost no hardware (generally just a few screws for attaching tops). Anything other than that I throw away after each project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephThomas Posted November 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2016 Yeah I build less than 4 furniture projects a year... But I do need a lot of stuff for diy... At my place, my parents, and my in laws house. A few framing nails, 4 or 5 sizes of cabinet screws, drywall screws, 5 or 6 kinds of wood screws for shop projects and cabinet hardware, etc. I'm in a 1 car garage that is packed full, and I can't afford to make a trip for every little project because I don't operate that way. Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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