contrainers

How do you organize your bolts/screws/nails (Category wise)

Hello forum, I have been collecting various hardware from estate sales/garage sales and etc and Ive been slowly organizing them. Every time I sort them out I'm constantly second guessing how im organizing them. Right now I consider it more like dividing alikes together.

There are so many ways to sort them... what has work best for you?

one cabinet is strictly nails, then my other main groups are nuts/bolts, washers, bolts, machines screws, wood screws.

but now for the sub categories, what do i do?

do i seperate the brass ones from the others?

do i arrange them from pitch then length?

shortest to highest? with common heights together?

is there a screw gauge??? i know there is one for bolts but is there one similar for screw pitches? oh the possibilities!!??!

I subscribing because this is actually the reason I found this forum. I just got two cabinets one with larger drawers(133) and another with smaller drawers probably 150+. I keep putting off filling it up because I know there is a way to do this that will save me time in the future.

I'd love to give you some input, but I still haven't figured out how I'm going to store any of it. The systems I'd really like such as Vidmar cabinets are ridiculously expensive just to store nuts and bolts. The other methods I've seen all have their drawbacks as well.

Believe me I've been through that whole thread more than once.

When I inherited my Dad's vast bolt, nail, and screw collection, I went down to HF and bought one of their sorting bin holders. I filled it with at least 3 dozen different sizes and kinds of nails. Over time, I realized that I have screw guns,pneumatic nailers, brad nailers, and so on, and I will, for instance, probably never drive another 10 penny common nail as long as I live.

Screw-wise, I will while away a hour or two in front of one of those cheap transparent divided boxes dropping small screws into each bin. I don't bother to sort them by pitch or such, just by machine, drywall, wood, sheet metal, length and maybe head type.

Bolts, for the random, miscellaneous ones that seem to multiply and then wander around the shop, I have two categories, long and short, and then I have a lunch tray that I will dump the bin into and then spread them out to search for what I need.

I'm sure many folks go to much greater levels of sorting, but this little bit of organization saves me a lot of ping-ponging around the shop.

Krusty

Plastic water bottles work good for me. Don't break like glass, easy to see contents, don't spill all over, and they are free. I made little shelves out of scrap wood to put them on. Sometimes i wonder if sorting,organizing,is worth it, i have all kinds of stuff and still have to go to Ace or Advance every time I do somrthing anyway.

I bought a HF 4 drawer box with top tray (99.00 with coupon), Top tray has lock washers by size, washers by size, and other assorted stuff, top left drawer all 1/4" including nuts, top right drawer all 5/16' with nuts, middle drawer seperated into 3 sections using wood left section 3/8", middle section 7/16 (about 3" wide), right section 1/2" , Bottom drawer misc fasterners such as lug bolts and nuts, cotter pins, snap-rings very large washers etc. In the bottom open section in plastic tubs is my metric bolt collection soon to have its own HF box and oversized bolts 3/4" and larger. Did this about a year ago, sorted everything by size and threw out all the cans and plastic bottles! Best move I made, looked at those plastic trays that you stack or hang on a wall, this turned out to be better and cheaper, plus this is on wheels and can be moved into my new 16 X 16 tool room when it is finished. Now when I need a bolt I just go to the cabinet and open the correct drawer.

i bought the hf 13 drawer bottom chest for hardware. large top drawer is for safety equipment (easy to access and big). the left side (the wider drawers) are for machine screws because that is mostly what i use dabbling in metal fabrication. the right side is for wood screws and nails.

now for the part that is going to blow your mind. you better sit down for this. old 1 quart oil jugs. cut them down short enough to fit in the drawers. segregate the hardware by type into the cut off containers. if the the container gets full - split it into two more (example - 1/4-20 bolts in same container 1", 1 1/2", 2". you overfill the container. split 1" into it's own container and put the 1 1/2" and 2" into the other.)

i wouldn't put too much into sorting them. that is the nice part of having them in drawers, a lot of hardware visible by opening one drawer. no need to label each container, so shuffling the containers around later is that much easier. if you need a description because you can't id a 5/8-11x3" bolt on sight, then stick a 2" square index card with the description in the container.

the most important suggestion is to save space by putting similar, seldom used hardware together in the same bin. if you have to dump the bin to find what you are looking for, it isn't all that often you should be dumping it right?

good to see im not the only one going crazy figuring out how to sort them

Ive been through that multiple times as well but that doesnt really talk about how to organize them, more of how to store them, i have that down...

i bought the hf 13 drawer bottom chest for hardware. large top drawer is for safety equipment (easy to access and big). the left side (the wider drawers) are for machine screws because that is mostly what i use dabbling in metal fabrication. the right side is for wood screws and nails.

any pics? sounds interesting..

Note: please dont mistake this thread as how you "store" your hardware as there is a thread for that already as "Call me the Breeze" already posted. This thread is more of how you organize your hardware within your storage.

When you guys are doing a project, and you need a screw, are you usually searching by length or thickness?

JC23

Well-known member

I line mine up alphabetically according to height.

So far tho, it ain't working out so good...

I store them by size & pitch (#6, #8, #10, 1/4-20 (coarse), 1/4-24 (fine), etc.). When I am looking for a bolt or machine screw, I know what size and thread pitch I need, so that is how I store them. I'm not too concerned about what head is on it or what material it is made out of...those things are easy to see, when I look at them. I want to make sure that a container only holds one size and pitch of fastener...but it's OK with me if there are brass, nylon, steel, split, and lock washers all in the same bin, as long as they all fit the same diameter bolt. I don't even mind so much if it is a different type of hardware (i.e. bolts and lag screws), as long as they are the same diameter.

Solid Aluminum Rivets (the number one fastener I use in my metal studio) are sorted by diameter, in 32nds of an inch. So, all the 3's are in one bin, in plastic bags to separate out all the different lengths. All the 4's are in another bin. The correct size of drill bits and clecos are stored in the bin with the rivet size they are used for, for now. That's going to change soon, when I will have tool boards for each rivet size that hold all of the correct tools for that size.

Screws and nails. I don't keep a lot of these, but the ones I have I generally bought new, so I try to keep them stacked on a shelf in their original cardboard box...organized by size (#6 screws together, #8 screws together, etc.)

I store metric and inch fasteners separately, of course. I sort bolts by size (e.g., 1/2" or #10 in metric) and then by length. I keep and sort coarse thread bolts separately. Like Machine Punk, I tend to ignore head configuration also.

I store nuts by size also, but separate them into plain, metal locking, nylocs, etc. Washers I sort by diameter.

I have kept A/N spec nuts and washers in a separate drawer, but may abandon that.

The problem is that over time they get mixed up, so one has to spend an interesting afternoon sorting. That is a time-consuming job and I always wish I were doing something else.

I discovered this threat because I wanted to sort a huge ziploc full of disperse screws and bolts and nuts and nails.... After putting the sheetroc screws and the wood deck screws in my boxes I put all the other ones back in the ziploc... I'd need at least as much containers as there are screws in that bag to sort it. I might get that organizer though.

here are the pictures as requested. the clear trays are from a nut and bolt organizer i had. i got tired of yanking every bin open to find a bolt so i put the trays in the hf box. i yanked the wheels off the box and built it into my workbench (before steevo i might add). you can also see what i mean by cutting the card stock to drop in the bin with the hardware. anywho....

Thanks for the picture Bad idea. I like the use of the oil quart bottoms.

I recently re-organized some of my hardware storage. Here are a couple of pictures:

I know it is a sickness. But it is much easier to find the right fastener when I need it.

i have the same sickness and just bought a ton of storage bins for my box and 1400 piece grade 8 bolt/nut/washer kit I need to organize, i really like the red bins you have, where did you get them? Nice job organizing btw

I recently re-organized some of my hardware storage. Here are a couple of pictures:

I know it is a sickness. But it is much easier to find the right fastener when I need it.

Sadly I have my bolts separated into 2 bins.... small & large. Works for me I guess. Same for nuts, washers, screws, nails or whatever. I do have a separate bin for metric. I just can't see myself sorting out every nut and bolt to it's exact size.

I used to try to keep every imaginable fastener combo handy for just in case type things. I finally learned that, to me at least, having bin upon bin upon bin full of fasteners that will most likely never be used is a total waste of time and space. I can't see wasting 3 or 4 drawers with nuts, bolts, and washers of all different types.

What I keep on hand now is 3 different lengths of #10/24, #10/32, 1/4-20, 1/4-32, 3/8-16, and 1/2-13 with nuts, lock nuts, flat washers, and lock washers for each. The 1/2" stuff I keep G8 also. I have found those few sizes will take care of 99%, and if I need something weird I can get it at a store less than 4 blocks from my house 7 days a week. I will let them use up their space to keep it for me.

I also keep 2 boxes of Torx construction screws in 1 3/4" and 1 1/2". As someone else mentioned I'll likely never hammer another nail in my life thanks to whomever invented nail guns.

About the only exception I have are oddball spares that I know I might need at inopportune times, such as shear bolts for my snowblower, etc.

I got the boxes from Schaller Corp in MA. They have a wide range of injection-molded boxes for Lista, Vidmar and others. They have an eBay store as well, which is where I found them.

I got red this time to match the rest of the garage theme.

At work, we have the luxury of Vidmar cabinets. You don't need something this pricey to use the same system we're using. Plastic bins are cheap, you supply the drawers or shelf.

We basically have assigned a color to each of the common sized screws.

Blue = 4-40

Orange = 6-32

Red = 8-32

Yellow = 10-32

Smallest screws in the top drawer, larger ones follow. Each section usually starts with the smallest length screw, ending with the largest, followed by washers, lockwashers, nuts, and locknuts.

Each bin has a colored dot. The dot is for the size category. It's very easily to visually scan across the drawer to find the next sized screw section. Also VERY easy to return any bins that get pulled from the drawer.

I used to try to keep every imaginable fastener combo handy for just in case type things. I finally learned that, to me at least, having bin upon bin upon bin full of fasteners that will most likely never be used is a total waste of time and space. I can't see wasting 3 or 4 drawers with nuts, bolts, and washers of all different types.

i agree with you on the logic of space vs. need. what I have in my collection is stuff that I use routinely enough to justify keeping a stock of on hand. 1/4-20's and 3/8-16 are two common sizes I use, so I keep a quantity of them on hand. If I need (4) for a project, I try to buy (8) if budget allows so I will have them on hand next time. I do this because it is much cheaper to drive across town to a bonafide hardware store, but it is not convenient.

For example: I needed 1/4" x 2" long lag bolts to fasten a steel shed to a wood floor. Home Depot wanted ~$14 for galvanized low quality. The hardware store wanted ~$9 for stainless. Do I drive to HD around the corner at any hour or do I get to the hardware store before 5pm M-F? Less convenient, but better quality and price.

With that said, I do not buy large stocks of hardware just to have it if I might need it. More or less extra of something that I need for this or that.

At work, we have the luxury of Vidmar cabinets. You don't need something this pricey to use the same system we're using. Plastic bins are cheap, you supply the drawers or shelf.

We basically have assigned a color to each of the common sized screws.

Blue = 4-40

Orange = 6-32

Red = 8-32

Yellow = 10-32

Smallest screws in the top drawer, larger ones follow. Each section usually starts with the smallest length screw, ending with the largest, followed by washers, lockwashers, nuts, and locknuts.

Each bin has a colored dot. The dot is for the size category. It's very easily to visually scan across the drawer to find the next sized screw section. Also VERY easy to return any bins that get pulled from the drawer.

That's what I would like. I only need 1 cabinet with 12 or 13 drawers and I'd be all set.

At work, we have the luxury of Vidmar cabinets. You don't need something this pricey to use the same system we're using. Plastic bins are cheap, you supply the drawers or shelf.

We basically have assigned a color to each of the common sized screws.

Blue = 4-40

Orange = 6-32

Red = 8-32

Yellow = 10-32

Smallest screws in the top drawer, larger ones follow. Each section usually starts with the smallest length screw, ending with the largest, followed by washers, lockwashers, nuts, and locknuts.

Each bin has a colored dot. The dot is for the size category. It's very easily to visually scan across the drawer to find the next sized screw section. Also VERY easy to return any bins that get pulled from the drawer.

I wish it were that simple, I have some of every common size and a bunch of uncommon as well. Basically 4mm up to 1" and it is a pain. I have some sorted, yet it is still a mess. I like the colored dots, but my bins are usually full so you wouldn't be able to see the stickers. Sometimes it gets so frustrating I want to toss everything and start over! Lately I have had less time to organize and more time to make a mess, so it is worse than usual. Keep showing pics and sharing ideas, maybe someday I will find a way to make it all work.

I wish it were that simple, I have some of every common size and a bunch of uncommon as well. Basically 4mm up to 1" and it is a pain. I have some sorted, yet it is still a mess. I like the colored dots, but my bins are usually full so you wouldn't be able to see the stickers. Sometimes it gets so frustrating I want to toss everything and start over! Lately I have had less time to organize and more time to make a mess, so it is worse than usual. Keep showing pics and sharing ideas, maybe someday I will find a way to make it all work.

That was a "small" sample of the cabinets in our shop. Here's a slightly bigger picture...

That's our cabinets being delivered, the full length of the hallway. What you don't see is the shop was already full of cabinets, being assembled and stacked. It came in a 53' tractor trailer, 3 rows wide, stacked floor to ceiling. Took me and a coworker 3 hours to unload the truck, put it in a freight elevator, and haul it all up to the 3rd floor with a pallet jack. Took another several weeks to assemble it all!

So when I say we have a few more pieces of hardware than most anyone here, it's probably a fact. For the most part, it is organized. A mechanical shop, electronics shop, pneumatic section, etc. We also have a couple of store rooms in the building but those lack the nice cabinets, and are far less orgainized.

I bulk order a lot of things. I only fill the bins so much. The overflow stays in the orginal packaging so it can be identified later. It's stored in a large tote, and put in the overhead cabinet IN the related section. When I run low on something, I simply look in the overhead bin to see if I have spares on hand. The key thing here is to NOT overload your bins!

I also have a metric section, SAE, screws, and even a section for kits. Some hardware already comes in nice kits, and makes more sense to keep them in the original packaging. Larger things won't fit in the plastic bins we have, but the Vidmar cabinets have metal dividers than can be configured to accomodate them. So have more draws with dividers for things like Ziploc bags, tie wraps, etc etc. We have a mix of shallow and deep drawers, to accomodate most everything.

I'm far less organized at home. For one, my budget isn't anywhere near my employers... so no Vidmar cabinets in my future. But I know where everything is. Like things are put together in bins (when possible) and labled.

I'm using clear tackle boxes for various fasteners at the moment. Makes it convenient to haul them to the jobsite (garage, attic, outside, shed, Dad's house, my uncle's house, etc).

If Vidmar reads this, and wishes to supply cabinets for my home shop, I'll be glad to show the "make-over".

I built some shelves to store fasteners when I refurbed the garage interior.

Before doors were added picture.

Top row is sheetmetal screws

2nd row 1/4 bolts, each length has it's own bin

3rd row, 5/16"

4th row 3/8"

5th row 1/2"

Bottom rows have some misc auto stuff in them like fuses, grommets and trim screws. There's also a couple of bins with drywall screws (just a few) and some lag bolts.

On the other side, under the workbench, I have some boxes that slide out. One for screws, another nails, another for misc fasteners, like Tapcons/staples and brads. there's another one that has tubes of chalk and the drywall tools. To the left of them is two more, one with j-boxes and another with switches and covers.

Okay, I guess it's my turn to play. I came across this organizer a couple of years ago:

I JUST reorganized the second section from the top about a month ago. The whole section is for SAE bolts. I started the left most side with number sizes (4,6,8,10) bolts, washers and nuts. I didn't bother to sort the bolts/screws as there aren't a whole lot of them. The next column of four is 1/4 inch bolts with the washers and nuts on the bottom row. The third column of four is 5/16, fourth is 3/8, fifth is 7/16, and so on until you get to the last column it is the "larger bolts".

There is a different organizer (think top loading tackle box) that I keep wood screws in. The large storage for screws (and nails) are in the woodworking shop and it looks like this:

The drawers are sub-divided into "screws" and "nails". The different sizes are kept in old oil containers and marked with the box tops taped to the inside of the oil containers. If there are too many to fit in one it overflows to a second oil container.

No matter which of the shops I am in I can walk over to the "fastener" bins and pick up the right ones fairly quickly or even ask my son to find one and be fairly certain that I will be getting the right thing.

If I need some bolts of one size I usually overbuy. Things like nuts and washers I usually buy by the box.

ugh i wish i could afford one of those lista or vidmar cabinets...

i am a hoarder so i can justify keeping all this hardware! the closest hardware store is 10 min away and its such a motivation killer having to run to the store and get a screw. i get out of my zone so its worth keeping them stored

i have a thread detector, but do they make one specific for wood screws?

Thanks so much! I hadn't seen this. Great tool. Grainger had one in stock for $30.00. Time to go through and sort the pitch!