I'm trying to get the shop cleaned up and reorganized. I've got more loose hardware than I know what to do with. It got me to wondering, do any of you guys have an organized inventory of hardware that you keep stocked in your shop or are you like me, with leftovers from a hundred projects, and no real idea what you have. Really two questions here:
1) How do you store your hardware?
2) If you have a specific inventory of hardware you keep on hand and replenish when it's low, what is it?
Just to clarify I'm talking screws, nails, hinges etc. stuff you use for projects.
Misc. Hardware in the shop.
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reddog5362
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- Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:39 am
- Location: Fredericksburg, VA
I try to keep some hardware on hand. I hate having to go to the hardware store for a nut or bolt in the middle of a project. As it turns out I still have to go the hardware store a lot....
It is also cheaper to buy in bulk sometimes. When I needed some kreg blue screws this past summer I got 1000 size box. I figured that should be a couple year supply unless I really get busy. Things like 1/4"-20 bolts are another thing I use pretty often but 100 is enough at a time. Then comes lengths, I know what sizes I use the most of and stock more of those then the ones I don't use often.
Then like you mentioned there are left over bits and pieces and I save them all. If I think back at all the stuff I've taken apart and saved the bits from and thrown them in drawers and cans...... but every once in a while I need one special screw or washer I dump out the can and find that oddity. Going to a hardware store is useless at these time. I'm a pack-rat at heart so for me this is just how it is.
For storage I mush have around 100 large coffee cans, lots of peanut butter jars, and similar containers. I have plastic partitioned trays with covers, plastic trays that slide in cabinets, stuff still in boxes....
This past year I have been working on a new way of doing some of my storage. I've been buying bins like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EH ... UTF8&psc=1
I have started to organize some of my larger collections of frequently used items this way. So far I'm like this version better then a couple of other companies versions. I also like the pull out bins that you can take with you to where you are working. In the next year I plan to add more of these ending up with say 20 of them and building a roll-a-round shelf stacked up with shelves of the containers. At this point I must have 7 or 8 of them so I still have a ways to go.
I'm on the heavy side of this storage situation, you might not want to come to far in this direction as it takes up a lot of space.
Ed
It is also cheaper to buy in bulk sometimes. When I needed some kreg blue screws this past summer I got 1000 size box. I figured that should be a couple year supply unless I really get busy. Things like 1/4"-20 bolts are another thing I use pretty often but 100 is enough at a time. Then comes lengths, I know what sizes I use the most of and stock more of those then the ones I don't use often.
Then like you mentioned there are left over bits and pieces and I save them all. If I think back at all the stuff I've taken apart and saved the bits from and thrown them in drawers and cans...... but every once in a while I need one special screw or washer I dump out the can and find that oddity. Going to a hardware store is useless at these time. I'm a pack-rat at heart so for me this is just how it is.
For storage I mush have around 100 large coffee cans, lots of peanut butter jars, and similar containers. I have plastic partitioned trays with covers, plastic trays that slide in cabinets, stuff still in boxes....
This past year I have been working on a new way of doing some of my storage. I've been buying bins like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EH ... UTF8&psc=1
I have started to organize some of my larger collections of frequently used items this way. So far I'm like this version better then a couple of other companies versions. I also like the pull out bins that you can take with you to where you are working. In the next year I plan to add more of these ending up with say 20 of them and building a roll-a-round shelf stacked up with shelves of the containers. At this point I must have 7 or 8 of them so I still have a ways to go.
I'm on the heavy side of this storage situation, you might not want to come to far in this direction as it takes up a lot of space.
Ed