Hardware storage unit

[Hemi]

I bet you guys, I have 75 or MORE of those organizers, NOT from Harbor Freight but from a craft store (I'm a model builder) and store a LOT of detail parts in organizers much like these here.... I'd LOVE to be able to "french" mount a case to hold the most common ones, or currently used cases in the end of one of my work benches.... -As I currently have these cases in a 3 drawer plastic cabinet that rolls around on wheels in my small shop, that I'd like to be able to free up the rolling cabinet, and have the cases stored elsewhere or simply place at the end of the bench, and have the main supply of organizers else where and just have out the ones I'm currently using....

Thought about making this from Melamine, and cutting in slots to accept .100" thick plexiglass to hold the organizers, and then "french" in this small cabinet to the end of one of my benches......

[mklotz]

Marv,
I keep several inexpensive heavy duty tweezers next my storage bins and partitioned boxes so I can easily extract a single screw or nut. The tweezers also work well for sorting through the bin or partitioned boxes. The tweezers with rubber tips are especially useful.
Paul

As do I, Paul. Surgical forceps (fancy name for largish tweezers) are at each of my workstations. With my Neanderthalic fingers, they are essential for any manipulation of small parts.

That said, I can't afford the spatial luxury of having only one type of item in each storage compartment. A bin of small springs may contain many sizes and, inevitably, the smaller ones sink to the bottom, necessitating dumping the bin to get to them.

In addition to forceps, stamp tweezers...

https://www.amazon.com/BinaryABC-Sta...stamp+tweezers

with their spadelike tips dipped in liquid insulation to make them slightly sticky are essential small work tools.

A pair of plastic or plastic-tipped tweezers...

https://www.amazon.com/PLASTIC-NON-M...ipped+tweezers

are great for handling coin-style batteries and small parts that have become magnetized, not to mention playing about in electronic what-fors.

[Hemi]

Marv,
I take my forceps, and when I need to soften the gripping jaws of them to not "mar" things I'm picking up, I use a short section of heat shrink tubing on both jaws, and then once done, and the tubing is shot, more and leave to use normally, and then just do it again, when the time arises to need the soft jaws with no marring effect.

[bobs409]

Anyway, you may want to give some thought to how you are going to access and replace the contents of an individual bin.

I use a telescoping magnet tool I have. Won't work on stainless or similar but most things are steel so they are easy to remove quickly.

[Jon]

Does anyone else here have a soft spot for tip out bins? Sometimes you will see them at electronics suppliers, medical facilities, etc. - occasionally in sliding racks. These guys:




Catalog of a large supplier is here: http://www.quantumstorage.com/media/...ry/086-091.pdf

Nice combination of enclosure, viewability, and accessibility. Downside is that they're far too expensive for significant home shop parts storage. There are some online examples of 3D printed bins, but I know there's an issue with transparent filaments turning translucent during the printing process.

[Hemi]

I like those "tilt-out" bins.... I have a few of them, and in one type I have 4 or 5 sections that interlock! NOT all being used as I'm still setting up my work bench in the basement thats going to have them, BUT I have others in where I do model work in-use! SO yeah I have a little soft spot for them! (They work WELL!)

[khohi]

Oh certainly, have to remember the Honey title. Nothing good happens otherwise.
When the Ms. first explored my work table drawers, the first question was "Why so many hammers"?
Later, on hardware trips, pointing out a display, she'd ask "Got one of those"? Yep 2 through 32 ounce, or what ever the particulars were.
Now it's, "There isn't a lime colored one"?
Far as the list goes, I print out a clipboard copy. No one sorts but I. Self appointed master and go-fer. Chauvinistic, yes. Orderly? Of course.
The collection was seeded by friend, worked industrial hardware warehouse. Broken boxes and spills were swept, not sorted. I got four, full 5 gallon buckets. Two with smaller fasteners so dense, the handles would barely lift the bucket. Took months, item by item. Huge variety, not so many of each. Great for fix-it jobs or figuring out thread engagement etc. For specifics there are 3 dusty oldtime True Value around. Love that incredible variety. For quantities I rely on distributors like Fastenmost. Decidedly foremost is https://www.3dprintmanual.com/arduino-3d-printers/ . Soon, time comes to reorganize the building's entire inventory, their print catalog will be the precedence of order.
Any body want a plane ticket and 3-4 weeks housed in historical home?