Bolt organization. What's your method?

[DewMan]

There are literally thousands of combinations of head type, bolt diameter, grade, thread pitch and lengths when it comes to bolts. 

If you've been using tools for any length of time you end up with an ever expanding assortment of bolts as time passes. 

 There has to a middle ground between an entire wall dedicated to sorted bolts, like you see at the hardware store, and the everything in a coffee can approach.

If you had roughly  50 or so containers to sort all your bolts, both metric and standard, how would you organize them to make finding the one you need easier?  
 

Lets hear how you all organize, or not, your collection. I'm getting ready to re-org my various collections of fasteners and need  ideas on how best to organize bolts with my limited space before I get started. 

I look forward to hearing all the ideas. Even if they're bad ones. 

 

 

[1tondriver]

If I were to do it I would use plastic lure boxes and a label maker. 

Flambeau 4-Pack Zerust Utility Boxes : Cabela's

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Flambeau 4-Pack Zerust Utility Boxes

I have a bunch of these laying around so maybe I should

[DewMan]

2 minutes ago, 1tondriver said:

If I were to do it I would use plastic lure boxes and a label maker.

I have a bunch of these laying around so maybe I should

How well do the dividers work? I've tried some brands of this style and they don't keep the sections from intermixing.

And to my original question, short of a section for each and every combination, how would you organize them to make them easier to sort through when you're looking for a bolt?
 

[1tondriver]

The ones I use work pretty well for fishing weights keeping them separated. Unless they are super small the ones I have would do the trick. I think I got them at Cabelas and they weren’t the cheapest ones there. 
You could do a metric and standard box? There are all kinds of configurations you could do but that would be up to you. It’s one alternative anyway. Let us know what you end up doing

[DewMan]

2 minutes ago, 1tondriver said:

The ones I use work pretty well for fishing weights keeping them separated. Unless they are super small the ones I have would do the trick. I think I got them at Cabelas and they weren’t the cheapest ones there. 
You could do a metric and standard box? There are all kinds of configurations you could do but that would be up to you. It’s one alternative anyway. Let us know what you end up doing

Thanks. I will. 

One box for metric would hardly allow much organization of all  different variations of bolts. I'd be about as well off using  1 coffee can for metric and one for standard. I"m more concerned with how best to sort them within whatever storage solution short of having each variation of bolt in it's own container/section. 

Say I wanted to sort all the M6 bolts I have into maybe 4 sections/containers. How would I best organize them within the limited containers? Sort them by length? head type? grade? I'm thinking by length would be the primary criteria. So I'd sort the vary lengths into short/medium/long/xlong. Or would you put all the button heads in one, the cap heads in another and pan heads in the third etc. regardless of length?

[1tondriver]

Tough call on that one... You can get fairly large divided boxes. Those onesies and doubles of various configurations will be most difficult and be a “waste” of space. 
I don’t think there is a perfect solution aside from opening a hardware store

[DewMan]

Just now, 1tondriver said:

Tough call on that one... You can get fairly large divided boxes. Those onesies and doubles of various configurations will be most difficult and be a “waste” of space. 
I don’t think there is a perfect solution aside from opening a hardware store

That's exactly why I started this thread to see how others have handled the issue. 

[wollerms]

I started to organize mine by using old 10 oz. glass relish jars that have a metal lid. You screw the metal lid to the bottom of a wood shelf w/two screws (prevents it from spinning), then you fill and label glass jar and screw it to the lid. I used painters tape to label. I have found these work for numerous like items but I still have a large collection of loose nuts/bolts/washers etc…….

[DewMan]

1 minute ago, wollerms said:

I started to organize mine by using old 10 oz. glass relish jars that have a metal lid. You screw the metal lid to the bottom of a wood shelf w/two screws (prevents it from spinning), then you fill and label glass jar and screw it to the lid. I used painters tape to label. I have found these work for numerous like items but I still have a large collection of loose nuts/bolts/washers etc…….

So how do you decide what goes in each jar?

[1tondriver]

10 minutes ago, DewMan said:

So how do you decide what goes in each jar?

I think I would go by size and mix the various lengths together. I am assuming these are just left over odds and ends? Not stocking up on spares? I would put all the M6’s, M8’s and so on together. 
 

 

 

 

[DewMan]

1 minute ago, 1tondriver said:

I think I would go by size and mix the various lengths together. I am assuming these are just left over odds and ends? Not stocking up on spares? I would put all the M6’s, M8’s and so on together. 

mostly odds & ends... some are leftovers from tear downs or bought too many for a specific use type collection.

[1tondriver]

 

Harbor Freight option as well for $15 

[DewMan]

2 minutes ago, 1tondriver said:

 

Harbor Freight option as well for $15 

Yeah  have four of those style of organizer already and I really don't like them. they're hard to keep organized at least by me.  

But even if using them I was just looking for insight on how to best organize them within something like this or any other container. 

[shinyribs]

11 minutes ago, 1tondriver said:

 

Harbor Freight option as well for $15 

This is what I have. 

Each drawer holds one length bolt. Starting at 5mm and going up in 5mm increments.

3 rows of 6mm and a 3 rows of 8mm. 90% of everything is 6mm anyway. 

1 row of 10mm bits and pieces and a few banjo bolts.

Bottom row holds jets/ various carbs parts and rndom 4mm and 5mm stuff (switchgear).

Big drawer across the bottom holds various panel fasteners and random tidbits like specialty washers and extra long bolts. The drawers are deep enough to hold about a 65mm long bolt. 

I planned to get three of them. One for 6mm, one for 8mm and another for various stuff, but I haven't filled up the one I have now. 

However, I also taught myself how to strip and replate the zinc, so when I'm fixing up a bike I will just restore the bolt vs replacing it. 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2020 by shinyribs

[shinyribs]

5 minutes ago, DewMan said:

Yeah  have four of those style of organizer already and I really don't like them.

I'll take 'em 

[DewMan]

Just now, shinyribs said:

I'll take 'em 

I'd give them to you but they're at least 20 yrs old and made of brittle plastic and they're difficult to open and close. You wouldn't want them.
 

I'll hit up HF tomorrow and see if theirs work any better than the ones I have.  

I appreciated your thoughts on how you organized them. I want to figure out my layout method before I start sorting.

[shinyribs]

I was just messing with you haha. 

The HF ones are fine, but definitely nothing fancy. I just can't stand having clutter around the shop and will throw out a lot of old fasteners that are too far gone. But on Japanese bikes, there are so many head types and random lengths that I ended up realizing that hoarding bolts doesn't pan out unless you only work on one particular model of bike. 

[DewMan]

1 minute ago, shinyribs said:

The HF ones are fine, but definitely nothing fancy. I just can't stand having clutter around the shop and will throw out a lot of old fasteners that are too far gone. But on Japanese bikes, there are so many head types and random lengths that I ended up realizing that hoarding bolts doesn't pan out unless you only work on one particular model of bike. 

Yeah the clutter just makes me not want to go out in the shop so nothing's getting done. 

I have lots of other types of fasteners besides just motorcycle  parts I need to organize as well and would probably be able to fill up 4 of the HF ones without trying too hard.

I have electrical, Coaxial, wire termination and computer small parts to organize as well. 

I also have electronics to sort like resistors capaciters etc that also come in way too many variations which add to the organizational challenge.

I've got a 50ft retractable Goodyear air hose and  retractable 12g 65ft extension cord I'm hoping to get ceiling mounted this week also. Tired of tripping over cords and air lines.

Do you know if the HF organizers are designed to be pegboard mounted?

[fzar]

I'm finding this really useful, as I have stuff all over the place, which really isn't like me usually. I tend to put things in the cabinets the previous owner installed, the problem there is that once I close the door it all seems fine until I have to find something. I usually run into a problem as everyone knows...... just when I need something, I know I have it, but can't find it. sometimes though I'll take a look in there and my memory joggles and I'm like ohh yeah I remember where that came from. I really need to get a tool chest and build a fold out bench with a swivel hinged vice as space is at a premium. I hope more people chime in with their solutions and ideas.

[DewMan]

58 minutes ago, fzar said:

'm finding this really useful, as I have stuff all over the place, which really isn't like me usually. I tend to put things in the cabinets the previous owner installed, the problem there is that once I close the door it all seems fine until I have to find something. I usually run into a problem as everyone knows...... just when I need something, I know I have it, but can't find it. sometimes though I'll take a look in there and my memory joggles and I'm like ohh yeah I remember where that c

Yep, I think we all have this problem to some degree. Some of us more than others. 

A few years back I got a large 6ft tall tool chest to finally get all my mechanics tools in one place It's helped a lot being able to store them all in one place. My biggest problem right now is " I know I bought it/that/them but where in the F did I put it!?". 

For the million and one little doodads & hardware I was just looking at these $2.00 4" modular interlocking cubes with tilt out access from Harbor Freight:

4 in. Stacking Tilt Bin

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4 in. Stacking Tilt Bin

With no review score of less than 4 stars out of 50+ reviews, I can think of many uses for them with nuts & bolts organization just one of them. It won't solve all my organization issues but it's somewhere to start that won't break the bank.

[fzar]

 I've lost my car keys 1 time since I bought it 8 years ago, I always have a spare on my carabiner attached to my jeans. My in-laws were in town so I had a lot a s**t to move around the garage and up to the attic. I searched the yard, everywhere. First thing that came to mind as its a singular key is that I know exactly when I'll find it. When I mow the grass and it shatters into smithereens. Then 3 days later after all had settled down and I got comfortable with the idea I lost the key, I had to do a chain lube and slack adjustment, YIP low and behold I had put the key in the tool/parts cabinet. There it was laughing at me, like right in my line of sight. I realised when I had been building a new bed frame to host the in-laws and managed to put the key in there with a couple of allen keys. Total face-palm moment. I need to get one of these:https://www.harborfreight.com/44-in-x-22-in-double-bank-blue-roller-cabinet-64446.html

[DewMan]

15 minutes ago, fzar said:

 I've lost my car keys 1 time since I bought it 8 years ago, I always have a spare on my carabiner attached to my jeans. My in-laws were in town so I had a lot a s**t to move around the garage and up to the attic. I searched the yard, everywhere. First thing that came to mind as its a singular key is that I know exactly when I'll find it. When I mow the grass and it shatters into smithereens. Then 3 days later after all had settled down and I got comfortable with the idea I lost the key, I had to do a chain lube and slack adjustment, YIP low and behold I had put the key in the tool/parts cabinet. There it was laughing at me, like right in my line of sight. I realised when I had been building a new bed frame to host the in-laws and managed to put the key in there with a couple of allen keys. Total face-palm moment. I need to get one of these:https://www.harborfreight.com/44-in-x-22-in-double-bank-blue-roller-cabinet-64446.html

Been there.. Done that or something similar many times. 

 

Always get a toolbox twice as big as you think you need because if you don't need it now.... you will sooner than you think. 

 

[pgeldz]

Sort by mm.  4mm, 5mm, 6mm, and so on...

That's how I do it.

 

[mossrider]

I'm old school, 

Size vertically, length horizontally 

[bugeyes]

I have one box for stainless and another for the rest