Asking for Advice: Hardware Organization.

"benjrblant" (benjblant) 12/31/2018 at 14:41 • Filed to: ask oppo, Organizing

1

13

Greetings Oppo! I’m looking to organize my various containers, bags, tins, etc of hardware. I’ve got a few wants and needs, so I’d like to ask for opinions.

This is mainly to keep track of my household, metric, and SAE hardware. I’m spending a ton of time digging through things, buying duplicates because I can’t remember if I’ve got it or not, etc.

Needs:

Must be expandable. Whether this means a scaleable system or buying another unit. This also means a product that will hopefully still be around in 5-10 years.

Wants:

Something metal? I just feel like it holds up better over time.

Budget:

It’s for personal use, so somewhat limited, but flexible for the right solution. I’d like to keep it under $200.

Some Considerations

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

Looks super cool, not exactly scale-able, likely no longer in production, but would be cool for a ceiling mount.

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

Nice metal boxes, but fixed plastic inserts that cannot be adjusted. Already comes with hardware, so that doesn’t really solve my need to create more space, unless I recycle the stuff I won’t be using but this seems really wasteful.

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

These are quite affordable, but the polystyrene doesn’t age well. They don’t lock together well, aren’t exactly portable, and if you knock one over, well, that sucks.

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

These are amazingly adjustable, re-configurable, and bins are pretty standardized with many !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , including dividers and clear plastic lids. Cons are that Uline shipping is amazingly expensive, sometimes more than the cost of the product. At least they give you some !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! with your massive purchases.

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

This is my favorite option at this point. Each compartment box can be bought separately for !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , come in various sizes and compartment divisions, and storage racks with ball bearing slides can be purchased in various sizes for !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Durham has a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! on their website but they must be purchased from a vendor. At least Zoro has free shipping on orders over $50.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

So what say ye? Am I overlooking or overthinking this? What else should I consider?

Thanks oppo!

Sovande > benjrblant 12/31/2018 at 14:50

2

I have the Durham box. I got it used when it was pulled out of my father's work (he's a carpenter). It is nice and holds a ton, but it is kind of a pain I the ass since you have to slide the drawer all the way out to open the lid. Minor gripe, but it bothers me. 

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > benjrblant 12/31/2018 at 14:50

1

The achilles heel of a number of these is that the basic unit of size doesn’t work for larger items and is simply too much for small ones. We’ve got a setup similar to the Uline boxes for inch and metric bolts at my dad’s shop, and it fails on that account *and* on visibility. Too hard to check current quantities and otherwise keep stuff on hand when it’s up on the wall . The Durham setup is nice and similar to what you’d see in a hardware store, but not so good for bulk objects. Plastic drawers of the Akro Mills style are what I have a bunch of #10, #8 and other screws in at the shop, but it’s honestly made of fail. Olympia kit is a bit much.

Offhand, I’d see Durham for small stuff, and open bulk bays like the old-school rotary if you can swing it.

benjrblant > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 12/31/2018 at 14:55

0

I think this is a good strategy. I think everything I’m looking to organize right now will fit in some form of those Durham boxes with adjustable length/width compartments. Or pull the plastic insert and have one single compartment.

Thanks!

MM54 > benjrblant 12/31/2018 at 15:52

2

I built something similar to the last option into a shelf I put up on the wall of the garage, the bins pull out and can be taken over to the workbench or whatever to get the parts out that you need.

(in case Kinja eats the picture:

https://oppositelock.kinja.com/hardware-storage-1828480093 )

Brickman > benjrblant 12/31/2018 at 18:14

0

I use these for my nuts and bolts. Drawers are big and can hold some 4 inch bolts too. Nice and sturdy. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TV3NL0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Clown Shoe Pilot > benjrblant 12/31/2018 at 23:47

1

I like the U- line bins (or the Akro M ils product they’re a copy of) because of the different sizes available. I prefer the wall mounted rack.

random001 > benjrblant 01/03/2019 at 08:40

1

Also check your local CL or FB market for the durham stuff.

Urambo Tauro > benjrblant 01/03/2019 at 08:50

1

Of the options listed, I too like the Durham boxes best of all. It’s important to have adjustable dividers, and I think you’re definitely going to want something more portable than that (admittedly neato) rotary bin. My only complaint against the Durham is that it’s a lot more than I’d want to spend. Something like MM54’s setup would be more my style. Plastic should be just fine, as long as it doesn’t get dropped. Only thing I’d be worried about is future expandability. You can always get more boxe s and make cabinetry to fit, but it would bother me if the exact boxe s I started out with were no longer available, and I’d end up with a mismatched set. Durham is more likely to stick with the same old design .

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > benjrblant 01/03/2019 at 09:03

1

I like the U line. That's kind of one of my dreams in my garage. 

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > benjrblant 01/03/2019 at 11:22

1

I have the bins in my garage and... well I have mixed feelings. They’re nice as you can cram pretty much anything into them and they’re super cheap. The downside is whatever you put in them is exposed to garage debris, so you’ll end up with sawdust and spiders in them. Eager to see what you end up with. Organization is really frustrating as it is all stupid expensive. Have you considered like... Ikea tupperware and some shelving ?

benjrblant > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 01/03/2019 at 11:30

1

I’ve considered cheap routes, but i’m always frustrated with them. presently i’ve got a cardboard box of plastic zip bags, various hardware cases, etc, and i can’t keep track of things.

benjrblant > Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! 01/03/2019 at 11:32

0

I’ve used them at other jobs for sorting things. they’re great for clean environments, sucky for dusty and dirty areas because they collect dust. 

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > benjrblant 01/03/2019 at 14:20

0

That’s true. That’s why you gotta keep them full of junk! I  mean useful things!!!