Replies

1. 
   GRW | Oct 15, 2005 02:33am | #1

   BobbyB,

   I use empty clear plastic containers that some of the food products are

   sold in from Costco's.. Peanuts, and lots of Costco products come in this

   clear plastic bottles. The bottle is about 9"high, 6" deep, and 5" wide.

   The bottle has a large mouth and a plastic screw on/off lid.

   I can see through the bottle to see the contents, the lid keeps dust out,

   and they line up well on a shelf. It's good for storing partial cans of paint too.

    

2. 
   ThreePuttJoe | Oct 15, 2005 05:41am | #2

   My grandmother used a great system for organizing screws, nails and other miscellaneous small parts. She had long boards screwed to her low basement ceiling. In neat rows, She would screw the tops of baby food jars, or jelly jars or whatever. The jars were then just simply screwed onto their tops. Organized, out of the way and easily identified. Plus you never lose the caps. I guess you could use this system under shelving, or practically anywhere.

3. 
   forestgirl | Oct 15, 2005 06:05am | #3

   One of the things about storing this kind of stuff is how much space it takes up, especially if you use jars or rigid plastic containers.  Awhile ago, I started using plastic food storage bags for most things, and they live in plastic shoeboxes.  For instance, I have a box that says "brads and finishing nails."  Inside that box are several plastic snack bags and some sandwich-sized bags, each of which has a particular size of brad or nail in it.  Also in the box are several plastic frosting containers that hold larger quantities of the bigger nails.

   Most people probably think this is a silly way to store these things, but what I like about it is that a bag with a dozen nails (or screws) in it doesn't take up the same amount of room as a bag that has 100.  The baggies are easy to open and close.  You can even have one that has the eternal "assortment" -- when you need to look in there, there's no dumping on the countertop.  Just flatten the bag out and take a look-see if what you need might be in there.

   Costco this year has those parts bins like you see in the hardware stores, where the divided tray slides out and tilts down a little bit.  I think they're around $25.  They're full o' parts, most of which I'd not keep, just fill up the bins with woodworking stuff.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
   Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

4. 
   Dave45 | Oct 15, 2005 07:27am | #4

   I use plastic peanut butter jars.  Skippy comes in three sizes so I just buy whatever size jar I'll need next.  Peanut butter IS one of the food groups, isn't it??

   For small parts, I have several of those plastic divided containers.  Works like a charm for me.

5. 
   frenchy | Oct 16, 2005 12:42am | #5

   BobbyB

     Whatever system you select it won't work!   I bought all sorts of bins from a auto parts store that went out of business.  No matter how many times I reorganize evrything there are always some items too big or too small to work efficently.

       This year I happen  to have way too  many brass screws.  The bin for brass screws is over flowing while the bin for straight slot screws is sooooo empty it rattles.. If I stick my overflow of brass screws into the straight slot bin I'm sure that at some critical moment I'll need a brass screw and forget about the straight slot overflow.

      Plus if your bin system is big enough than you need to subdivide it into smaller bins in order to not spend the whole day sorting thru looking for that box of   1 3/8ths # 4's  (only to finally find it and discover that while you need 8 you only have seven causing another trip to the hardware store with more stuff to add to the bin! 

     Visit my house and see what a really dedicated pack rat will aquire and store..

1. 
   BobbyB | Oct 16, 2005 06:16am | #8

   Thanks so much for the advice. The best advice, I think is "whatever you do, it won't work." But I have some ideas now. By the way, I'll have you know that I've taken 7 huge boxes of stuff to the Goodwill and thrown away four trash barrels worth of stuff. I'm running pretty lean. I have no problem throwing away.

6. 
   WillGeorge | Oct 16, 2005 01:34am | #6

   I am organizing and adding to and clearing out my garage shop

   I'll bet ya' do not throw a thing away!

7. 
   EdHarrow | Oct 16, 2005 01:45am | #7

   Our old (and wonderful) neighbor, Herb, sorted his stuff in 1 gallon cans, the likes of which are used for linseed oil, brush cleaner, etc

   He cut the narrow side off, and lay them on their opposite narrow side, and had them placed on shelves, cheek by jowl.  The handles were left on to be, well, handles.  Many of these "bins" were divided with partions which he put in using pop rivets.  He might use one bin for 1/4-20 screws, and the different sections were for different lengths.