Thread: Show us your screw storage

I've gone down similar roads to others above, I have a few of the Tactix lidded boxes from bunnings and they serve a purpose but as I'm adding more draw based storage to the shed I've started to move to custom small parts bins for the draws... and not so small in some cases.

I don't claim this as an original idea, it has been done before but the designs for these are all my own.
The system is based on a 25mm grid and the trays lock into the grid

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In the photo above you can see the grid at the top right.

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The bins/trays themselves go from 50x50 to 150x150, 50x200 and most combinations in between. The underlying grid keeps them all from sliding around and fitting them in can be a bit of tetris work

The bins get printed now when the printer is free or for the bigger ones when I need another one

Anyway, that's my current solution.

Oh and any bulk boxes get placed in a cabinet

Cheers
Phil

I have some in boxes on shelvesAA777DD0-3815-4606-A90F-4A4F32314C54.jpeg

Mine is a collection of boxes - the boxes that I bought them in! I have 150 of these now in different sizes now and will get around to sorting it out eventually...

storage boxes.jpg

Like Aussiephil, I ended up printing my own custom boxes. They take a while to print, but in contrast to making them out of MDF or similar, there's virtually no labour involved. I have a parametric design in Fusion 360 set up with some standard sizes, and I can also just plug in a custom size. These are based on Fe$tool's inserts so I can grab a bunch of boxes for a job, and they sit securely in the screws systainer for easy transport. The little tags are great for labels, and they serves as little pick-up handles.

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Some 10+ years ago I followed a recommendation to hang glass jars by their lids underneath a shelf. Sounded good.

So I collected a pile of small jars - spice jars and larger - and glued the lids under a shelf with plumbers silicon. Worked well, initially. Looked good, contents quite visible, but then problems started ....

• try to replace a jar and threads won't start,
• cross thread and break plastic lid,
• bump jar with wood or tool => broken glass,
• jars mysteriously unscrew themselves,
• too busy - don't replace jars,
• etc

But never had a failure with the silicon bog.

When I scrapped the idea, the silicon held on tenaciously.

I inherited a small set of drawers from a mate who worked out of my ‘shop 30 plus years ago and that’s the basis of my fastener storage.
Plus a set of plan drawers but they also house my turning tools, auto body hammers, sweeps and curves and some metal spinning crap. Another set in the house with my daughters design sketches and fabric.
Also scored from neighbour of my mums a chipboard cupboard with a ‘reserved for master’ brass plague on the lid, this has old tobacco tins and jars of slot head screws, wriggle nails and other extinct paraphernalia. Plus a double row of plastic drawers of miscellaneous stuff.
Bit endless really plenty of other stashes spread thru the ‘shop, l know where stuff is but good luck to anyone else finding anything. Must get organised one day.
H.

Hi Phil,

Could you show the actual locking grid (or a drawing of it) which, presumably, "sits on the drawer's bottom please?

Cheers,
Yvan

Originally Posted by yvan

Hi Phil,

Could you show the actual locking grid (or a drawing of it) which, presumably, "sits on the drawer's bottom please?

Cheers,
Yvan

Storage trays for my bench draws - 3D printed system

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

Some 10+ years ago I followed a recommendation to hang glass jars by their lids underneath a shelf. Sounded good.

So I collected a pile of small jars - spice jars and larger - and glued the lids under a shelf with plumbers silicon. Worked well, initially. Looked good, contents quite visible, but then problems started ....

• try to replace a jar and threads won't start,
• cross thread and break plastic lid,
• bump jar with wood or tool => broken glass,
• jars mysteriously unscrew themselves,
• too busy - don't replace jars,
• etc

But never had a failure with the silicon bog.

When I scrapped the idea, the silicon held on tenaciously.

I agree this method is rubbish.

A mate of mine has this system and what you describe above is exactly what happened to him. Said mate foolishly used a few different sizes of jars so unless they were all in place and you remove one, then putting any back became a PITA - as a result he has not put any back and after 10+ years they are all sitting on a bench under the row of rusty/cracked lids. To make matters worse several of the jars broke so he acquired different jars which fit none of the lids.

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

Some 10+ years ago I followed a recommendation to hang glass jars by their lids underneath a shelf. Sounded good.

My grandfather had a variation of this, probably dates back to the 1940's because I have memories of it going back to the late '50's and was always fascinated by it when I was young. When my uncle passed away around 5 years ago I had the opportunity to empty the shed so made sure that I took this.
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Prior to this my grandfather's choice of storage containers was his old tobacco and cigarette tins. I would expect that these go back to the 1930's and maybe earlier. This is a selection of them. Most had written on the sides what was in them because they were stacked one on top of the other in shelves above the bench.
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Originally Posted by Huon pine fan

My grandfather had a variation of this, probably dates back to the 1940's ...

20210813_112850.jpg

...

That is the deluxe version!

Originally Posted by yvan

Hi Phil,

Could you show the actual locking grid (or a drawing of it) which, presumably, "sits on the drawer's bottom please?

Cheers,
Yvan

I'd forgotten about the post that DJ linked (Thanks for that ) to round out with a better picture in some ways...
P8130090.jpg

My small print can only deal with a 100x200mm grid print so all the grids are based on that, they are printed on two different printers though 50x50, 50x75, 50x100 and 50x200 bins shown above, the 500x600 grid is just glued together and they will fit in the draws planned under the bench the photo is taken on

Cheers
Phil

There is no real order to mine but here goes!
Most of these are from KMart $5 each, sturdy



Then this one for screws I think from Bunnings years ago.