A job I've disliked doing...

[Ultradog MN]

I bought some used tool cabinets at an auction this summer. Then spent a few weeks transfering everything from the hodge-podge of boxes and cabinets I had to the new ones. Lots of false starts and rearrangements - of rearrangements and more rearrangements - to put like with like and get things where I can find them.
Sold off all of my old boxes and cabinets as I went and scrapped or gave away a lot of stuff.
50 years of collected junk to pare down and try to organize.
The last and worst of it has been the hardware. I don't know how I ended up with so much. Maybe I'm just a natural hoarder
or have a magnetic personality that attracts both ferrous and non ferrous things.
But I've determined I'm going to be more of an Organized Hoarder in the future .And to be honest, though each piece is hard to let go of it is rather liberating to be lightening my load.
The last and worst of it was the bolts.
Dump out a 5 gallon bucket, sift through it - one bolt, nut or washer at a time. Keep the best and let the rest go.
It's taken me days just to do the hardware.
I've hated doing it. Three tries to make each type fit in ONE drawer.
I'm glad to be getting close to the end.
And as I write this I'm thinking, if I had read someone else's post about this I would be saying,
"Man, I gotta do that too"...
Jerry

 

[hermit]

I bought some used tool cabinets at an auction this summer. Then spent a few weeks transfering everything from the hodge-podge of boxes and cabinets I had to the new ones. Lots of false starts and rearrangements - of rearrangements and more rearrangements - to put like with like and get things where I can find them.
Sold off all of my old boxes and cabinets as I went and scrapped or gave away a lot of stuff.
50 years of collected junk to pare down and try to organize.
The last and worst of it has been the hardware. I don't know how I ended up with so much. Maybe I'm just a natural hoarder
or have a magnetic personality that attracts both ferrous and non ferrous things.
But I've determined I'm going to be more of an Organized Hoarder in the future .And to be honest, though each piece is hard to let go of it is rather liberating to be lightening my load.
The last and worst of it was the bolts.
Dump out a 5 gallon bucket, sift through it - one bolt, nut or washer at a time. Keep the best and let the rest go.
It's taken me days just to do the hardware.
I've hated doing it. Three tries to make each type fit in ONE drawer.
I'm glad to be getting close to the end.
And as I write this I'm thinking, if I had read someone else's post about this I would be saying,
"Man, I gotta do that too"...
Jerry

I've already been where you are now. The worst part of it for me was the tools. When I moved them to new boxes, I had to figure out where everything was all over again. I am a nut about "everything in it's place", but after a move it takes a while to learn which drawer this or that is in. It will take a while, but you will be glad you did it. I certainly am.

 

[Vito]

Nice work. I did the complete opposite when we moved. Tossed everything or gave it away. It was a time critical thing and with not having anymore tractors ,, most of it was useless to me at this point.

Vito

 

[Rich'sToys]

You're right--I need to do that too!

With tools and stuff, I've noticed that at first you put things where you think they should go, but over time, they eventually gravitate to their own spot and eventually things work out.

 

[Fawteen]

My problem is I have two "shops" each with their own toolboxes.

The "Big Shop" has a big Husky box and top cabinet that holds all my "good" tools and specialty stuff. I've been working out of that box long enough that I can (usually...) go right to the drawer and grab what I want.

When I built the Big Shop (which is 100 yards or so from the house) I also wanted a decent set of tools in the garage which is right next to the house and used to have one bay as my shop. I came across a deal on a Matco box (with tools) that would handily hold everything I wanted to have available in the garage.

The "problem" is that the two boxes have completely different drawer layouts so while I did my best to have the same tools in the same location in both boxes, I wasn't able to get that to 100% so I do spend a fair amount of time opening drawers on the Matco box looking for what I want. What's worse, if I've been working in the garage and go down to the Big Shop, I find myself looking for tools where they'd be in the other box...

 

[Paul from MI]

Did the same thing when I retired, only took me a month. Then I found out mice like closed parts bins to build nests--NUTS!!

 

[Hobo,NC]

I bought some used tool cabinets at an auction this summer. Then spent a few weeks transfering everything from the hodge-podge of boxes and cabinets I had to the new ones. Lots of false starts and rearrangements - of rearrangements and more rearrangements - to put like with like and get things where I can find them.
Sold off all of my old boxes and cabinets as I went and scrapped or gave away a lot of stuff.
50 years of collected junk to pare down and try to organize.
The last and worst of it has been the hardware. I don't know how I ended up with so much. Maybe I'm just a natural hoarder
or have a magnetic personality that attracts both ferrous and non ferrous things.
But I've determined I'm going to be more of an Organized Hoarder in the future .And to be honest, though each piece is hard to let go of it is rather liberating to be lightening my load.
The last and worst of it was the bolts.
Dump out a 5 gallon bucket, sift through it - one bolt, nut or washer at a time. Keep the best and let the rest go.
It's taken me days just to do the hardware.
I've hated doing it. Three tries to make each type fit in ONE drawer.
I'm glad to be getting close to the end.
And as I write this I'm thinking, if I had read someone else's post about this I would be saying,
"Man, I gotta do that too"...
Jerry

I love those cabinets the problem is everyone else does also. I am addicted to HF storage box's when I get a coupon for 10% off I pick some more up. The wire is from a kit to make storage for a small room (college room) that let me make the bottom out of thinner wood and cram more box's in that space.

 

[trackrat]

I put everything in its place and then forget where that is, thats why I have 2or3 of everything and still cant find them

 

[wjytexas]

I inherited my Dad's stuff when he passed in 2002. Growing up during the depression he saved everything. Coffee cans of bent nails, miscellaneous used screws,, cabinet hardware etc. The nails got recycled but I've been digging thru the other stuff all these years. My go to box is the one with ale the automotive nuts and bolts. I have still not had to buy a castle nut. They are in the gold mine.

 

[John P.]

Wow, I'm going through the same deal right now with the hardware sorting.
Our local Ace Hardware is changing vendors and I was able to pick up a lot of their old bins.

 

[jwal10]

Never had a lot of tools, 2 Craftsman sets to 1 1/4", 1 combination and 1 open end. Top box and middle box, no bottom box, set on wood base 2' high. Specialty tools above vice and work bench. After polio relapse at 37, I kept the smaller set from the clean room up to 7/8". Gave the bigger tool box, specialty tools and the old wood bolt bin and bolts to son and went to a 1250 pc metal covered bolt drawer assortment that fits in a rack with O-ring kit and carriage bolt assortment and screw assortment. Takes up little room. I went from 50'x60' farm shop to 16'x24'' garage shop with an 8'x12' lean-to for welder, torch, drill press on one wall and small metal rack on the other. I don't miss the "junk". At this point, at 69, I don't buy green bananas or spares. So easy to buy on-line as I need and use it, delivered the next day....James

 

[da.bees]

I've never been able to top any of you guy's "better ideas" or solutions to perrinial problems but I do belive I have all uf you bested on this one.
In 2020 an investor made an offer I couldn't refuse for house and acreacge I'd lived on 41 years. The contract stipulated I remove everything from property and possession 30 days from closing. I had to trash what I didn't want, pack what I did want, rent space to store it and rent a place to live until I found,bought and took possession of a place to live. I grabbed what I would need daily to temporarily survive then hired day labor to pack and move everything else to storage. I acquired several half barrels, buckets,tots, boxes and instructed them to clear each area into containers as they go. At 80 years old I can hardly manage to keep my new place up , therefore much stuff is still in containers where I must search to find what I didn't place in them. I've bought several things rather than spend half a day digging in barrels.

 

[soupkid]

I bought 3 large nut and bolts bins about a yr ago complete with nuts, flat and lock washers and bolts.
Bolts are from 1/4" to 1/2" in all lengths from 1/2" to 3 1/2 in all sizes.
Nothing was in the correct bin and I had 2x5 gallon pails of nuts and bolts that came with the bins.
Took me almost a week this past summer to sort everything, thank God my wife helped me or I would still be sorting.
You would cry if I posted what a paid for everything.
I figure there is probably 5 grand in nuts and bolts alone.

 

[SweetFeet]

I bought some used tool cabinets at an auction this summer. Then spent a few weeks transfering everything from the hodge-podge of boxes and cabinets I had to the new ones. Lots of false starts and rearrangements - of rearrangements and more rearrangements - to put like with like and get things where I can find them.
Sold off all of my old boxes and cabinets as I went and scrapped or gave away a lot of stuff.
50 years of collected junk to pare down and try to organize.
The last and worst of it has been the hardware. I don't know how I ended up with so much. Maybe I'm just a natural hoarder
or have a magnetic personality that attracts both ferrous and non ferrous things.
But I've determined I'm going to be more of an Organized Hoarder in the future .And to be honest, though each piece is hard to let go of it is rather liberating to be lightening my load.
The last and worst of it was the bolts.
Dump out a 5 gallon bucket, sift through it - one bolt, nut or washer at a time. Keep the best and let the rest go.
It's taken me days just to do the hardware.
I've hated doing it. Three tries to make each type fit in ONE drawer.
I'm glad to be getting close to the end.
And as I write this I'm thinking, if I had read someone else's post about this I would be saying,
"Man, I gotta do that too"...
Jerry

A job well done... literally and figuratively speaking.

Uhhhhm, do ya do kitchens 'n closets?
Attics??? Porches????
Asking for a friend.

 

[Texasmark]

I'm not about to do that because every time I get the bird brain (to me) idea I can't find what used to be right under my nose. When my daughter comes to visit I know its hard for her but I told her I live here and this is how I live. I'm Not a slob by any means but my stuff is out where I can see it and get to it. I told her that I know that her house is spotless and everything is in its place. Well....my stuff is in its place....where I can find it!

 

[greenmech]

Good job! Do you offer organizing off site? Ron MN

 

[Ray,IN]

I finally figured out my bolt can was costing more time N money than going to the ACE hardware store 12 miles away, so I dumped that 5G can in the metal scrap bin..

 

[paul]

Dad was not well organized, and I may be worse. And I’m the third generation here nothing ever cleared out and started over….

A few years ago wife helped me set up and sort out a nice rack with the washers, nuts, and bolts organized.

2 years ago I got some small ambition and built a shelf wall to hold nails and screws and similar fasteners.

Also I had bought some parts bins from a dealer closing auction, and I got them cleaned, painted, and set up. Giving me 60 or so bin spaces for parts.

It is a small dent in a big pile, but it is so much nicer to find some stuff.

I also got a few cabinets from HF, and have some tool storage. I try very hard to force myself to return the tools when done with them. I was never good at this, I really try now. When I need a tool, my wife can sometimes help, because it’s more likely I can say where to look for what I need, instead of ‘wherever I used it last…’

It’s a small few steps, but it’s progress for me. Some anyhow.

Paul

 

[da.bees]

Everyone keeps talking about how they organize nuts, bolts and wrenches . It would be lots easier if we didn't need sae AND metric. I don't need glasses for most things but I have to put them ( or go get them from the house) to see marking on wrenches. One of those bargain buckets full of fasteners wouldn't be worth sorting through if it contained both sae and metric.

 

[Randyscottsboro]

I inherited my Dad's stuff when he passed in 2002. Growing up during the depression he saved everything. Coffee cans of bent nails, miscellaneous used screws,, cabinet hardware etc. The nails got recycled but I've been digging thru the other stuff all these years. My go to box is the one with ale the automotive nuts and bolts. I have still not had to buy a castle nut. They are in the gold mine.

I thought my dad was the only one to save bent nails in coffee cans with used motor oil. LOL