Folks Of Interest Anybody Else have a Bolt hoard or Bolt hoarding problem?

Back on page 2, I said I have a "wooden box" I keep various fasteners in. There's a story about it. I used to be good friends with an E.R. Physician at one of the hospitals I worked at. For his birthday one year, I gave him a "Chainsaw" I made; it was an old hacksaw that I welded a length of chain to, welded on a spark plug, and attached a spark plug wire. He got a kick out of it, and he returned the favor by building my wooden box; it was made to look like and function like a dumpster you'd find at any business. He was a woodworker for a hobby. About a foot long, 9 inches wide, and 8 inches tall with a bifold door on top. He glued sewing spools cut in half on the ends so the truck could pick it up with, then painted it silver. A miniature dumpster. I used to keep my Pro Bracket 56 Chevrolet, and later my FED, at a self service storage complex. I'd stop almost daily on my way to work to check out my garage sized locker, and the dumpster. People would through all kinds of useful stuff away. That's where the miniature dumpster idea came from. That was around 1976, and I still have it. Dr. Bert DeGroot; he passed away 35 years ago. He'd had an artificial valve put in his heart, over time it developed a fungus infection that a clump broke loose from and logged in his brain. He'd temporarily go blind, "brain blindness", and had to retire from Medicine. He also could no longer drive because of it. But, he still rode his bike every day. He died in a bike-car accident in California while visiting his son. Very sad day for a lot of us. I think of him everytime I open my little dumpster looking for an odd sized bolt or nut. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

When I'm looking for a fastener that's among a bunch of miscellaneous junk, I use a tray like this to return everything back to the bin. It makes the hunt faster.

I like to use see through containers like cheap ziplock food containers, because it helps speed up the hunt. Baggies and spring clips work great for small amounts, so you can hang stuff on a peg board. It also speeds the hunt. It really helps to "bag" stuff as you take it off.

Good topic by the way. It got me in the mood for organizing today, but I got a ways to go. I don't know whether to blame you or thank you.

In answer to your question, yes there are others like you, myself included.

 

Unused hardware is stranded capital. If I buy them and don't use them, I am wasting my money. If I have to work to acquire them, I am wasting my money (in the form of time). If I buy them with my customer's money and don't use them, I am wasting their money. If I am storing them I am wasting my money (in the form of valuable real estate).

If it is good, it goes back in where it came from. If it is not, it goes in the recycle bin. If it is good, and is not going to be used where it came from in a customer's vehicle, I am legally obligated to offer it back to the customer, by state law.

Hoarding hardware might be fine for all y'all who live out in the sticks, and are retired. Not this guy.

 

I collect bolt holes.

 

I collect nothing. I have more of it, every day....

 

I live in a small town with a Fastenal store. It takes me a minimum of 30 minutes to aquire a bolt. I can buy 100 for an average of $20(roughly). I charge more than $50 dollars an hour. If I bought an average of 10 bolts per trip. At a minimum of costing me $25 dollars a trip = $250 for billable time spent getting 100 bolts. So is it cheaper not to have any on hand? I`m busy enough as it is. The less trips I make to the store the better. Just about everything I buy, is 100 at a time. Nuts, bolts, washers, screws, cotter pins, E-clips, wire terminals and the list goes on. Everything I have is well organized and sorted to the 9nth degree. It takes less than 5 minutes to find anything I have. It`s called usable inventory. Some people in town know I`m the go to guy for hardware they can`t find anywhere else. If I don`t have it, I send them with cash to get a hundred and give me what they don`t use. They end up coming back and getting more of what they didn`t take the first time. I have helped out 2 people on the HAMB with clips they couldn`t find anywhere. Why else would they start a thread looking for it. Free of charge of coarse.

 

My hardware vendor delivers.

 

Everyday. 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. That`s when my inventory is available. I`m glad your system works for you. Mine works for me.

 

I was in Lowes and looked at a bolt. One. $6. I like my stash. I dont lose time to stop work, clean up, waste time and gas to go to a store and pay outrageous prices

 

Lowes is 60 miles away. And in a different state.

 

I still need some more in my hardware hoard.


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I could not function without extra hardware,even though I have two hardware stores within 3 miles its nice to have stuff in stock for those late night repairs when the stores are closed.

 

I have a hardware collection that only dates back to about 1970. I recently dumped my Dad's hardware in with mine...he had been collecting since the '50s. Every time I grab something I know is from his junk I realize he is looking from above...happy that I didn't throw anything away!

 

At age 65 I got a few. I also have more than a few old tols to work on old rides using parts from those old bolt buckets.

Yeah... this site is a little church of weirdness where the high priest dictates how and what grown men can talk about. (me shakes head).

Oh, oh, oh! Don't talk about the tools!!! It's a sin!
(me shakes head)

I'll pass on getting neutered to be "one of the guys".

 

I toss loose bolts in a can just for them. If I see one laying around, I scoop it up. Hoarding? Nope, just smart economics. Hardware cost money.

 

I have hardware in drawers beneath my bench. I've been known to buy hardware at estate sales. I've gotten picky, though. I like having stuff on hand and it has made life easier on many occasions.

If I couldn't keep it organized, I wouldn't have it. A 5 gallon bucket would drive me insane.

 

During the 5 or so years since I posted on this thread I have somehow accumulated another 50 or more gallons of hardware that is currently unavailable for use because it's in buckets and cans and taking up valuable shop floor space. The past several weeks the big project in my shop has been derusting, painting and assembling more drawer cabinets to get this stuff put away and usable, seems that every drawer I have is about full. Some are too full to be closed. How does that happen?

It takes a long time to do all that because of all the little jobs that got to the top of the priority list during that time. I'll get some photos and descriptions up in the next day or two, but I wanted to get something on here now so I wouldn't have to hunt for this old thread again.

You guys jump in here too, I'm sure I'm not the only one to run out of bolt storage again.

 

This what I've been using up til now.

 

This is just one corner of my shop. Moved the TV over and added another cabinet.

 

I can’t for the life of me throw out hardware !

Few years ago at work I got bins , boxes and cabinets and sorted everything out.
Metric fine , corse , big , small
Imperial, same thing
Washers
Dowels , pins , etc
Hydraulic fittings
Small brackets and bits etc
Wiring and electrical stuff
And some broken down by brand ( Nissan , Raymond , hyster etc)

we had buckets and bins filled with junk , and that’s what it is if it’s not organized ….. JUNK !

it’s always a bolt or a bracket that stops a unit from going out and the “ spare parts assortment “ has saved my ass more then once !

 

just a small part of my hardware selection.

 

What about the time you waste waiting for a part? What if your hardware vendor is out of what you need-local hardware and parts places have empty bins these days. What about the footprint of Amazon making a special trip to bring you a bag of screws? All of your reasons are good if you are running a business. If you don't live on a commercial delivery route, work on weekends when deliveries are not generally made or stores are not open, live in the country where it's extra time to go to the store and hope they have your part, or just like knowing you re-used something you had on hand that was just right, then we're talking our apples to your oranges.

 

I have always saved and organized my nuts and bolts for my car hobby but hardware for home repairs was always a mess. Now that we have purchased the houses next door as rental properties, I am now organizing that stuff too. Seems strange that it took this long to see that that discipline can apply to other aspects of life.

 

I have the usual assortment of boxes of old bolts, engine bolts and so on but when I do a build I like to have an assortment of new fasteners conveniently on hand when I prototype the build. Temporary fasteners are usually used for this and are available about 30 minutes away for $1.50 a pound. I occasionally take a break and drive out to get lunch and some fasteners.First photo is the standard nuts and bolts and the second the good stainless.

 

ANYBODY ELSE HAVE A BOLT HOARD?

YES

 

I have a couple coffee cans full of random odds and ends- quite a lot of the bolts and screws I inherited from my wife's grandfather's collection in his garage (two coffee cans...) have ended up used on the Pontiac, so it's well worth keeping.
He kept them, they outlived him but still came to good use in the end.
I like to think he'd be happy.

 

Years ago I picked up a couple dozen nuts/bolts washers ect... in old metal Sanka cans off the curb. All old good quality stuff, well oranized too. Along w a table top drill press and some hand tools. It looked like Dad passed or moved and kids just set it to the curb. That stash has bailed me out many times.

 

I too save nuts and bolts, screws, etc. It's a 90 mile round trip to buy new ones although when I'm in the neighborhood I stock up on a bit of grade 8 fasteners. There's never enough of those when I need them. I tend to save a lot of other junk, too.

 

Years ago I garbage picked a very nice fastner bin thing. My job would buy all their fasteners in bulk from the supplier. My boss at the time told me to give him a list of what i wanted,,,,, low and behild my bin was FULL and organized. Alas, I'm retired and my bolt hoard is almost gone, good thing the hardware store is near by. It was a good run while it lasted...Mitch