# Suggestions for storing 1# boxes of nails & screws.



## GregD (Oct 24, 2009)

I'm in the middle of an overdue shop cleaning. One problem area for me is my collection of 1 pound boxes of nails and screws typically used for home/shop improvement type projects. I don't use them very frequently. For now they are stacked in a wooden crate that gets shoved into a back corner. I'm looking for a better solution that is easy to implement. Any suggestions?

I was thinking about getting 2 or 3 ammo cans from an army surplus store. One for nails, another for screws, and maybe a third for specialty stuff (drywall anchors, TapCons, pop rivits, etc.) Does anyone use those? If you do, what size works best?

Thanks for your help.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Maybe a tackle box that works like the Festool organizer ^


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## jacquesr (Jul 3, 2014)

Options… options…

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=43331&cat=1,43326,43330&pb=1#pb

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,43326,68749&p=70828


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## 1yeldud1 (Jan 26, 2010)

I use small zip lock bags aprox 4 inches by 5 inches - I add a 1/2 sheet of index card in each bag to list the table of contents and what wooden box they are stored in. I place these in a series of about 6 wooden boxes labeled a thru f - I then make a "table of contents" that lists everything in every box - so if I need 1 inch drywall screws the table of contents lists them as being in box "c" - this system has worked well for me-if i travel to one of my kids house I can take small bags of items needed and replace as necessary - I hOpe this makes sence.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

I keep mine on the top shelf on one wall in the shop. Still in the boxes in which they were packed. Easy to find, see the size, etc.
Bill


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

I keep the trays in my organizers full and put the boxes up somewhere. So you only have to pull the box out for a refill on occasion.


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## EPJartisan (Nov 4, 2009)

Hi, I use plastic peanut butter containers, so I can see how much I have on hand… and for traveling with more nails I use wet-wipe containers.. both the tall and flat ones. The larger boxes get stored until the other containers need refilling.


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## BasementShop (Nov 3, 2014)

Do you frequent Costco?

I've been using their 'home made' soup containers, their nut containers, and the Crystal Light water flavor containers with great success. I'm upgrading from the sour cream and butter tubs because they aren't clear. The nut containers have handled a large amount of tossing and banging with great success. The Crystal Light containers will give up their lids when squeezed and they don't survive a fall real well. But they are the perfect size for grabber and sheet rock screws when purchased in the 1# size.

I think another tip is to label them with a Sharpie or Magic Marker when storing 1" along side of the 1 1/4" length of the same screw.

The real suggestion here is to use see-through plastic containers.

Good Luck~


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

> The real suggestion here is to use see-through plastic containers.
> 
> Good Luck~
> 
> - BasementShop


+1 I have used clear plastic containers for years. Everything from small bottles to 1/2 gallon sized. I love being able to see what is in them without having to open and look or read labels ;-)


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## tomclark (Feb 16, 2010)

I faced the same question nearly 30 years ago, when I was just building my shop. There were so many small things that needed storage. This wood 24 drawer cabinet was the second shop cabinet I built.

The small little plastic drawers are only good for holding tiny things. The grey metal drawers are much larger, about 4" wide, 3" high, and 18" deep. Cabinets like this come with many drawer dividers, so they are excellent for things too large for the little plastic drawers. Mine holds a vast collection of screws and bolts.









The wood cabinet has 24 drawers riding on inexpensive 3/4 extension drawer slides. They were about $2.50 at the time, and still can be had for around $3 in bulk. The cabinet has been a priceless companion all these years. It is 48" wide, 40" high, and 24 deep. The drawers hold a lot of stuff, including one drawer for drywall screws, and one for nails.


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## ksSlim (Jun 27, 2010)

Clear plastic containers, about the size of 2 shoe boxes.
Bought em at a discount house. 1 for "all purpose screws", 1 for lags and bolts.
Hand full of small flat units divided into 3" squares bout 1.5" deep. can stack several inside the dbl shoe box units.
Smaller units good for smaller hdw. like pocket hole stuff, hinge mount fasteners, etc. Label everything.
Label with length, gauge, and driver type. The dble shoe box totes are stackable.
Make a base with 3" wheels, stack, move out of the way until needed. Must have an assigned parking/storage space. Roughly 12×18" or 1.5 sq feet.
Don't stack over 8 high, it gets tippy. DAMHIK.
Moving dollies can stack 2 stacks side by side.


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## GregD (Oct 24, 2009)

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Hardware that I routinely use on my woodworking projects, jigs, and equipment seem to have found good homes in my cabinets. That stuff I either have in large quantities, like pocket hole screws, or small quantities, like nuts & bolts. The assortment doesn't change much and I often restock these items when they get low.

The stuff I'm struggling with is hardware left over from home improvement projects. And I often want to take it somewhere in the house (e.g., drywall anchors) or yard (galvanized screws) to use it. At the moment my accessible cabinets are full and this stuff is going to get stashed back in a corner. For now I picked up 4 50 cal. ammo cans that were on sale. They are a bit smaller than I would prefer. But they stack nicely and will keep their contents clean and safe no matter where in the garage I pitch them. And when a project comes up, I can grab the cans I need and take them to where I'm working.


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## scottstef (Nov 23, 2014)

i have one of these and love it: http://www.harborfreight.com/mobile-double-sided-floor-rack-95551.html i grab whatever bin i need and take it where ever i need, and hopefully return it when done. when it is not needed, it is up against a wall in the shop.


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## 1yeldud1 (Jan 26, 2010)

That is basically what I do - I store small stashes of screws and nails (say 20 to 30 or so) in the 4 by 5 plastic bags with labels and sizes marked on them. I then store bags these in the wooden boxes till needed. If my son in law needs some 1 inch drywall screws and say some 3 inch ring shank nails - i just pull out a plastic bag of each - If I am going to the farm and I have a project in the barn I just grab all 4 wooden totes - the metal amo cans would work wonderfull in this situation - Hope that helps


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## MT_Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

> Thanks for all the suggestions.
> 
> Hardware that I routinely use on my woodworking projects, jigs, and equipment seem to have found good homes in my cabinets. That stuff I either have in large quantities, like pocket hole screws, or small quantities, like nuts & bolts. The assortment doesn t change much and I often restock these items when they get low.
> 
> ...


Looks like you have a fix in place. I have the same problem with seldom used nails, screws, etc.
The pics below was part of my solution. I built rolling storage drawers that stow away under my tool box and work bench. I think I may have outdone myself creating this storage. 

Then there is this link on You Tube. Pretty simple if y9u have available exposed studs, or you can build your own cabinet. Looks easy enough.

Here is my solution.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Those rolly boxes are a great idea to take back that wasted space.


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

I picked up a stack of those bucket boss organizers at a yard sale. I keep all my nails in those now, in a 5 gallon bucket.









I ripped the labels off the box so I can easily identify them. If I have a handymannish type job I take it with me.


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## Tony1212 (Aug 26, 2013)

Much like EPJartisan, I use peanut butter containers. The small ones will fit 1 lb. boxes of just about anything. I use the bigger peanut butter containers for long deck screws and my tapcon screws because I also keep the correct size masonry bit in the container as well.

They're clear so I can always see how much I have. Then I rip off the side of the box that has the size and type and put that in the container so I can easily grab the ones I want.

The also stack well on a thin shelf and they're great for tossing in a toolbox or onsite work since the lid screws on tight. Then I can pour some screws or nails into the lid so they are easier to grab.

When I re-do the cabinets in my shop, I plan to make a vertical pullout, pantry type thing that will hold all my peanut butter containers in an easily accessible way. Screws on one side, nails on the other.


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## daddywoofdawg (Feb 1, 2014)

I use the plastic coffee cans with the handle on them.I have family save them for me too.There great as a paint bucket too.


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## Notw (Aug 7, 2013)

if you have a lot of the 1# boxes and want to keep them in the boxes then the storage system that April Wilkerson created would solve your problem
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/96486


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## GregD (Oct 24, 2009)

My timing is perfect. As soon as I start to implement a solution someone provides a better suggestion.

First, I went out and bought some ammo boxes. Then MT_Stringer posted his "drawers" on the floor under the tool chest. Great idea. This has the added benefit of keeping stuff from getting kicked under the chest. But I have a much smaller chest from his and need more space than that.

Yesterday I was at Home Depot picking up my new back door. I came home with 4 of these: About the same cost as the ammo boxes (there are similar options for as low as $10 each) and would work much better. The ammo boxes are going back.

I snuck in some shop time last night and moved my nails and screws into 2 of these organizers. Of course the boxes had to go. In some cases I ripped the label off the box and put the relatively few remaining fasteners in a ziploc bag to consolidate several odd sizes into one bin.

So now that many of the boxes are no longer usable, Notw points out April's system. THAT will work well in my shop, which is an unfinished garage, so I can put shelves like those in the stud spaces.

I'll keep some of the organizers for the bits of this hardware collection that I use more frequently, but will offload the less used stuff to shelves like these. I also end up with a few really odd items that I don't want to throw out but have no good place to put them. They usually end up living on my workbench, which is mostly unusable. I'm thinking of making some extra shelves for that stuff, so I can see it, but don't have to work around it.

Thanks for all the suggestions!


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