other How do you store your nuts and bolts?

[rapandi]

Hi team!!!

 

This may sound like a trivial question but I need to ask how people on the forum store their nuts and bolts during a resto. I have seen some pics of people storing their CAD or zinc plated stuff in those partioned organisers. I am thinking of getting a few of them however if you store them in a different way that works well for you then please share. I am looking for ideas. Pictures are welcome

 

Come to think of it, cleaning bolts nuts washers, categorising them and storing them actually forms a small chunk of the project. Hence why I want to employ a good system from the word go. 

 

Thanks

 

Raj

[NYNick]

Raj,

I'm new to the process but I'm storing everything either back into or on the part I removed (like the door latches) or in zip lock baggies with a magic marker description on the outside.

 

As I'm stripping the car for paint, it will be MONTHS before it goes back together. I think the bigger problem will be sending everything out for plating. Here I'm planning on doing a detailed descriptive and measured inventory of all the screws and bolts etc, since they'll all be together in one big pile when they go out and come back. That's the only way I can think of to make sure I'll know where they all go when they come back, and will require me going through them all bit by bit to sort them back into the right bags.

 

Of course, I don't really know what I'm doing so.....

[larryt]

im the same as nick! i store my stuff in ziplock bags or take away containers and label the top, i also keep all of them in the same place so i cant mislay anything! 

 

i once mislaid my lower strut bolts and they cost me about $50 to replace 6 bolts... never again!! haha

[69NEWCLASSNH]

I use labeled muffin trays.  - i've seen people glue flat magnets to the bottoms of the trays.. they can be bought cheaply on Amazon

Edited May 17, 2016 by 69NEWCLASSNH

[TobyB]

in cans...

 

t

 

[g_force]

When I did my car, I stored them on the part they came from, where possible.  I also stored the parts in boxes and would store the nuts and bolts that couldn't be put on a part in the most related box.  Occasionally, I'd even drop the nuts/bolts in a ziplock or tape them together with masking tape and make notes on the bag or masking tape.

 

Masking tape and a Sharpie are a shade tree restorer's best friends.  

[arminyack]

In a plastic bin....I tried to tumble them in a rock tumble to clean them, but the media I would break down into a powder, and this said powder would compact itself into the thread of the nuts. Don't be me!

[roadhog0]

Haven't done a resto, but when I do big tear downs (engine, etc) I use a lot of zip locks. If it's a parts car, then it's all in a 5 gallon bucket!

[Healey3000]

When I restored my AH3000, I used baby formula cans as I had a stash saved from when my kids were little.  Fasteners went into Ziploc bags before canning, either by size or by function.  As has been mentioned, the real challenge is when you send out for plating.  I ended up essentially making a spreadsheet of every single item I sent to the plater, where it came from, etc.  It paid off handsomely, but was a ton of work.  I was going for a concours restoration so it was worth it.

[dang]

I used to think, "I'll remember where they go, there's only a few different kind of nuts and bolts anyway".  But since the project always takes longer than I expect I forget stuff.  I use a bunch of different sized small square plastic bins I got from work years ago and use my old business cards to label the contents.  So far I've never mixed the cards up and its worked fairly well.  My biggest problem is having multiple projects going at the same time.  A little A-D-D I guess...

[Teelinger]

This is an interesting question, so I asked my librarian wife how she would go about organizing something like a rebuild. After a – very – long lecture on varying theories of information management and cataloging systems, I was able to take away the following: Categorize > Organize > Store.

 

1.       Before you can think about how to store things, first determine how you need to categorize all the pieces and come up with a catalog system.

2.       Once you decide how to catalog the project, then determine the volume of stuff you need to store starting with the biggest, most basic component within a category first, working your way down to the most complex. Keeping in mind and noting how you either need to keep related things together, or related things separated.

3.       Then, once you have an idea of all the stuff you have to store and the way you’re going to organize/catalog it, you can then decide the type of storage system to commit to buying prior to taking anything apart. Start with shelving first, the number of big containers that fit on a shelf, the number of smaller containers that can fit into the larger ones, etc… think legos here. Things that fit together in a component way will be the most efficient use of space. There are several storage systems you can buy into to make it easy. If you choose to mix and match, make sure you measure your items first so that you maximize your storage capacity based on the things you need to store.

 

This happens to make a lot of sense to me. I’m a graphic designer by trade, but I’m working in technology now as a UX/UI designer. As such, I spend a lot of time breaking things down to the most basic elements in order to create user experiences that logically and smoothly work together in a holistic manner. Based on all that, here’s what I’m going with:

1.       From a cataloging standpoint, we’re lucky that websites have already created these and done all the hard work for us. I’m using Real OEM’s cataloging system and even printing out their diagrams as a labeling system to mark-up and put in with each piece I store. http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/partgrp?id=2583-USA-08-1973-114-BMW-2002tii. That way, I also will know the part number I need for the parts that I store should I need to replace something down the road.

2.       From a storage standpoint, I’ve bought industrial, 4-tier shelving from Amazon and found large 20 gallon Rubbermaid bins that will fit exactly 3 across on each shelf. Then I’ve found smaller Rubbermaid bins that fit 2 up, 3 across in the larger bin. Anything that goes in a bin will be accompanied by the RealOEM diagram with the corresponding parts highlighted and labeled accordingly. Any loose items will be placed in varying sized ziplock bags and labeled accordingly.

 

For example: all lighting will go into a large bin next to other related electronic related large bins on the same shelf. Within the larger lighting bin will be smaller bins for the front headlights. In each headlight bin (left, right) will be the headlight pieces with the screws/nuts on where they’re supposed to go. I will place any screws/nuts that can’t fit on the related piece in a labeled ziplock bag, along with the RealOEM labeled/highlighted printout in the corresponding small bin. This process will be replicated for the rear lights, blinkers, etc.

 

I hope that helps.

 

James

[TobyB]

I still like cans.  They're round.  Come in all sizes.  Some have lids.  You can write on them.

 

t

 

[chargin]

Related: after storage and ready to reassemble, you can run the tired looking hardware through a tumbler to bring them back to a clean "Used" condition. Walloth Nesch also sells complete CAD plated kits for $90.00 full engine.

[JohnH]

2oz tobacco tins;

 

[Bavarian Deuce]

Any small container, metal, jars, plastic and ziplock baggies all marked with a sharpie and then onto storage bins by function and vehicle location and as Teelinger mentioned just as what realoem,bmw fans info, etc categorize theirs. Bodyshops use a similar approach with zip locks or used up paint mixing containers.