Fastener organization ideas???

[Kintala]

Nothing cheesy about these. Been using 3 of them for 10 years View attachment 127462

We have been using these for over ten years, six of them actively cruising. They’re the best because they have the removable bins. Makes it much easier to get them out and they don’t creep under the dividers. We have twenty of them in all three of the sizes they offer. The bigger ones store small parts. Then we have one electrical box for connectors, one for sheet metal screws, one for bolts, one for machine screws, one for interior parts like hinges and latches, one for rigging, etc. on our sailboat we built a workshop that had shelves to store them. We don’t have that yet on the trawler, but will soon. They also stack, two of the small ones fit on top of either of the two bigger models. Oh and by the way, a clean dedicated one also makes a great underway snack box for the grandkids. We fill them with trail mix, nuts, raisins, pretzels, ginger candy, etc and then when they get hungry they take one bin out to snack on. It’s great because then a whole container of stuff doesn’t get spilled. Here’s a link to the workshop build.

http://boatstuff2remember.blogspot.com/2013/11/aft-cabin-workshop.html?m=1

 

[skipgundlach]

Something like this?

Red rope lighting on the closing mirror front and the white stuff in front is the workbench...

http://skip.justpickone.org/gallery/Flying Pig Interiors/40D04IMG_7389.JPG

 

[kchace]

Nothing cheesy about these. Been using 3 of them for 10 years View attachment 127462

Ditto. I have 3 of them stuffed with parts. One for screws, one for bolts and nuts, one for large electrical connectors. I also like that the little bins are removable.

 

[Piaro]

I use a few different methods depending on where I am, from the plastic coffee can that has every imaginable sort of connector just tossed in, to the multi compartmented boxes. I am not very trusting of the multi compartment boxes while underway as I've managed to knock quite a few over even while on dry land. Also they can take up more space than they need to when only partially full. But they certainly are handy for keeping track of things as a quick glance at an open box lets you know what items you're running out of.



Anyway, my best compromise system is to keep terminals and connectors in ziplock bags that have sliders, and then store the bags in flat tupperware containers. The relatively short containers are easy to find stuff, just pop the lid off and fish through the baggies to find the one you want and is pretty much spill-proof. You can stack containers, and it's clear enough to see whatever is inside. You can also put things like small nuts and machine screws in their own size bags and then put all the bags of screws for example into a larger bag (gallon freezer bags usually). Then when you need to find a screw in the perfect length just grab the large bag from the container and take it to the work piece. About the only criticism is that sharp things like wood screws and electronic components with stiff lead wires will poke through the plastic bags.


Anyway, that is what has worked best for me.