I saw a friend's YouTube video about his oddball collection of hardware he uses in his repair business.

 

When I was doing onsite work, I carried a variety of hardware because if I needed something and had to run out for it, it would cost me an hour's time and mess my schedule for the day.

 

Now that I'm shop bound, I moved most of it out of my van.  Today, i was looking for something and finally found it.

 

I do have a box of bolts, nuts and wide variety of other things. I think it’s a carry over from my growing up experiences with my grandfather. He had an old dented and chipped wash basin filled with every type of hardware imaginable 

Bet you finally found it in the last place you looked too?

Last fall, I fully gutted my garage and bought shelf racks from Menards.  Everything is neat and completely hidden.  Can’t find a thing.

I bought a construction storage unit 15+ years ago. Galvanized nails, bolts , screws, etc. About 5 years sho I started throwing most of it away. I realized the hardware store has everything I need..

15 hours ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Bet you finally found it in the last place you looked too?

Yes, because then I quit looking.

T50 staples were behind the stack of door and drawer hardware totes.

So it wasn't your navel you were looking for?!

I have a tool room in the basement.  It was the fuel oil tank room until the gas line was run.  I made shelves and saved glass jars for the see what;s in there benefit.  Only broke a couple over the years and a magnet easily separated the debris. Most of the hardware came from a local surplus store that sold by the pound so I bought what I thought I might use since it was cheap.  The mechanic/weld shop out back has its own setup so there is more.

 

 

 

 

What? No belly-buttons?

Many years ago I realized if you have something and you can't find it, you don't have it. I spent a couple of years sorting and filing hardware. I still have trouble filling things but I atribute it senior memory.

9 hours ago, HandyDan said:

I have a tool room in the basement.  It was the fuel oil tank room until the gas line was run.  I made shelves and saved glass jars for the see what;s in there benefit.  Only broke a couple over the years and a magnet easily separated the debris. Most of the hardware came from a local surplus store that sold by the pound so I bought what I thought I might use since it was cheap.  The mechanic/weld shop out back has its own setup so there is more.

 

 

And I always thought you made what you needed

 

 

 

 

 

Several times I've been offered things like coffee cans full of misc. sized screws, nails, etc.  It's too much trouble to sort all them out (and then find a place for them).

You’re either collecting or not. We all want a lot if stuff in the beginning, but as we run out of space,  we find it’s just junk..

 

1 hour ago, kmealy said:

Several times I've been offered things like coffee cans full of misc. sized screws, nails, etc.  It's too much trouble to sort all them out (and then find a place for them).

When I started sorting my hardware I had 5-5gal buckets of mixed hardware. and several of just bolts, nuts, or nails. It was a long sort.

36 minutes ago, BillyJack said:

You’re either collecting or not. We all want a lot if stuff in the beginning, but as we run out of space,  we find it’s just junk..

 

Yes and as soon as you get rid of it you find a use for it. I haven't reached critical mass yet.

16 minutes ago, frenchwwr said:

Yes and as soon as you get rid of it you find 

out it was that hard-to-find part that you now need. 

I found the hardware store always has a supply. Soon a# I tossed my whole shop around finding what I needed, I could have grabbed it at the hardware store.

 

Ive seen older farms  store stuff as they at the time lived deep in the  woods, but those days are almost gone. 15 minutes to hardtop these days.

 

Personally I’d rather see things built than collected

 

My daughter said with one dumpster, she could clean my shop in one afternoon.Reason she’s not allowed in my shop unless I’m there

Edited January 25, 20251 yr by BillyJack

My collection started way before there were big box stores.

48 minutes ago, BillyJack said:

My daughter said with one dumpster, she could clean my shop in one afternoon.Reason she’s not allowed in my shop unless I’m there

 

My ex used to do that a little.  She mostly didn't throw stuff away, at least not that I could ever prove to my own satisfaction.  She did "clean up" while I was off in AZ several times - putting stuff in buckets and boxes, with no idea what most of it was, usually just filling a bucket with all the stuff that had been left on a bench.  I never thought that was organizing - just moving the piles of stuff out of sight.

 

I tend to hang on to hardware these days.  There are two hardware stores and three home centers around here (maybe 4?) and no where can I find a brass 8-32 acorn nut.  Going to have to order 25 from Amazon!  Maybe I should check and see if that 4th place is still around.  They were the original one in town and might have some.

All I can  say if if you find entertainment in collecting nails/bolts, by all means do it. 
 

What’s it worth when your gone?

 

I know it’s easier to…

 

 

 

 

Edited January 25, 20251 yr by BillyJack