I completed the "platform" I was working on to replace the water-damaged
Ikea "plinths" that hold up some cubbyhole bookshelves in our family
room. Looks nice, almost like a built-in. Almost. Maybe when I make a
top to join them altogether ...
I carried the "plinths" into the garage to dispose of them. Each is an
open rectangle made of four strips of veneered particle board. Each
corner was fastened with one of those knock-down fastener gizmos,
similar to the one shown here:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10517&site=ROCKLER
I kept the fasteners, of course, even though the "cam" part doesn't come
out of the hole very easily. Luckily the particle board was easy to snap
with a mallet, breaking just at the weak point - where the cams were.
I managed to harvest 13 or 14 sets, throwing out a couple that had
corroded from the water exposure. I'm not sure what I'll ever use them
for, but I can't bring myself to throw out stuff like that.
Depression-era parents may be to blame. The fasteners are now neatly
nestled amongst a number of other items I've accumulated over the years.
I have some small gauge nails with over-wide flat heads, in three
different finishes: copper, galvanized and bluish-black. They came with
the house, the former owners of which were apparently unaware of the
invention of the screw. I have yet to find a screw anywhere in the house.
The copper ones are presumably for flashing, and the galvanized for some
other roofing need. The others might be plasterboard nails; I'm not
sure. (We have walls that are pre-sheetrock and post-lath; consisting of
sheetrock-ish panels with a grid of holes to help support the the coarse
plaster layer) It would come as a great surprise if I ever have a need
for any of those nails, but I've got them, just in case. I have smaller
nails in similarly exotic materials as well.
Other house-bonus items include some very thin "pin" style nails with
tiny rounded heads. These are less fasteners than they are a test of
skill. It would require a better man than me to drive one into anything
tougher than styrofoam.
I've also got every extra wall anchor and proprietary screw that ever
came in a plastic bag with some bought item. There are a staggering
number of slight permutations on screws of basically the same gauge and
length. It's as if each manufacturer commissions a screw design for each
product. It outs me in mind of the tupperware/glad/ziplok/generic food
containers we have; seemingly identical containers all have slightly
different threads designed to prevent any other lid from mating.
In addition, I've got the leftovers from every fastener I needed a few
of and decided it would be a shame not to buy the box. Same goes for
other small items that that come in bags. EMT connectors, copper pipe
fittings, etc.
My Dad had glass jars. Jars and jars and jars of every fastener that
ever crossed his path. I believe they are still in my parents' garage.
Steel-cut nails, corrugated fasteners, mismatched machine screws and
bolts, you name it. In the main they weren't terribly well organized
though, so I'm ahead on that score.
On Thu, 08 Nov 2012 18:38:08 -0500, tiredofspam <nospam.nospam.com>
wrote:
>On 11/8/2012 9:45 AM, Greg Guarino wrote:
>> On 11/7/2012 8:33 PM, Larry W wrote:
>>> In article <[email protected]>,
>>> tiredofspam <nospam.nospam.com> wrote:
>>> <<...snipped...>>
>>>> That's me too. I strip it all for parts.
>>>> I stopped using buckets for screws and stuff. I bought a whole bunch of
>>>> HF plastic divider boxes. I can find what I need in a minute now.
>>>> Excessive excess is thrown in appropriate recycle bins.
>>>> The large ones I will be building a rack for sometime soon.
>>>> The small ones go in my old library card catalog to keep small things
>>>> nicely separated.
>>>>
>>>> http://www.harborfreight.com/24-divider-storage-container-94458.html
>>>> http://www.harborfreight.com/18-divider-storage-container-94456.html
>>>
>>> These are handy too if you have some wall space. Or mount 2 of on
>>> opposite sides of a piece of plywood, with a handle on top and some
>>> feet at the bottom to keep it upright. I have a couple set up like that
>>> and a few on the walls here and there too. On sale sometimes for $5.00
>>> or so.
>>>
>>> http://www.harborfreight.com/20-piece-poly-bins-and-rails-41949.html
>>>
>>> Though I must admit the several dozen baby food jars filled with hardware
>>> do generate a certain amount of pleasurable nostalgia...
>>>
>>>
>> So, does anyone here still have jar lids affixed to the *bottom* of a
>> shelf? That was a popular system among the handier Dads in the
>> neighborhood when I was a lad. Screw the lids into the bottom of a
>> shelf, fill the jars with finish nails, knobs, drill bits etc., turn the
>> jars into the mounted lids. And voila! A veritable museum of
>> glass-enclosed hardware specimens. No need to even label them, and you
>> can't lose the lids.
>>
>> Of course, glass has its drawbacks in a shop. When you smashed a jar on
>> the floor, you'd use the big magnet your Dad kept for just that purpose
>> to separate the hardware from the shards of glass. In fact, my Dad would
>> have me run the magnet through the pile of sawdust after he swept up, as
>> not to lose any precious hardware.
>My dad not only had that, but he made a carousel of sorts.
>
>Took a 4x4 and mounted baby jars all along the lenght on 4 sides
>the ends had a shaft that fit into holes drilled in 2x4's that hung from
>the joists above.
Few years back HF had these on sale for 24.95. I got 3 of them and
made some wall rackts to mount them and they have worked well for a
lot of parts, fasteners, pen blanks, tool accesories ect.
>http://www.harborfreight.com/parts-rack-with-removable-bins-95496.html
Mike M
On Nov 7, 2:25=A0pm, Greg Guarino <[email protected]> wrote:
> I completed the "platform" I was working on to replace the water-damaged
> Ikea "plinths" that hold up some cubbyhole bookshelves in our family
> room. Looks nice, almost like a built-in. Almost. Maybe when I make a
> top to join them altogether ...
>
> I carried the "plinths" into the garage to dispose of them. Each is an
> open rectangle made of four strips of veneered particle board. Each
> corner was fastened with one of those knock-down fastener gizmos,
> similar to the one shown here:
>
> http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=3D10517&site=3DROCKLER
Hopefully, they're not pot metal. Slight surface rust is a
GOOD thing in this case.
On Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:25:08 -0500, Greg Guarino <[email protected]>
wrote:
>I completed the "platform" I was working on to replace the water-damaged
>Ikea "plinths" that hold up some cubbyhole bookshelves in our family
>room. Looks nice, almost like a built-in. Almost. Maybe when I make a
>top to join them altogether ...
>
>I carried the "plinths" into the garage to dispose of them. Each is an
>open rectangle made of four strips of veneered particle board. Each
>corner was fastened with one of those knock-down fastener gizmos,
>similar to the one shown here:
>
>http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10517&site=ROCKLER
>
>I kept the fasteners, of course, even though the "cam" part doesn't come
>out of the hole very easily. Luckily the particle board was easy to snap
>with a mallet, breaking just at the weak point - where the cams were.
>
>I managed to harvest 13 or 14 sets, throwing out a couple that had
>corroded from the water exposure. I'm not sure what I'll ever use them
>for, but I can't bring myself to throw out stuff like that.
>Depression-era parents may be to blame. The fasteners are now neatly
>nestled amongst a number of other items I've accumulated over the years.
>
>I have some small gauge nails with over-wide flat heads, in three
>different finishes: copper, galvanized and bluish-black. They came with
>the house, the former owners of which were apparently unaware of the
>invention of the screw. I have yet to find a screw anywhere in the house.
>
>The copper ones are presumably for flashing, and the galvanized for some
>other roofing need. The others might be plasterboard nails; I'm not
>sure. (We have walls that are pre-sheetrock and post-lath; consisting of
>sheetrock-ish panels with a grid of holes to help support the the coarse
>plaster layer) It would come as a great surprise if I ever have a need
>for any of those nails, but I've got them, just in case. I have smaller
>nails in similarly exotic materials as well.
>
>Other house-bonus items include some very thin "pin" style nails with
>tiny rounded heads. These are less fasteners than they are a test of
>skill. It would require a better man than me to drive one into anything
>tougher than styrofoam.
>
>I've also got every extra wall anchor and proprietary screw that ever
>came in a plastic bag with some bought item. There are a staggering
>number of slight permutations on screws of basically the same gauge and
>length. It's as if each manufacturer commissions a screw design for each
>product. It outs me in mind of the tupperware/glad/ziplok/generic food
>containers we have; seemingly identical containers all have slightly
>different threads designed to prevent any other lid from mating.
>
>In addition, I've got the leftovers from every fastener I needed a few
>of and decided it would be a shame not to buy the box. Same goes for
>other small items that that come in bags. EMT connectors, copper pipe
>fittings, etc.
>
>My Dad had glass jars. Jars and jars and jars of every fastener that
>ever crossed his path. I believe they are still in my parents' garage.
>Steel-cut nails, corrugated fasteners, mismatched machine screws and
>bolts, you name it. In the main they weren't terribly well organized
>though, so I'm ahead on that score.
Your not alone, wait till you get to where you know you have something
but can't find it and end up buying more so you will find it. When I
got her my electrical construction truck was ready to be retired so
they gave it to me and never unloaded it. I still have thousands of
feet of wire, about 300' pipe, down to only 40' of strut. There is a
4 drawer 4' deep weather guard box fool of 1/2- 1" fittings. Boxes of
caddy clips ect. Truck still runs great. Also have 1/2" thru 1 1/4"
emt benders, several rigid hickeys. I just can't seem to part with
anything I might need.
Mike M
On Wed, 07 Nov 2012 12:32:56 -0800, Mike M
<[email protected]> wrote:
>On Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:25:08 -0500, Greg Guarino <[email protected]>
>wrote:
>
>>I completed the "platform" I was working on to replace the water-damaged
>>Ikea "plinths" that hold up some cubbyhole bookshelves in our family
>>room. Looks nice, almost like a built-in. Almost. Maybe when I make a
>>top to join them altogether ...
>>
>>I carried the "plinths" into the garage to dispose of them. Each is an
>>open rectangle made of four strips of veneered particle board. Each
>>corner was fastened with one of those knock-down fastener gizmos,
>>similar to the one shown here:
>>
>>http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10517&site=ROCKLER
>>
>>I kept the fasteners, of course, even though the "cam" part doesn't come
>>out of the hole very easily. Luckily the particle board was easy to snap
>>with a mallet, breaking just at the weak point - where the cams were.
>>
>>I managed to harvest 13 or 14 sets, throwing out a couple that had
>>corroded from the water exposure. I'm not sure what I'll ever use them
>>for, but I can't bring myself to throw out stuff like that.
>>Depression-era parents may be to blame. The fasteners are now neatly
>>nestled amongst a number of other items I've accumulated over the years.
>>
>>I have some small gauge nails with over-wide flat heads, in three
>>different finishes: copper, galvanized and bluish-black. They came with
>>the house, the former owners of which were apparently unaware of the
>>invention of the screw. I have yet to find a screw anywhere in the house.
>>
>>The copper ones are presumably for flashing, and the galvanized for some
>>other roofing need. The others might be plasterboard nails; I'm not
>>sure. (We have walls that are pre-sheetrock and post-lath; consisting of
>>sheetrock-ish panels with a grid of holes to help support the the coarse
>>plaster layer) It would come as a great surprise if I ever have a need
>>for any of those nails, but I've got them, just in case. I have smaller
>>nails in similarly exotic materials as well.
>>
>>Other house-bonus items include some very thin "pin" style nails with
>>tiny rounded heads. These are less fasteners than they are a test of
>>skill. It would require a better man than me to drive one into anything
>>tougher than styrofoam.
>>
>>I've also got every extra wall anchor and proprietary screw that ever
>>came in a plastic bag with some bought item. There are a staggering
>>number of slight permutations on screws of basically the same gauge and
>>length. It's as if each manufacturer commissions a screw design for each
>>product. It outs me in mind of the tupperware/glad/ziplok/generic food
>>containers we have; seemingly identical containers all have slightly
>>different threads designed to prevent any other lid from mating.
>>
>>In addition, I've got the leftovers from every fastener I needed a few
>>of and decided it would be a shame not to buy the box. Same goes for
>>other small items that that come in bags. EMT connectors, copper pipe
>>fittings, etc.
>>
>>My Dad had glass jars. Jars and jars and jars of every fastener that
>>ever crossed his path. I believe they are still in my parents' garage.
>>Steel-cut nails, corrugated fasteners, mismatched machine screws and
>>bolts, you name it. In the main they weren't terribly well organized
>>though, so I'm ahead on that score.
>
>Your not alone, wait till you get to where you know you have something
>but can't find it and end up buying more so you will find it. When I
>got her my electrical construction truck was ready to be retired so
>they gave it to me and never unloaded it. I still have thousands of
>feet of wire, about 300' pipe, down to only 40' of strut. There is a
>4 drawer 4' deep weather guard box fool of 1/2- 1" fittings. Boxes of
>caddy clips ect. Truck still runs great. Also have 1/2" thru 1 1/4"
>emt benders, several rigid hickeys. I just can't seem to part with
>anything I might need.
>
>Mike M
her should have been hurt. But her is coming home tonight.
On Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:04:55 -0600, Swingman <[email protected]> wrote:
>On 11/7/2012 1:25 PM, Greg Guarino wrote:
>> My Dad had glass jars. Jars and jars and jars of every fastener that
>> ever crossed his path. I believe they are still in my parents' garage.
>> Steel-cut nails, corrugated fasteners, mismatched machine screws and
>> bolts, you name it. In the main they weren't terribly well organized
>> though, so I'm ahead on that score.
>
>
>A gallon pickle jar here ... anything dropped on the floor and not
>found, but swept up later, mismatched, without a mate, or just plain
>unknown, from fasteners to small hinges and hardware, goes into this
>"Golden Bucket of Crap".
>
>Amazing how often you can find just what the one thing you need in that
>jar ...
Now look back at the time it took you to find that one thing each
time. Multiply that by the times you have done it. How much has that
small handful of hardware cost you? It's a stunning price, isn't it?
I've almost weaned myself from that by buying extras when I buy
hardware. The cost of 10-20 individual nuts is usually higher than
buying a whole box of 100 (which I'll eventually use) at the fastener
store, and sometimes at the hardware store, so I'll buy the box. That
covers all the repeat scenarios for the most common hardware.
I left all my jars of hardware in my old garage when I moved north.
Not being able to completely wean myself from jars, I found that the
last guy to own this new house left dozens of little 3" plastic cubes
of mixed hardware and a hexagonal candy store cannister of the same.
Joys!
Yeah, I doubt we'll ever get away from the hoarding of hardware. It's
a guy thing. But I still like the new boxes of hardware, especially
since I found the dirt cheap prices for American hardware at the
fastener store. New beats jar any day, in my book.
--
While we have the gift of life, it seems to me that only tragedy
is to allow part of us to die - whether it is our spirit, our
creativity, or our glorious uniqueness.
-- Gilda Radner
Greg Guarino <[email protected]> wrote in news:k7ecii$6jf$1@dont-
email.me:
*snip*
>
> Other house-bonus items include some very thin "pin" style nails with
> tiny rounded heads. These are less fasteners than they are a test of
> skill. It would require a better man than me to drive one into anything
> tougher than styrofoam.
Don't think about driving those nails, tap them into place. I've got a
flat-head screwdriver with a small notch cut in the end to hold a railroad
spike in place while I tap the end with a hammer. I usually set the nail
in first with pliers (sometimes I push it in with the pliers, other times I
hold it to tap with the hammer.)
*snip*
Puckdropper
--
Make it to fit, don't make it fit.
"Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 11/7/2012 1:25 PM, Greg Guarino wrote:
>> My Dad had glass jars. Jars and jars and jars of every fastener that
>> ever crossed his path. I believe they are still in my parents' garage.
>> Steel-cut nails, corrugated fasteners, mismatched machine screws and
>> bolts, you name it. In the main they weren't terribly well organized
>> though, so I'm ahead on that score.
>
>
> A gallon pickle jar here ... anything dropped on the floor and not found,
> but swept up later, mismatched, without a mate, or just plain unknown,
> from fasteners to small hinges and hardware, goes into this "Golden Bucket
> of Crap".
>
> Amazing how often you can find just what the one thing you need in that
> jar ...
>
I am a nut & bolt & screw hoarder, along with wood. Wood that has no further
potential for use becomes kindling in the wood stove.
Equipment that has failed, or quit working will be stripped down to remove
screws, bolts, usable parts, and the metal will be given to my neighbor for
scrap metal, plastic parts go into the recycling bin - I often wonder what
the sorters at the recycling depot think when they find odd shaped and
colored plastic parts on their conveyor. Even if they toss them into the
garbage, it saves me doing it as we have limit on the number of bags every
other week.
Larry Jaques <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
>
> An engineer friend recently showed me his set of a dozen pill sorter
> pans he uses for hardware. Many thanks to the pharmacy for those!
> That's on my to-do list: build a 12 x 18 x 2" sorting tray with a
> funnel outlet. I already have a piece of door skin and some 1/2"
> baltic birch ply.
>
> http://boingboing.net/2010/03/08/smart-auto-sorting-b.html Kinda
> neat, too, huh?
>
> Sorting by type saves an immense amount of time when you need to find
> something in a mix, and a big tray lends a hand.
>
Interesting idea...
I've thought about building something to automatically sort by length. I
figure if I can at least find a compatible length, finding a compatible
screw nail or bolt should be much easier.
Might be fun to do even if it doesn't work out...
Puckdropper
--
Make it to fit, don't make it fit.
On Wed, 07 Nov 2012 17:33:17 -0500, Bill <[email protected]> wrote:
>Swingman wrote:
>> On 11/7/2012 1:25 PM, Greg Guarino wrote:
>>> My Dad had glass jars. Jars and jars and jars of every fastener that
>>> ever crossed his path. I believe they are still in my parents' garage.
>>> Steel-cut nails, corrugated fasteners, mismatched machine screws and
>>> bolts, you name it. In the main they weren't terribly well organized
>>> though, so I'm ahead on that score.
>>
>>
>> A gallon pickle jar here ... anything dropped on the floor and not
>> found, but swept up later, mismatched, without a mate, or just plain
>> unknown, from fasteners to small hinges and hardware, goes into this
>> "Golden Bucket of Crap".
>>
>> Amazing how often you can find just what the one thing you need in that
>> jar ...
>>
>
>As a youngster, my dad showed me how you dumped the jar out on the
>driveway--not completely, just enough, to sift through and find the
>screw and/or washer you needed. Evidentally, the right one was always
>supposed to be in one of those jars. 1960's technology.
An engineer friend recently showed me his set of a dozen pill sorter
pans he uses for hardware. Many thanks to the pharmacy for those!
That's on my to-do list: build a 12 x 18 x 2" sorting tray with a
funnel outlet. I already have a piece of door skin and some 1/2"
baltic birch ply.
http://boingboing.net/2010/03/08/smart-auto-sorting-b.html Kinda
neat, too, huh?
Sorting by type saves an immense amount of time when you need to find
something in a mix, and a big tray lends a hand.
--
While we have the gift of life, it seems to me that only tragedy
is to allow part of us to die - whether it is our spirit, our
creativity, or our glorious uniqueness.
-- Gilda Radner
On 11/8/2012 10:36 AM, Larry Jaques wrote:
> On Wed, 07 Nov 2012 17:33:17 -0500, Bill <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Swingman wrote:
>>> On 11/7/2012 1:25 PM, Greg Guarino wrote:
>>>> My Dad had glass jars. Jars and jars and jars of every fastener that
>>>> ever crossed his path. I believe they are still in my parents' garage.
>>>> Steel-cut nails, corrugated fasteners, mismatched machine screws and
>>>> bolts, you name it. In the main they weren't terribly well organized
>>>> though, so I'm ahead on that score.
>>>
>>>
>>> A gallon pickle jar here ... anything dropped on the floor and not
>>> found, but swept up later, mismatched, without a mate, or just plain
>>> unknown, from fasteners to small hinges and hardware, goes into this
>>> "Golden Bucket of Crap".
>>>
>>> Amazing how often you can find just what the one thing you need in that
>>> jar ...
>>>
>>
>> As a youngster, my dad showed me how you dumped the jar out on the
>> driveway--not completely, just enough, to sift through and find the
>> screw and/or washer you needed. Evidentally, the right one was always
>> supposed to be in one of those jars. 1960's technology.
>
> An engineer friend recently showed me his set of a dozen pill sorter
> pans he uses for hardware. Many thanks to the pharmacy for those!
> That's on my to-do list: build a 12 x 18 x 2" sorting tray with a
> funnel outlet. I already have a piece of door skin and some 1/2"
> baltic birch ply.
>
> http://boingboing.net/2010/03/08/smart-auto-sorting-b.html Kinda
> neat, too, huh?
>
> Sorting by type saves an immense amount of time when you need to find
> something in a mix, and a big tray lends a hand.
>
> --
> While we have the gift of life, it seems to me that only tragedy
> is to allow part of us to die - whether it is our spirit, our
> creativity, or our glorious uniqueness.
> -- Gilda Radner
>
That's awesome... nice sorter.
On 11/8/2012 9:45 AM, Greg Guarino wrote:
> On 11/7/2012 8:33 PM, Larry W wrote:
>> In article <[email protected]>,
>> tiredofspam <nospam.nospam.com> wrote:
>> <<...snipped...>>
>>> That's me too. I strip it all for parts.
>>> I stopped using buckets for screws and stuff. I bought a whole bunch of
>>> HF plastic divider boxes. I can find what I need in a minute now.
>>> Excessive excess is thrown in appropriate recycle bins.
>>> The large ones I will be building a rack for sometime soon.
>>> The small ones go in my old library card catalog to keep small things
>>> nicely separated.
>>>
>>> http://www.harborfreight.com/24-divider-storage-container-94458.html
>>> http://www.harborfreight.com/18-divider-storage-container-94456.html
>>
>> These are handy too if you have some wall space. Or mount 2 of on
>> opposite sides of a piece of plywood, with a handle on top and some
>> feet at the bottom to keep it upright. I have a couple set up like that
>> and a few on the walls here and there too. On sale sometimes for $5.00
>> or so.
>>
>> http://www.harborfreight.com/20-piece-poly-bins-and-rails-41949.html
>>
>> Though I must admit the several dozen baby food jars filled with hardware
>> do generate a certain amount of pleasurable nostalgia...
>>
>>
> So, does anyone here still have jar lids affixed to the *bottom* of a
> shelf? That was a popular system among the handier Dads in the
> neighborhood when I was a lad. Screw the lids into the bottom of a
> shelf, fill the jars with finish nails, knobs, drill bits etc., turn the
> jars into the mounted lids. And voila! A veritable museum of
> glass-enclosed hardware specimens. No need to even label them, and you
> can't lose the lids.
>
> Of course, glass has its drawbacks in a shop. When you smashed a jar on
> the floor, you'd use the big magnet your Dad kept for just that purpose
> to separate the hardware from the shards of glass. In fact, my Dad would
> have me run the magnet through the pile of sawdust after he swept up, as
> not to lose any precious hardware.
My dad not only had that, but he made a carousel of sorts.
Took a 4x4 and mounted baby jars all along the lenght on 4 sides
the ends had a shaft that fit into holes drilled in 2x4's that hung from
the joists above.
On 11/7/2012 1:25 PM, Greg Guarino wrote:
> My Dad had glass jars. Jars and jars and jars of every fastener that
> ever crossed his path. I believe they are still in my parents' garage.
> Steel-cut nails, corrugated fasteners, mismatched machine screws and
> bolts, you name it. In the main they weren't terribly well organized
> though, so I'm ahead on that score.
A gallon pickle jar here ... anything dropped on the floor and not
found, but swept up later, mismatched, without a mate, or just plain
unknown, from fasteners to small hinges and hardware, goes into this
"Golden Bucket of Crap".
Amazing how often you can find just what the one thing you need in that
jar ...
--
www.eWoodShop.com
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)
http://gplus.to/eWoodShop
"EXT" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
"Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 11/7/2012 1:25 PM, Greg Guarino wrote:
>> My Dad had glass jars. Jars and jars and jars of every fastener that
>> ever crossed his path. I believe they are still in my parents' garage.
>> Steel-cut nails, corrugated fasteners, mismatched machine screws and
>> bolts, you name it. In the main they weren't terribly well organized
>> though, so I'm ahead on that score.
>
>
> A gallon pickle jar here ... anything dropped on the floor and not found,
> but swept up later, mismatched, without a mate, or just plain unknown,
> from fasteners to small hinges and hardware, goes into this "Golden Bucket
> of Crap".
>
> Amazing how often you can find just what the one thing you need in that
> jar ...
>
I am a nut & bolt & screw hoarder, along with wood. Wood that has no further
potential for use becomes kindling in the wood stove.
Equipment that has failed, or quit working will be stripped down to remove
screws, bolts, usable parts, and the metal will be given to my neighbor for
scrap metal, plastic parts go into the recycling bin - I often wonder what
the sorters at the recycling depot think when they find odd shaped and
colored plastic parts on their conveyor. Even if they toss them into the
garbage, it saves me doing it as we have limit on the number of bags every
I am a bigger hoarder than most of you. A youngster during the depression my
dad had such a low paying job he repaired everything that broke. Was a
master of ALL trades. I learned a lot as a helper on things. I have some
stuff we had at that time. Even NEW square nails. ( why do I keep them ??)/.
So I have so much stuff in my shop that usually I find what I need for what
ever. Through the years I learned electronics. Fixed radios and television
(tube type only) did all my auto and motorcycle repairs and appliances.
Built a cabin. Major remodeling on every house I owned. Thanks to my Dad
that was such a good teacher. Right now am building a custom computer desk
for my wife. She is disabled. Had enough scrap hard wood to build it. Oak
and mahogany. Oh about the good old days>>>My first house (new) was
$7500.00. WW
other week.
On 11/7/2012 5:35 PM, EXT wrote:
>
> "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> On 11/7/2012 1:25 PM, Greg Guarino wrote:
>>> My Dad had glass jars. Jars and jars and jars of every fastener that
>>> ever crossed his path. I believe they are still in my parents' garage.
>>> Steel-cut nails, corrugated fasteners, mismatched machine screws and
>>> bolts, you name it. In the main they weren't terribly well organized
>>> though, so I'm ahead on that score.
>>
>>
>> A gallon pickle jar here ... anything dropped on the floor and not
>> found, but swept up later, mismatched, without a mate, or just plain
>> unknown, from fasteners to small hinges and hardware, goes into this
>> "Golden Bucket of Crap".
>>
>> Amazing how often you can find just what the one thing you need in
>> that jar ...
>>
> I am a nut & bolt & screw hoarder, along with wood. Wood that has no
> further potential for use becomes kindling in the wood stove.
>
> Equipment that has failed, or quit working will be stripped down to
> remove screws, bolts, usable parts, and the metal will be given to my
> neighbor for scrap metal, plastic parts go into the recycling bin - I
> often wonder what the sorters at the recycling depot think when they
> find odd shaped and colored plastic parts on their conveyor. Even if
> they toss them into the garbage, it saves me doing it as we have limit
> on the number of bags every other week.
That's me too. I strip it all for parts.
I stopped using buckets for screws and stuff. I bought a whole bunch of
HF plastic divider boxes. I can find what I need in a minute now.
Excessive excess is thrown in appropriate recycle bins.
The large ones I will be building a rack for sometime soon.
The small ones go in my old library card catalog to keep small things
nicely separated.
http://www.harborfreight.com/24-divider-storage-container-94458.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/18-divider-storage-container-94456.html
On 11/7/2012 5:23 PM, Father Haskell wrote:
> On Nov 7, 2:25 pm, Greg Guarino <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I completed the "platform" I was working on to replace the water-damaged
>> Ikea "plinths" that hold up some cubbyhole bookshelves in our family
>> room. Looks nice, almost like a built-in. Almost. Maybe when I make a
>> top to join them altogether ...
>>
>> I carried the "plinths" into the garage to dispose of them. Each is an
>> open rectangle made of four strips of veneered particle board. Each
>> corner was fastened with one of those knock-down fastener gizmos,
>> similar to the one shown here:
>>
>> http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10517&site=ROCKLER
>
> Hopefully, they're not pot metal. Slight surface rust is a
> GOOD thing in this case.
>
Of course they are.
They are not machined.
On 07 Nov 2012 22:10:42 GMT, Puckdropper
<puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com> wrote:
>Greg Guarino <[email protected]> wrote in news:k7ecii$6jf$1@dont-
>email.me:
>
>*snip*
>
>>
>> Other house-bonus items include some very thin "pin" style nails with
>> tiny rounded heads. These are less fasteners than they are a test of
>> skill. It would require a better man than me to drive one into anything
>> tougher than styrofoam.
>
>Don't think about driving those nails, tap them into place. I've got a
>flat-head screwdriver with a small notch cut in the end to hold a railroad
>spike in place while I tap the end with a hammer. I usually set the nail
>in first with pliers (sometimes I push it in with the pliers, other times I
>hold it to tap with the hammer.)
>
>*snip*
Note to Greg:
1) Obtain a cheap set of Chinese needlenose pliers. (US-made pliers
have hardened tips so forget trying to file those.)
2) Unless you got very, very lucky and found a pair with actual sharp
teeth, take a US-made triangular file and file 2 small V notches into
the needle noses very close to the end, perpendicular to the length of
the pliers. These will cup around the nail.
3) Use those to hold small nails and brads while you start 'em.
OR
4) Try picture frame pliers http://tinyurl.com/ay2t8fc to press them
in.
--
While we have the gift of life, it seems to me that only tragedy
is to allow part of us to die - whether it is our spirit, our
creativity, or our glorious uniqueness.
-- Gilda Radner
"Greg Guarino" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I completed the "platform" I was working on to replace the water-damaged Ikea
>"plinths" that hold up some cubbyhole bookshelves in our family room. Looks nice,
>almost like a built-in. Almost. Maybe when I make a top to join them altogether ...
>
> I carried the "plinths" into the garage to dispose of them. Each is an open
> rectangle made of four strips of veneered particle board. Each corner was fastened
> with one of those knock-down fastener gizmos, similar to the one shown here:
>
> http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10517&site=ROCKLER
>
> I kept the fasteners, of course, even though the "cam" part doesn't come out of the
> hole very easily. Luckily the particle board was easy to snap with a mallet,
> breaking just at the weak point - where the cams were.
>
> I managed to harvest 13 or 14 sets, throwing out a couple that had corroded from
> the water exposure. I'm not sure what I'll ever use them for, but I can't bring
> myself to throw out stuff like that. Depression-era parents may be to blame. The
> fasteners are now neatly nestled amongst a number of other items I've accumulated
> over the years.
>
> I have some small gauge nails with over-wide flat heads, in three different
> finishes: copper, galvanized and bluish-black. They came with the house, the former
> owners of which were apparently unaware of the invention of the screw. I have yet
> to find a screw anywhere in the house.
>
> The copper ones are presumably for flashing, and the galvanized for some other
> roofing need. The others might be plasterboard nails; I'm not sure. (We have walls
> that are pre-sheetrock and post-lath; consisting of sheetrock-ish panels with a
> grid of holes to help support the the coarse plaster layer) It would come as a
> great surprise if I ever have a need for any of those nails, but I've got them,
> just in case. I have smaller nails in similarly exotic materials as well.
>
> Other house-bonus items include some very thin "pin" style nails with tiny rounded
> heads. These are less fasteners than they are a test of skill. It would require a
> better man than me to drive one into anything tougher than styrofoam.
>
> I've also got every extra wall anchor and proprietary screw that ever came in a
> plastic bag with some bought item. There are a staggering number of slight
> permutations on screws of basically the same gauge and length. It's as if each
> manufacturer commissions a screw design for each product. It outs me in mind of the
> tupperware/glad/ziplok/generic food containers we have; seemingly identical
> containers all have slightly different threads designed to prevent any other lid
> from mating.
>
> In addition, I've got the leftovers from every fastener I needed a few of and
> decided it would be a shame not to buy the box. Same goes for other small items
> that that come in bags. EMT connectors, copper pipe fittings, etc.
>
> My Dad had glass jars. Jars and jars and jars of every fastener that ever crossed
> his path. I believe they are still in my parents' garage. Steel-cut nails,
> corrugated fasteners, mismatched machine screws and bolts, you name it. In the main
> they weren't terribly well organized though, so I'm ahead on that score.
Not hoarding. You're just being judicious.
I save all kinds of hardware and it has saved my ass many times
when I'm repairing something and need a piece that isn't available
anymore for love nor money.
Art
Greg Guarino wrote:
> I completed the "platform" I was working on to replace the
> water-damaged Ikea "plinths" that hold up some cubbyhole bookshelves
> in our family room. Looks nice, almost like a built-in. Almost. Maybe
> when I make a top to join them altogether ...
>
> I carried the "plinths" into the garage to dispose of them. Each is an
> open rectangle made of four strips of veneered particle board. Each
> corner was fastened with one of those knock-down fastener gizmos,
> similar to the one shown here:
>
> http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10517&site=ROCKLER
>
> I kept the fasteners, of course, even though the "cam" part doesn't
> come out of the hole very easily. Luckily the particle board was easy
> to snap with a mallet, breaking just at the weak point - where the
> cams were.
> I managed to harvest 13 or 14 sets, throwing out a couple that had
> corroded from the water exposure. I'm not sure what I'll ever use them
> for, but I can't bring myself to throw out stuff like that.
> Depression-era parents may be to blame. The fasteners are now neatly
> nestled amongst a number of other items I've accumulated over the
> years.
> I have some small gauge nails with over-wide flat heads, in three
> different finishes: copper, galvanized and bluish-black. They came
> with the house, the former owners of which were apparently unaware of
> the invention of the screw. I have yet to find a screw anywhere in
> the house.
> The copper ones are presumably for flashing, and the galvanized for
> some other roofing need. The others might be plasterboard nails; I'm
> not sure. (We have walls that are pre-sheetrock and post-lath;
> consisting of sheetrock-ish panels with a grid of holes to help
> support the the coarse plaster layer) It would come as a great
> surprise if I ever have a need for any of those nails, but I've got
> them, just in case. I have smaller nails in similarly exotic
> materials as well.
> Other house-bonus items include some very thin "pin" style nails with
> tiny rounded heads. These are less fasteners than they are a test of
> skill. It would require a better man than me to drive one into
> anything tougher than styrofoam.
>
> I've also got every extra wall anchor and proprietary screw that ever
> came in a plastic bag with some bought item. There are a staggering
> number of slight permutations on screws of basically the same gauge
> and length. It's as if each manufacturer commissions a screw design
> for each product. It outs me in mind of the
> tupperware/glad/ziplok/generic food containers we have; seemingly
> identical containers all have slightly different threads designed to
> prevent any other lid from mating.
> In addition, I've got the leftovers from every fastener I needed a few
> of and decided it would be a shame not to buy the box. Same goes for
> other small items that that come in bags. EMT connectors, copper pipe
> fittings, etc.
>
> My Dad had glass jars. Jars and jars and jars of every fastener that
> ever crossed his path. I believe they are still in my parents' garage.
> Steel-cut nails, corrugated fasteners, mismatched machine screws and
> bolts, you name it. In the main they weren't terribly well organized
> though, so I'm ahead on that score.
Sounds familiar. I have a Corsicana Texas fruitcake tin filled with sundry
stuff like that. Been carting it around for close to 50 years, always look
there first when i need somethiong, often find it.
--
dadiOH
____________________________
Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Maybe just ready for a change? Check it out...
http://www.floridaloghouse.net
Swingman wrote:
> On 11/7/2012 1:25 PM, Greg Guarino wrote:
>> My Dad had glass jars. Jars and jars and jars of every fastener that
>> ever crossed his path. I believe they are still in my parents' garage.
>> Steel-cut nails, corrugated fasteners, mismatched machine screws and
>> bolts, you name it. In the main they weren't terribly well organized
>> though, so I'm ahead on that score.
>
>
> A gallon pickle jar here ... anything dropped on the floor and not
> found, but swept up later, mismatched, without a mate, or just plain
> unknown, from fasteners to small hinges and hardware, goes into this
> "Golden Bucket of Crap".
>
> Amazing how often you can find just what the one thing you need in that
> jar ...
>
As a youngster, my dad showed me how you dumped the jar out on the
driveway--not completely, just enough, to sift through and find the
screw and/or washer you needed. Evidentally, the right one was always
supposed to be in one of those jars. 1960's technology.
In article <[email protected]>,
tiredofspam <nospam.nospam.com> wrote:
<<...snipped...>>
>That's me too. I strip it all for parts.
>I stopped using buckets for screws and stuff. I bought a whole bunch of
>HF plastic divider boxes. I can find what I need in a minute now.
>Excessive excess is thrown in appropriate recycle bins.
>The large ones I will be building a rack for sometime soon.
>The small ones go in my old library card catalog to keep small things
>nicely separated.
>
>http://www.harborfreight.com/24-divider-storage-container-94458.html
>http://www.harborfreight.com/18-divider-storage-container-94456.html
These are handy too if you have some wall space. Or mount 2 of on
opposite sides of a piece of plywood, with a handle on top and some
feet at the bottom to keep it upright. I have a couple set up like that
and a few on the walls here and there too. On sale sometimes for $5.00
or so.
http://www.harborfreight.com/20-piece-poly-bins-and-rails-41949.html
Though I must admit the several dozen baby food jars filled with hardware
do generate a certain amount of pleasurable nostalgia...
--
The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation
with the average voter. (Winston Churchill)
Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf. lonestar. org
On 11/7/2012 4:35 PM, EXT wrote:
>
> "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> On 11/7/2012 1:25 PM, Greg Guarino wrote:
>>> My Dad had glass jars. Jars and jars and jars of every fastener that
>>> ever crossed his path. I believe they are still in my parents' garage.
>>> Steel-cut nails, corrugated fasteners, mismatched machine screws and
>>> bolts, you name it. In the main they weren't terribly well organized
>>> though, so I'm ahead on that score.
>>
>>
>> A gallon pickle jar here ... anything dropped on the floor and not found, but
>> swept up later, mismatched, without a mate, or just plain unknown, from
>> fasteners to small hinges and hardware, goes into this "Golden Bucket of Crap".
>>
>> Amazing how often you can find just what the one thing you need in that jar ...
>>
> I am a nut & bolt & screw hoarder, along with wood. Wood that has no further
> potential for use becomes kindling in the wood stove.
>
> Equipment that has failed, or quit working will be stripped down to remove
> screws, bolts, usable parts
Same here. I never throw away any contraption that has fasteners or parts that
I think might be of some use in the future. But I've gotten away from just
throwing that kind of stuff into a big jar or can. So many times I've grown
utterly weary of slogging through the same unsorted containers that I
periodically force myself to sort every last nut, screw, and washer into parts
cabinet drawers that are labeled so I can go straight to the one I need.
--
Free bad advice available here.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/
On 11/7/2012 8:33 PM, Larry W wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> tiredofspam <nospam.nospam.com> wrote:
> <<...snipped...>>
>> That's me too. I strip it all for parts.
>> I stopped using buckets for screws and stuff. I bought a whole bunch of
>> HF plastic divider boxes. I can find what I need in a minute now.
>> Excessive excess is thrown in appropriate recycle bins.
>> The large ones I will be building a rack for sometime soon.
>> The small ones go in my old library card catalog to keep small things
>> nicely separated.
>>
>> http://www.harborfreight.com/24-divider-storage-container-94458.html
>> http://www.harborfreight.com/18-divider-storage-container-94456.html
>
> These are handy too if you have some wall space. Or mount 2 of on
> opposite sides of a piece of plywood, with a handle on top and some
> feet at the bottom to keep it upright. I have a couple set up like that
> and a few on the walls here and there too. On sale sometimes for $5.00
> or so.
>
> http://www.harborfreight.com/20-piece-poly-bins-and-rails-41949.html
>
> Though I must admit the several dozen baby food jars filled with hardware
> do generate a certain amount of pleasurable nostalgia...
>
>
So, does anyone here still have jar lids affixed to the *bottom* of a
shelf? That was a popular system among the handier Dads in the
neighborhood when I was a lad. Screw the lids into the bottom of a
shelf, fill the jars with finish nails, knobs, drill bits etc., turn the
jars into the mounted lids. And voila! A veritable museum of
glass-enclosed hardware specimens. No need to even label them, and you
can't lose the lids.
Of course, glass has its drawbacks in a shop. When you smashed a jar on
the floor, you'd use the big magnet your Dad kept for just that purpose
to separate the hardware from the shards of glass. In fact, my Dad would
have me run the magnet through the pile of sawdust after he swept up, as
not to lose any precious hardware.
On 11/7/2012 5:10 PM, Puckdropper wrote:
> Greg Guarino <[email protected]> wrote in news:k7ecii$6jf$1@dont-
> email.me:
>
> *snip*
>
>>
>> Other house-bonus items include some very thin "pin" style nails with
>> tiny rounded heads. These are less fasteners than they are a test of
>> skill. It would require a better man than me to drive one into anything
>> tougher than styrofoam.
>
> Don't think about driving those nails, tap them into place.
> Puckdropper
>
Maybe, but in addition to being extremely thin (I'll bet they'd be loose
in a 1/16" hole), they're pretty long, maybe 1.25".
But, have I thrown them out? Of course not.
On 11/7/2012 3:04 PM, Swingman wrote:
> On 11/7/2012 1:25 PM, Greg Guarino wrote:
>> My Dad had glass jars. Jars and jars and jars of every fastener that
>> ever crossed his path. I believe they are still in my parents' garage.
>> Steel-cut nails, corrugated fasteners, mismatched machine screws and
>> bolts, you name it. In the main they weren't terribly well organized
>> though, so I'm ahead on that score.
>
>
> A gallon pickle jar here ... anything dropped on the floor and not
> found, but swept up later, mismatched, without a mate, or just plain
> unknown, from fasteners to small hinges and hardware, goes into this
> "Golden Bucket of Crap".
>
> Amazing how often you can find just what the one thing you need in that
> jar ...
>
I actually spent a good forty minutes recently sorting what was still
random and putting it into a plastic tray. I should never need to buy a
small screw again.
On 11/7/2012 5:33 PM, Bill wrote:
> Swingman wrote:
>> On 11/7/2012 1:25 PM, Greg Guarino wrote:
>>> My Dad had glass jars. Jars and jars and jars of every fastener that
>>> ever crossed his path. I believe they are still in my parents' garage.
>>> Steel-cut nails, corrugated fasteners, mismatched machine screws and
>>> bolts, you name it. In the main they weren't terribly well organized
>>> though, so I'm ahead on that score.
>>
>>
>> A gallon pickle jar here ... anything dropped on the floor and not
>> found, but swept up later, mismatched, without a mate, or just plain
>> unknown, from fasteners to small hinges and hardware, goes into this
>> "Golden Bucket of Crap".
>>
>> Amazing how often you can find just what the one thing you need in that
>> jar ...
>>
>
> As a youngster, my dad showed me how you dumped the jar out on the
> driveway--not completely, just enough, to sift through and find the
> screw and/or washer you needed. Evidentally, the right one was always
> supposed to be in one of those jars. 1960's technology.
>
We dumped a jar out on the bench, or on the "utility" piece of ply my
Dad used on sawhorses as a spare surface. It was usually my job to pick
out the right item. Problem was, there was most often only one when two
were needed, or two when four were needed, or (most annoyingly) 7 when 8
were needed.
Mike M wrote:
>
> Few years back HF had these on sale for 24.95. I got 3 of them and
> made some wall rackts to mount them and they have worked well for a
> lot of parts, fasteners, pen blanks, tool accesories ect.
>
>> http://www.harborfreight.com/parts-rack-with-removable-bins-95496.html
>
I have that same rack. I never understood why you couldn't get the bin
dividers for it though.
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
Greg Guarino wrote:
> On 11/7/2012 5:33 PM, Bill wrote:
>> Swingman wrote:
>>> On 11/7/2012 1:25 PM, Greg Guarino wrote:
>>>> My Dad had glass jars. Jars and jars and jars of every fastener that
>>>> ever crossed his path. I believe they are still in my parents' garage.
>>>> Steel-cut nails, corrugated fasteners, mismatched machine screws and
>>>> bolts, you name it. In the main they weren't terribly well organized
>>>> though, so I'm ahead on that score.
>>>
>>>
>>> A gallon pickle jar here ... anything dropped on the floor and not
>>> found, but swept up later, mismatched, without a mate, or just plain
>>> unknown, from fasteners to small hinges and hardware, goes into this
>>> "Golden Bucket of Crap".
>>>
>>> Amazing how often you can find just what the one thing you need in that
>>> jar ...
>>>
>>
>> As a youngster, my dad showed me how you dumped the jar out on the
>> driveway--not completely, just enough, to sift through and find the
>> screw and/or washer you needed. Evidentally, the right one was always
>> supposed to be in one of those jars. 1960's technology.
>>
> We dumped a jar out on the bench, or on the "utility" piece of ply my
> Dad used on sawhorses as a spare surface. It was usually my job to pick
> out the right item. Problem was, there was most often only one when two
> were needed, or two when four were needed, or (most annoyingly) 7 when 8
> were needed.
You didn't expect them to match exactly, did you? I guess that's
part of the skill--the insight. I'll have you know that a water pump
with stay on a 1969 Buick with barely half of it's 14 or so bolts. They
just snapped off, and EZ-Out'ing them was ineffective.
On Wed, 7 Nov 2012 15:58:26 -0500, "dadiOH" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Greg Guarino wrote:
>> My Dad had glass jars. Jars and jars and jars of every fastener that
>> ever crossed his path. I believe they are still in my parents' garage.
>> Steel-cut nails, corrugated fasteners, mismatched machine screws and
>> bolts, you name it. In the main they weren't terribly well organized
>> though, so I'm ahead on that score.
>
>
>Sounds familiar. I have a Corsicana Texas fruitcake tin filled with sundry
>stuff like that. Been carting it around for close to 50 years, always look
>there first when i need somethiong, often find it.
I was going to ask if you hollowed out that fruitcake with a router
and how quickly the dead old thing dulled the bit, but then I saw the
word "tin" behind it. Neever mind...
--
While we have the gift of life, it seems to me that only tragedy
is to allow part of us to die - whether it is our spirit, our
creativity, or our glorious uniqueness.
-- Gilda Radner