I think that I’ve achieved a state of storage tranquility. Like many with a with maker bent, I’ve accumulated all manner of bits-n-bobs. Screws, bolts, components, connectors, and any number of other little collections that are too useful to throw out but useless if I can’t find them when I need them.
Over the years, I’ve used a variety of organizing mechanisms. And that was the problem, it was a variety. Different shaped containers, with different means of organization. And then, of course, there was the problem of where to keep the organizing containers?
I finally decided to commit to the lowly Harbor Freight Organizer. These will not win any awards for outstanding workmanship (they come from Harbor Freight after all), but they do have some qualities to recommend them:
- They’re cheap. They cost anywhere from $3 to $10 each, depending on which sales/coupons are currently active
- They’re easily reconfigurable. Each internal “bin” is removable and movable providing extreme flexibility. You can remove a chunk of bins if you want to keep tools (say a crimper) with its associated parts (connectors).
- They’re popular enough that you can find 3D printable models to print custom sized bins like this and this and many others.
- The organizers are constructed in such a way that they can be slide between cleats like drawers as you can see in the picture above.
The sketch below provides all the dimensions you’d need to build your own similar cabinet.
