'No Stupid Questions' (NSQ) Self-Sufficiency Edition

[Null]

For questions that don't deserve their own thread.

I'll start. How do you organize spare parts? I have a bunch of these fucking screws from various PC projects. Like every harddrive, server, computer part, comes with its own set of screws.

Q.E.D.


These screws came with some HDDs for screwing platters into trays. They fit screw holes in the platter. I have no idea what to do with these. There's not really a way to label this bag or keep it someplace that says to me "this is for screwing into platters".

Do screws have any kind of uniform sizing and thread sizing that I can group these by in bins? I honestly have no idea how to begin categorizing spare parts like this.

 

[WelperHelper99]

I bought a screw kit off Amazon, came with a bunch of screws for PC building. They do have their own sizes. When i get new ones, i just put them in their own little cubby in the screw bin depending on what size they are.

 

[Dieter Hell]

If it's a star head screw i throw them away. Torx, allen bit, or bolt screw all the way.

 

[DavidS877]

I'll start. How do you organize spare parts?

I use varieties of these:


The nice thing about them as opposed to the drawer style ones is that you can stack them, toss them in a moving box, etc and stuff doesn't get unsorted. Many of the drawer ones are open on top and will not survive being moved.

You can get fancier ones too, for a higher cost.

Or a much higher cost if you're on team Red.

You'll find the simple ones in either the hardware department, crafts department or fishing department of your local WalMart. Also you can wander though Home Depot/Lowes as well. Harbor Freight may have some options too.

PC's really only have a couple different base sizes. 6-32 (Superior US thread) and M3(3mm Metric, smaller with finer threads than 6-32), but then the lengths differ and the head style differs depending on what they're mounting, etc. The screw to mount M.2 drives is standard, I think, but many motherboards use their own non-screw solutions.

 

[BallsMcLongDong]

These screws came with some HDDs for screwing platters into trays. They fit screw holes in the platter. I have no idea what to do with these. There's not really a way to label this bag or keep it someplace that says to me "this is for screwing into platters".

Start picking these small parts shelves up when you see em. They're at every garage sale, ebay, etc....
I've got two, and every single small part/screw/bolt/electric component has it's own rough organization. You can stick labels on it if it's easier.
I wouldn't be able to do half the shit around the house I do without having my shit popped in these where I can just pull out what I need.


As for sizing, there are "cards" you can get that you screw a screw into, and if it threads all the way will give you an indication on thread spacing.

 

[Billy Bob Dick]

when I have leftover parts like that, I staple the invoice they came with to the bag and toss it in my junk drawer or an old shoebox.

I almost never need the spares, and eventually they get thrown out. On the rare occasions I've needed spare parts, however, it's been really easy to find what I need from the invoice.

 

[Lord of the Large Pants]

Screws are categorized by length, thread pitch, head shape, driver type, and sometimes a few other random properties for specialty screws. People have already posted some good organizational tools, but what I would add is to get yourself a thread checker.

https://www.amazon.com/Checker-Standard-Foldable-Identifier-Protractor/dp/B0DN1GNTCB/

 

[$5.3 Million Dollars]

Many of the drawer ones are open on top and will not survive being moved.

Yeah the drawer ones I'd only rec for him if he's also got a bunch of tools in play, but if its only server/pc related I imagine he's got fewer levelers, hammers, screwdrivers and wrenches floating around that would benefit from one. The fancy ones you've got there look nice.

 

[Devious Dave]

start using nicotine pouches like rogue or zyn i use my old rogue cans for screws and old hardware

 

[CoolDudeXD]

I usually just try looking for the same size in google images and then labling a ziploc bag with what it is and then putting that in a drawer.

 

[Otis Mallebrok]

Do screws have any kind of uniform sizing and thread sizing that I can group these by in bins?

Yes. Screws are categorised by thread pitch, diameter, head type, length and material. So you will have something like m5, hex, countersink, etc.

I suspect that the screws pictured are something like m3, 5 mm, roundhead, Phillips drive. Get a good mitsutomo caliper fir measurement.

But the number of different combinations are truly huge, and it is often better to just put them in a box that says: "this is for screwing into platters".

If it's a star head screw i throw them away. Torx, allen bit, or bolt screw all the way.

That's is extremely poor advice. Maybe for construction and woodworking you can do that, but when working with machines or electronics phillips screws are ubiquitous for a reason.

 

[john marston]

Do screws have any kind of uniform sizing and thread sizing that I can group these by in bins? I honestly have no idea how to begin categorizing spare parts like this.

I usually just stick extra parts in a plastic bag and write in sharpie what the parts are for. When I bought my PC power supply, I got a bunch of extra wires that I don't really need. So I just stuck them in a gallon plastic bag, labelled "extra power supply wires." I do the same will nuts and bolts and such. Usually, when you buy something new, they come with new parts. So I only use the extras if something goes wrong.

 

[Bogan]

I just stick all mine in the ziplock bags they came in and keep them in a motherboard box with all my other spare bits and pieces. DIY computers don't come with a very large number of different screw types and it's pretty easy to know what each screw is used for. But if it's really necessary to know then you could just get a permanent marker and write it onto the bag.

 

[Angry Shoes]

Where do you guys recommend for buying MREs, preferably as cheaply as possible?

 

[August Levasseur]

Where do you guys recommend for buying MREs, preferably as cheaply as possible?

A buddy of mine recommended buying some Humanitarian Daily Rations. There's a ton of places to buy them, and there's a ton of them available thanks to recent changes in Gov. funding priorities. Pretty cheap rn, but like all things surplus be prepared for that to change in the future

 

[Black Man Underwear]

What is the best way to get antique/surplus stuff for cheap? Surplus stores have got to get them in big batches somehow.

 

[Angry Shoes]

A buddy of mine recommended buying some Humanitarian Daily Rations. There's a ton of places to buy them, and there's a ton of them available thanks to recent changes in Gov. funding priorities. Pretty cheap rn, but like all things surplus be prepared for that to change in the future

Damn good call the humanitarian rations are only $30ish for 10 full days of food. That's crazy cheap. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Zvantastika]

How do you organize spare parts? I have a bunch of these fucking screws from various PC projects.

Organise them exclusively by size. Most screws for certain things, in this case PC parts, have standardized threads so no need to worry about that detail. Personally I recommend you to split them into 3 sizes and put them into 3 separate bags or jars or anything you have at hand:
Small size (less than an inch) for delicate shit like the HDDs platters you mention, keeping the GPU in place, small electronics boards, etc.
Medium sized screws (between an inch and two) for bigger shit like the ones used for assembling a PC case or other similarly sized stuff, basically the screws that hold things together without a load being applied to them.
Big screws (bigger than two inches), the cunts that will be subjected to tons of loads, usually used in bigger projects like furniture and items bigger than a PC case.


Now for someone who wants to go into DIY stuff and have a workshop or simply use a fuck ton of screws, use the 'M' standarised metric for screws and get a divider.

 

[Figger Nucker]

Where do you guys recommend for buying MREs, preferably as cheaply as possible?

I'm not sure how cheap they are, but it never hurts to check a local Army surplus store.

 

[Clout $ Monei]

Trying to get into the nitty gritty of organizing down to the last screw isn't worth it, especially with spares where you're gonna have them in all shapes and colors at random and it's very unlikely those screws will serve in another context. Consider organizing by "theme" or activity instead, i.e. pick a box where you put all the PC spare parts : screws, unused cables, old hardware you want to keep around, etc. All in the same box with minimal sorting. When you need to do PC building , pick from the box before buying new. As long as things are in a place that makes sense (PC building screws are in the PC building box) it doesn't matter if they're classified by their characteristics or not, you'll find them.
Sorting things finely should be done when it's useful for optimizing a workflow, not as a goal in and of itself. I lost countless hours trying to sort garbage left over from older family before I realized that, and ended up throwing away a good chunk of it because sometimes shop space and my time are more valuable than 27 barely rusted screws of various sizes that "could be used" (they won't).