I hate when this happens

[xavierm]

It was a nice warm sunny day. After work, I decided to head to the airport to do a bit of cleaning. After all, it's time to get this RV-7 project back in gear.
I start moving things around then, all of a sudden, I hear a crash. It couldn't be! Can it? But I keep them in a locking storage bin!

Yes! It WAS!


Why did I leave the bin open? Oh well, they'll go in a misc bin somewhere until I feel like sorting them.

[fmiddleton]

Bummer. I think I'd actually build a simple jig to sort that lot...something to filter out the smallest and then move up. Perhaps too pieces of wood placed with a gap wide enough that only the smallest can fit, then drop the lot in there...then widen for the next set, etc.

[longranger]

When I'm not using my bin organizers, I keep them on the floor, and I try not to walk away from them without them being latched.

My Dad had woodworking as a hobby when we were kids, and to save money would buy misc. wood screws in bulk and get us kids to do the sorting. If you don't have kids you could put to task, rivets are too cheap and life is too short to sort through that mess.

The below photo was from sorting the empennage hardware before I had that nightmare the first time. I would NEVER let an open organizer get that close to the edge of the bench now!

[DCat22]

Originally Posted by longranger

The below photo was from sorting the empennage hardware before I had that nightmare the first time. I would NEVER let an open organizer get that close to the edge of the bench now!

A have a pic that is almost identical... I still worry about it flopping off the back of a table I misjudge.

Makes it really easy to move all the small parts around though.

[Kyle Boatright]

Let's be honest. Rivets aren't that expensive. You owe it to yourself to send a few bucks to Van's for properly sorted ones.

Otherwise, you'll spend the next two years segregating rivets. ;-)

[hydroguy2]

which is exactly why I used individual drawers. the cabinet is secured to the back of the bench. When I need rivets the small clear drawer comes out to where I working. If I upset it I only have 1 size to pick up. If I need a different size, bring that drawer over when putting away the first. IF I only need a few of a certain size, I just grab a few of them and put them in a spray can top.

I've upset plenty of rivets but clean up was easy and painless. I probably only lost 20 rivets total. Also if I drop a rivet I almost never bent over to pick it up..that;s what brooms are for.

[civengpe]

I did the exact same thing and after 6 hours of trying to tell the difference between a 3 and 3.5 said nevermind and ordered new ones from Van's. I think it set me back about $20.

After that I bought a bunch of individual spill proof containers to store them in.
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-25ec...&storeId=10051

[GusBiz]

It does a mans character good to rectify the errors of their life by meticulous work that amends out lack of attention.

The hardwork burns the fat (laziness) off your soul...

I would do it by hand. You'll be a better man for it.

[Vlad]

Wow! Sometimes the impossible happens.

[gtmule]

I see four choices....

1) Buy all new rivets, and you now have emergency spares
2) Buy all new rivets, buy rivet cutter, sell old rivets as "mixed bag of -3 grip length rivets, after you cut down all the ones that arent" include rivet cutter in lot
3) Buy all new rivets, donate old box to either local EAA chapter, One of the highschool building programs (even though they're building -12's, it'd be something to practice shooting solid rivets with)
4) Buy all new rivets, invent pneumatic rivet gun (as in gun to kill mice and old coke cans with high speed rivets, not to set them) and have ammo for life!


Edit, also, I saw in the builder tips forum a while back that someone had used old drinking water bottles with holes drilled in the caps to dispense and store rivets. One bottle per size/grip combo....

You might want to consider that...