How to Make a Small Parts Sorting Tray

We all have it – that jar or can with spare parts, bit, pieces, screws, washers, and whatnot that have been leftover from some project and instead of pitching them they get swept into a jar or can for later use. The problem is that you have to dump the can on the table and sort through everything to find that one screw. Then you have to collect it all and stuff it back in the can. While the idea is not new the following is a short project to build a parts sorting tray to save you time.

Tools and Materials

We this project doesn’t need any special tools. I did use a nail set in the video and there is a link at the bottom. With respect to materials, you will need a plywood bottom that is ¼”x 10”x 14” and about 4 lineal feet of 5/8” x 5/8” for the sides.

Layout

In my video I said “no plan” but hey, I sketched this in a few minutes as a reference.

Cutting

I cut 45’s at all the ends but you can just butt the ends which would be a bit easier to do. A parts list is in the sketch above.

Assembly

This really is a quickie project. I glued the sides and held them in place with Spring Clamps.

Then I nailed them from the bottom with 5/8” 18ga nails. (links below to this stuff). I probably went a bit overboard with the nails 3-4 on a side would probably have been plenty.

Finishing

I did not do any sanding on this at all nor did I spend any time rounding the edges. You may want to do that if you are building it. All I did is to use a rattle-can of white paint to give it a quick coat. The reason for the white paint is to improve visibility of parts to make sorting easier.

With the paint dry the project was finished. I gave it a try and it worked perfectly! This is going to save me a lot of time when I’m looking for that one screw/bolt/nut/whatever.