# It's the little things that will get you



## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

I like to think that I have the stuff around to solve most problem, but when you think you have something and had lots of time to get what you though you had it really is a bit of a pain. We are putting a new floor in our stock trailer, and of course we need the trailer soon, everything is going well, got most of the boards cut and spaced, so we go to screw it down, I have had a bag of floorboard screws on the shelf in the shop, I go get them, they are too short :brickwall: now I get to make a trip to the City or wait until afternoon til a more local parts store can get some in. I am sure that there is a solution if I really need one but most often it will be the little things that bite you in a crisis vract:


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## IlliniWarrior (Nov 30, 2010)

For Want of a Nail

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.


great proverb for a prepper ....


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

I keep all kinds of wire, bolts, screws, bits and "knick-knacks" around to get me going again when something stops.

My wife thinks I am a "hoarder"

Sigh......


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

LincTex said:


> I keep all kinds of wire, bolts, screws, bits and "knick-knacks" around to get me going again when something stops.
> 
> My wife thinks I am a "hoarder"
> Sigh......


That's something I sometimes struggle with. Because, really, pretty much everything has potential value. Just because I haven't found that potential value yet doesn't mean it isn't there...


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

goshengirl said:


> That's something I sometimes struggle with. Because, really, pretty much everything has potential value. Just because I haven't found that potential value yet doesn't mean it isn't there...


This is my philosophy as well. However, I have a storage shelf that I used to keep VHS movies on and I have repurposed it for fasteners, such as screws, nails, etc. When I am working on a project, I buy what I think I will need, but sometimes the boxes of deck screws or whatever is many more than you need for the project. I have several yellow plastic bins, a drawered cabinet where I keep the odds and ends sorted, and the boxes that most fasteners come in. It seems to be Murphy's Law though, that in spite of having 10,000 fasteners, you will NOT have the kind you need.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

My father, God Bless His Soul, learn from his father, a master carpenter by the way, not to squander anything and right after his death I started to clean out the tool shed, jars of many types and size full of every type of nails and screws, hooks, metal cans full of nuts and bolts in motor oil so not to rust, old carpenter tools, axes, hammers, anyway I still have them .The old neighbors told me that when they needed something fix they always came looking for my old man they claim he had everything, lived and learn and don`t waste.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Like all of the above poster have said I keep all kinds of junk I mean seriously I have a lot of parts, but I also like to do the best job that I can, so in the current phone to order stuff world I get the part that does the job a well as possible, within reason. 

I ordered 200 of the screws this morning from the parts supplier in the town where my wife works, she picked them up after work, now we can finish that part of the job, 

I am also going to buy more bolts, they are cheap and new bolts save time.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Every once in a great while, I'll get lucky and get a whole 5 gallon bucket full of bolts at a farm auction for like $5 or so... but it's rare.


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## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

My dad is about to turn 81 and still farms with me. His mind is amazing sometimes. My third bedroom is a mini shop, work bench, vise, all of dads old machinist tools, some of my tools and shelving full of spare anything…

I have a 4 bay shop, a 12X30 storage building and the old barn is also used for storage. Dad always stored bit and pieces, odd and ends in coffee cans. There are dozens of them in all these locations.

It never fails, if I need a bolt or something, he knows which coffee can in which building to look in! It blows me away sometimes. I’m doing good to remember what I had for breakfast! Yet he can remember the location of some item he put away 40 years ago!


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Tirediron said:


> I like to think that I have the stuff around to solve most problem, but when you think you have something and had lots of time to get what you though you had it really is a bit of a pain. We are putting a new floor in our stock trailer, and of course we need the trailer soon, everything is going well, got most of the boards cut and spaced, so we go to screw it down, I have had a bag of floorboard screws on the shelf in the shop, I go get them, they are too short :brickwall: *now I get to make a trip to the City* or wait until afternoon til a more local parts store can get some in. I am sure that there is a solution if I really need one but most often it will be the little things that bite you in a crisis vract:


You know ... I work in the city and live not far from ya ...

You can call or text me if you need a delivery :wave:


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## ksmama10 (Sep 17, 2012)

LincTex said:


> I keep all kinds of wire, bolts, screws, bits and "knick-knacks" around to get me going again when something stops.
> 
> My wife thinks I am a "hoarder"
> 
> Sigh......


And what is a hoarder, but somebody who has experienced firsthand the "hidden bummer factor" that exists for every project? Crocheters and knitters know to overbuy yarn because invariably, one will run short..particularly when a trip to the store is not possible, and there isn't any extra yarn of that color, weight, and fibre content in one's stash..trust me; such a scene isn't pretty.:brickwall:


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## Txcatlady1 (Nov 9, 2014)

When my Dad was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor, he and my husband had a long talk as best friends do. Husband assured him he would take care of My mom, the land, bought the cows and leased property. I was to teach her how to hook up the trailer, drive it and back it up. About two years after Daddy died, we were rolling hay and when it got to a certain spot it would all ball up. After spending all morning cutting it out, starting over, etc, he told me to go to N-gee and get A pin from tractor store. Got back, he put pin in baler and started putting hay out. After a few bales done, I asked what happened. My Dad was a master at making do. You didn't make a trip unless you had a list. Anyway, he needed a pin and didn't have one. Hammered full of nails and welded in place. Lasted for probably 10 years and the weld had broken loose. I laughed til I cried because that was my Daddy.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

NaeKid said:


> You know ... I work in the city and live not far from ya ...
> 
> You can call or text me if you need a delivery :wave:


Thanks Vance I appreciate that


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## sillybilly (Sep 18, 2014)

I think you start building false floors and walls and drawers and put your preps there so when they come, they don't see anything but an ordinary thing but it protects your preps.


Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


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## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

Txcatlady1 said:


> When my Dad was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor, he and my husband had a long talk as best friends do. Husband assured him he would take care of My mom, the land, bought the cows and leased property. I was to teach her how to hook up the trailer, drive it and back it up. About two years after Daddy died, we were rolling hay and when it got to a certain spot it would all ball up. After spending all morning cutting it out, starting over, etc, he told me to go to N-gee and get A pin from tractor store. Got back, he put pin in baler and started putting hay out. After a few bales done, I asked what happened. My Dad was a master at making do. You didn't make a trip unless you had a list. Anyway, he needed a pin and didn't have one. Hammered full of nails and welded in place. Lasted for probably 10 years and the weld had broken loose. I laughed til I cried because that was my Daddy.


I understand so well what you wrote here... old balers, short hay... the works, and count myself blessed I still have my dad around... be 81 in a few days! and still making do when he doesn't have what he needs.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Cotton said:


> My dad is about to turn 81 and still farms with me. His mind is amazing sometimes. My third bedroom is a mini shop, work bench, vise, all of dads old machinist tools, some of my tools and shelving full of spare anything&#8230;
> 
> I have a 4 bay shop, a 12X30 storage building and the old barn is also used for storage. Dad always stored bit and pieces, odd and ends in coffee cans. There are dozens of them in all these locations.
> 
> It never fails, if I need a bolt or something, he knows which coffee can in which building to look in! It blows me away sometimes. I'm doing good to remember what I had for breakfast! Yet he can remember the location of some item he put away 40 years ago!


 I bet your dad leaned very early that everythign has a place and if you use it or replace it put it back in place..


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Cotton said:


> I understand so well what you wrote here... old balers, short hay... the works, and count myself blessed I still have my dad around... be 81 in a few days! and still making do when he doesn't have what he needs.


He is very lucky to have a grateful son.


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## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

I'll mention another reason to have extras on hand. I use heavy duty deck screws for a lot of things beyond decks so I try to always have extra 25 pound buckets of various length screws on hand. Thing is that when I went to buy more buckets a few month back the price had gone from $40 or $50 a bucket to $80 to $100. I have come to dislike the square drive and phillips screws and though they are more expensive, all I will get anymore are the Torx drive screws. I've been through my jars and cans of nuts and bolts for so many years that the useable stuff is pretty much gone. Since we live in a climate that is relatively damp I use a lot of stainless steal nuts, bolts and screws and so when I go to the Fastenal I feel like a kid in a candy store, if I can afford a lorge amount of nuts, bolts or screws I try to do it and sometimes I'm lucky and hit a sale. I've never been all that lucky on yard or garage sales, usually by the time I get to them they have already been well picked over. I like having things around that would classify me as a hoarder, a few years back I used a length of square tubing that I had laying around for around fifteen years, made a tow hitch on the front of both of my Samurai's, it fit perfectly inside of the frame tubes.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Meerkat said:


> I bet your dad leaned very early that everythign has a place and if you use it or replace it put it back in place..


Supper table.
Dad. You used my screwdriver today. You didn't put it away.

Supper table.
Dad. You used my screwdriver today. You didn't put it away.
Me. Yes I did! I put it back in your tool box.
Dad. You put it in the bottom of the tool box. It belongs up on the shelf.

Supper table.
Dad. You used my screwdriver today. You didn't put it away.
Me. Yes I did! I put it back in your tool box on the shelf!
Dad. It belongs on the left side of the shelf, not in the middle.

Supper table.
Dad. You used my screwdriver today. You didn't put it away.
Me. Yes I did! I put it back in your tool box on the shelf on the left side!
Dad. You had the handle turned the wrong way.

Now it's time for me to drive my wife nuts.

Supper table.
Wife. You made so much noise when you came home last night you woke me up!
Me. Why did you leave the laundry basket in the middle of the bedroom floor? I about broke my neck when I tripped over it! Where do you keep it when you're not using it?
Wife. Where does it belong? :dunno:


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## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

LazyL, This hits home in another way. I have a special talent of cataloging where I put things, sometimes years ago, but all it takes is for my wife to move one of those objects and I happen to come up with a need for it and start looking for it, she doesn't remember where she put it, so I end up hours and sometimes days searching for it. If its left alone, there are times I can walk right to it and put my hand on it without looking.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Viking said:


> LazyL, This hits home in another way. I have a special talent of cataloging where I put things, sometimes years ago, but all it takes is for my wife to move one of those objects and I happen to come up with a need for it and start looking for it, she doesn't remember where she put it, so I end up hours and sometimes days searching for it. If its left alone, there are times I can walk right to it and put my hand on it without looking.


Yep! I'm the same way.

I could walk in from work and lay a 2" bright orange cube on the kitchen counter. Walk up stairs and change clothes. Back down to the kitchen to retrieve the 2" bright orange cube and it's gone! Ask the wife what happen to it and she has no idea what I'm talking about (kids are grown and gone). :rant:

I believe the record is a year. An item I had left unsupervised in the kitchen for 5 minutes magically reappeared in a box in the basement a year later. "Oh? Is that what you was looking for last year?" vract:

But bless her heart. She can talk to a stranger for a few minutes and remember who, what, when and how many children, everything that stranger told her. I'd forget their name almost before they told me what it is!


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