Whether you’re swapping a computer’s HDD for an SSD, reapplying thermal paste, or trying to fix a broken appliance or piece of furniture yourself, it’s all too easy to lose the screws.
Once a screw is gone, you have to buy a replacement at a hardware store, and finding one that fits perfectly is no small feat.
I lost a screw myself while trying to repair a Switch Pro Controller, and ended up having to go buy one.
In recent years, electronic components circulating in the Chinese market have become available through AliExpress, Wish, and similar sites, and junk items are easy to pick up on flea market apps like Mercari. As a result, far more people are trying their hand at repairs themselves.
With COVID-19 keeping everyone at home, I think this trend has only accelerated.
That said, keeping track of your screws is a basic part of fixing anything—and one of the most important.
So I’d like to share how I manage screws when repairing junk items.
You can make this with an adhesive-backed magnet sheet from a hundred-yen shop and a clear tray.
When I bought mine, the magnet sheets were in the stationery section and the clear trays were in the storage section.
Just cut the magnet sheet to a suitable size and stick it on—that’s all there is to it.
Stackable trays work even better: stacking them in the order you disassemble things makes it easy to tell which screws came from where.
Another selling point is that you can keep small parts alongside the screws.
It’s easy to put together, so give it a try.