Router bit storage - Sleeve or no Sleeve

[Anthony Whitesell]

With my router table top and cabinet carcass finished, and the dust collection to be finished by this weekend, it's time to start on the drawers. Drawer #1 is for the router bits. I have a design in mind for the bit holders themselves, but I know know if I should allow room for sleeves around the shanks or not.

For those of you out there that have bit your own router bit storage units, did you use sleeves in the holes or not? Why do I need or not need the sleeves?

[Prashun Patel]

My vote: no sleeves.

[Bill White]

With my router table top and cabinet carcass finished, and the dust collection to be finished by this weekend, it's time to start on the drawers. Drawer #1 is for the router bits. I have a design in mind for the bit holders themselves, but I know know if I should allow room for sleeves around the shanks or not.

For those of you out there that have bit your own router bit storage units, did you use sleeves in the holes or not? Why do I need or not need the sleeves?

I just drilled appropriate dia. holes in some 1/2" acrylic countertop material I had on hand. Left enough space so bits wouldn't touch. 1/2" hole then a 1/4" hole in rows. Works for me, and I don't have to worry about sleeves.
Bill

[Peter Quinn]

If you think the shanks will catch a cold sitting in the shop all day then definitely provide them with sleeves, or at least a shawl. Otherwise a 17/32" hole 3/4" deep drilled in dry wood spaced accordingly seems to suffice for me. LOL

Excuse my stupidity, but I'm not sure what a sleeve is in this context or what its purpose might be?

[Anthony Whitesell]

I'm not sure the purpose of the sleeve either. Also known as inserts or bushings. I've seen them in all the woodworking catalogs and stores. Some are for reducing 1/2" holes to 1/4". I get the purpose of those. But I have also seen 1/2" diameter ID for 1/2" router bits, and the same for 1/4" router bits. I have some router bit cases that have the inserts and some that don't. So I thought I would ask the experts.

[Lee Koepke]

I'm not sure the purpose of the sleeve either. Also known as inserts or bushings. I've seen them in all the woodworking catalogs and stores. Some are for reducing 1/2" holes to 1/4". I get the purpose of those. But I have also seen 1/2" diameter ID for 1/2" router bits, and the same for 1/4" router bits. I have some router bit cases that have the inserts and some that don't. So I thought I would ask the experts.
one of my ShopNotes (or similar) magazine had you using nylon bushings for 'sleeves'. the theory was if the wood shrank, you would still be able to get the bit out and not be tight.

I will be making my router bit storage without bushings.

[David Miller]

I've also heard that moisture will work out of the wood and potentially cause corrosion on the shank of the bit.

[Dave Sweeney]

I believe the purpose of those sleeve is to prevent moisture from transferring from the wood onto the router bit's shank. Moisture on the shank could cause it to rust. I prefer the sleeves that are screwed to the top of a piece of wood, Lee Valley PN 16J03.61(¼" shanks) and 16J03.62(½" shanks) or Click Here! (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&cat=1,46168,50736,50697&p=50697)

[Dave Burris]

Late last year I made a similar drawer rack to house my router bit "collection" and used some scrap solid surface inserts. The inserts are strips of ss 1" deep by 1.25" wide running the length of my drawer. I set the inserts between hardwood strips to keep the inserts in place. I staggered the holes in the ss so that larger bits will fit between rows in front and behind. The weather here gets pretty cold at times and I have not had a problem getting the shanks free from the inserts. I hope this helps a little.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Sorry Dave, those won't fit the design. While I was over there I saw the brass ones. They're sharp. At $2 each, a little out of my price range though.

[Chris Padilla]

I believe the purpose of those sleeve is to prevent moisture from transferring from the wood onto the router bit's shank. Moisture on the shank could cause it to rust. I prefer the sleeves that are screwed to the top of a piece of wood, Lee Valley PN 16J03.61(¼" shanks) and 16J03.62(½" shanks) or Click Here! (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&cat=1,46168,50736,50697&p=50697)


Dave, those are quite nice albeit a bit spendy but you can easily move them around as your bit's grow. I may just have to pick some up!!

[Chris Padilla]

Sorry Dave, those won't fit the design. While I was over there I saw the brass ones. They're sharp. At $2 each, a little out of my price range though.

I have a foam block that has 'x' or '+' cutout into so you can jam your bits into it.

[Rod Sheridan]

A short scrap of 1/2" copper pipe or PVC pipe will make you many bit holders for not much money.

I used the copper pipe for my bit holders...........Rod.

[Peter Quadarella]

Once I have a drawer, my plan is to drill holes in square pieces of scrap wood, and put them in a drawer.

[Jim Becker]

I believe the purpose of those sleeve is to prevent moisture from transferring from the wood onto the router bit's shank. Moisture on the shank could cause it to rust.

Oh, I don't know....I'm thinking that the purpose of the sleeves is...to relieve you of more of your money! :p Seriously, I just drill holes of the appropirate size. And if you fear wood movement, you can always use 1/4" MDF as an insert and drill that to hold the cutters.

[Dave Sweeney]

Oh, I don't know....I'm thinking that the purpose of the sleeves is...to relieve you of more of your money! :p Seriously, I just drill holes of the appropirate size. And if you fear wood movement, you can always use 1/4" MDF as an insert and drill that to hold the cutters.

Actually Jim I did have a problem with some of my router bit shanks rusting when I used your method of just drilling holes. That's why I switched to the Lee Valley holders and haven't had a spec of rust since doing so.

[Dave Sweeney]

Dave, those are quite nice albeit a bit spendy but you can easily move them around as your bit's grow. I may just have to pick some up!!

Chris, thanks for adding the link to my post. I was going to do that myself but I didn't think that those kinds of links were allowed here.

[Jim Becker]

Dave that's good to know. I have never had a rust issue in my shop, so that's something I wouldn't have noticed. Good point!

[Steve Clardy]

No sleeves here.

My drawer has a chunk of 1/2" MDF set into the drawer, with holes drilled into it.
I can remove the MDF if necessary

[Rick Levine]

I was concerned with moisture causing rust on my bits so I added these to the drawers:

http://routerbitworld.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=router+bit+bushing&Extensive_Search=Y

They aren't expensive and I just used some superglue to secure them.

[Jim O'Dell]

I really liked the LV holders, but they wouldn't fit the drawers I already had made. Thought about acrylic panels and drill holes, but didn't like the idea of how that would look. I really wanted a wood look, so I made some false floors out of 1/3" BB ply that are raised off the actual drawer bottom, drilled holes and used some rubber grommets made to fit in 3/16" thick panels from McMaster-Carr. Bags of 25 were under 9.00 each. I got some for 1/2" and 1/4" shanks, and they work very well. I have a foam insulation panel in the bottom, and I have a silica bead pack I need to throw under the false floor to help absorb any moisture. You can see a picture of my set up here: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=72990 post 12. I figure I can drill more and space them for the bit as I go. Jim.

[Peter Quinn]

In an effort to save money on sleeves I purchased a $200 moisture meter to check the moisture content of my bit holding blanks. I use only wood below 8%. I also installed several monster dehumidifiers that regulate shop humidity while giving that gerbal in my power meter a stiff workout. I typically bake the wood gently overnight to remove as much excess moisture as possible. To date I have had no issues with shanks rusting and have saved a considerable amount in sleeves.

[Chris Padilla]

In an effort to save money on sleeves I purchased a $200 moisture meter to check the moisture content of my bit holding blanks. I use only wood below 8%. I also installed several monster dehumidifiers that regulate shop humidity while giving that gerbal in my power meter a stiff workout. I typically bake the wood gently overnight to remove as much excess moisture as possible. To date I have had no issues with shanks rusting and have saved a considerable amount in sleeves.

Me thinks you need copious use of Smilies in what I believe is a post positively dripping with rusty SARCASM! :D ;) :p :)

[Peter Quinn]

Sorry Chris, :rolleyes::p;):cool::eek::confused::):D:D:D

Truth is I keep each of my more valuable bits (cope and schtick, raised panel, sash kits, plywood set, dado set, BIG pattern makers bit, moulding bits, etc) in its original box, which usually involves closed cell foam, and or sleeves. These all reside in a large empty waterproof First Aid box (not kidding) I was given. I keep fresh desicant in the box. Its only my woodcraft $5 bits I leave hanging in the breeze, subject to the whim of nature. They never seem to rust though?

[Joe Spear]

I cut some blocks out of a pine bed I found at the curb on trash day. The wood is about 1 1/2" thick. I had heard about the possibility of rust or corrosion from contact with the wood, so I went to Lowes. They have clear plastic tubing in various diameters on reels. I'm sure you can get it in many places. Take a 1/2" router bit and a 1/4" bit with you, and, if you use 8mm bits, take one of those, too. Insert the shanks in the various size tubing to see what fits each one. The stuff is sold by the foot and is cheap. Buy a few feet of whatever sizes you need.

Drill holes in a wood block to fit the outside diameter of the tubing, cut lengths with shears or big scissors to fit the depth of your holes, insert the tubing, and insert the bits. The tubing usually sticks on the router bit shank when you pull it out, but pull it off and put it back in the hole. For us cheap woodworkers, it is an economical alternative to those pre-made router-bit-holder blocks you see advertised. And you can tailor the size of the blocks to your storage drawers or shelves or wherever you keep your bits.

[Greg Hines, MD]

As I understand it, the point of the sleeves is to reduce the size of the 1/2" holes for 1/4" shank bits. For my bit drawers, I just drilled 1/2" holes all the way through the 5/8" plywood bit holders, and then screwed them to 1/2" bases, to fit into the cabinet box. I have not had any problems with the shanks becoming trapped due to humidity, at least not yet. As you can see in the photos, I did drill 1/4" holes as well, though I do not have many of those shanked bits that I use very often, so most are 1/2".

Doc