So what do you do for Drill Bit Storage?

Ok guys, how do you store drill bits? I’ve got hundreds, maybe a thousand it seems. In all shapes and sizes:

Vix bits
Masonry Bits
Counter bore bits
Mortise Bits and Chisels
Countersinks
Spare Bits
Hole Saws
Forstner Bits
Tapered bits
Brad Point Bits
Plug Cutters
Kreg bits
Index Bits
Bit extensions
A few large Auger bits
and a few Metric bits

I have several smaller bit sets I have with various tools and in locations around the shop. I have a nice full set of indexed bits, but hundreds of ”old” jobbers bits that were given to me. Many are still good, but I just keep them in a big box. I want to add a full set of forstners as I only have about 6 now that I’ve purchased along the way. They are good quality, but I often wish I had a bigger size assortment in the shop. My mortise bits and big box of extras didn’t make the picture, but at least you guys get the idea. Right now I pack the white tool box with all it can hold, and it and most everything else go in a cabinet next to the drill press. The other various and specialty bits (carbide, mortise, etc…) go live with the appropriate tools.

My problem is while I can physically store the bits close to the drill press, they are not convenient. I also need to unstack the boxes and dig to find what I’m looking for.

So how does everyone store drill bits and accessories?

John

http://www.weberwoodworking.com/pics05/drillbits.jpg

This picture shows the white cabinet that I store everything in next to the drill press. I also use this cabinet for saw blades, thoat plates, drill and tap set, and a couple other odds and ends. It is full and heavy.

http://www.weberwoodworking.com/pond...necorner-l.jpg

P.S. I also have a Drill Doctor, so no real reason to have so many doubles, triples, quads, etc...

Sorry, no good ideas. I only have a fraction of that...but how do you like the Drill Doctor? Which one? I have been thinking that would keep me from accumulating too many. I just can't throw them out even though they are dull.

I cut 1 1/2" X 1" boards out of scrap pine. I then put a 3-4 degree bevel on one side. I drilled holes in them to fit each bit set and glued them to the inside of the doors.

For my brad points and fractional drills I left them in the holders with the holes but took the holders out of the case. Instead of drilling holes for each bit, I cut a slot and put the holders in the slot. This way, I can take out ta whole holder of them and have them handy at the drill to get the right fit.

I have a whole set of Fostners at 1/16 to 2 1/8 and 1/8 to 3 1/2. I made a tray for them using two MDF boards, drilled with appropriate spacing. I then put kitchen drawer sliders on them and made a moveable shelf. Probably took more time lableing the size of everything than building the holders.
No pics yet. just got one of those digi things for Xmas and am trying to learn how to use it and download pictures into the comp.

Sounds like a bity problem to me. Get yourself 4 more drill presses and 5 or 6 portable drill motors then tell me how/where they should be stored. About the only help I can offer is to accept your extras post paid thus eliminating that portion of your pain.

John......

Where's the sawdust???? :confused:

Looks more like a museum than a shop!!!! :D

Many of my bits are loose, so I lined a drawer with 1" styrofoam insulation, covered it with packing tape, and drilled holes for the bits, in rows and columns, etc. The pink is bit annoying, but it works well. Did the same with another drawer of router bits.
Alan

Mark,

The Drill Dr. works great, while I still have way to many drills, I can easily touch up any and I have been very pleased.

Gary,

The shop was cleaned up for "picture day" a couple years ago. It's small so I need to keep fairly organized, but I track plenty of sawdust into the house.

Thanks - John

I'm not that organized...I have mine in an old machinists bench box. But Huot is how many shops do it. It may give you some ideas.
http://www.huot.com/index.html

Glenn,

Thanks, a little more $$$ then I would want to spend, but I like the idea of thin drawers. I could likely make something along those lines, or even look to a Craftsman tool box with mulitple drawers.

John

I to have the drill doctor, and it gets plenty of use. I got the 1/2" model then upgraded to the 3/4" model by getting the added larger drill bit sharpening insert.


I also have tons of bits of all types and sizes. (Up to 1" in HSS, 3 1/4" in fortsner, 1 1/2" in spade. ) On top of that, I have more then 100 router bits. So you can get an idea how important bit storage is for me with all this money invested in cutting tools.

I am still setting up and organizing my new shop. (This is taking many more months then I ever thought it would!:( )

My plan is to buy a few pieces of Lexan, or some other plastic like material in about 1/2" or 3/4" thick. (A nice looking white would be preferred over clear.) Then place maybe 3/4" cheap plywood in drawers under the plastic (In cabinets near the drill press, and router tables) Use standoffs where needed to raise the Lexan to an apropriate height. Drill the correct size hole through the Lexan and just slightly in to the plywood in rows and or coloumns for a nice looking storage system.

If and when I get this complete, I will post pictures. (That is, if it looks good!;) )
A really good way to store HSS drill bits, is to store them with the sharp end down toward the plywood. This not only protects the cutting edge, but prevents the bits fom slipping in your hand while removing them, which can cut a finger pretty good. You could subtatute the plywood with foam insulation.

Plastic bags in a plastic drawer thingie! Yea...I need to do something about that one of these days... :D

Drill indexes' for my fraction, number and letter drills (I was a tool room machinist). Most of the other drills sets I've bought, forstner and brad point, I leave in the original box. However, have a regularly used drills/counter sinks/taps/forstner bits and counter sinks in a tray at the drill press.

If you think about it you too have drills and such that you use more than others. Leave then out so their ready to use when you need them. Saves time searching.

Mmmmm. Where's the design forum moderator when you need him? Given the lack of solutions presented, I'd think this was a prime opportunity for a group design project....

Jack

Quote:

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Originally Posted by John Weber

Ok guys, how do you store drill bits? I’ve got hundreds, maybe a thousand it seems. In all shapes and sizes:

Vix bits
Masonry Bits
Counter bore bits
Mortise Bits and Chisels
Countersinks
Spare Bits
Hole Saws
Forstner Bits
Tapered bits
Brad Point Bits
Plug Cutters
Kreg bits
Index Bits
Bit extensions
A few large Auger bits
and a few Metric bits

I have several smaller bit sets I have with various tools and in locations around the shop. I have a nice full set of indexed bits, but hundreds of ”old” jobbers bits that were given to me. Many are still good, but I just keep them in a big box. I want to add a full set of forstners as I only have about 6 now that I’ve purchased along the way. They are good quality, but I often wish I had a bigger size assortment in the shop. My mortise bits and big box of extras didn’t make the picture, but at least you guys get the idea. Right now I pack the white tool box with all it can hold, and it and most everything else go in a cabinet next to the drill press. The other various and specialty bits (carbide, mortise, etc…) go live with the appropriate tools.

My problem is while I can physically store the bits close to the drill press, they are not convenient. I also need to unstack the boxes and dig to find what I’m looking for.

So how does everyone store drill bits and accessories?

John

http://www.weberwoodworking.com/pics05/drillbits.jpg

This picture shows the white cabinet that I store everything in next to the drill press. I also use this cabinet for saw blades, thoat plates, drill and tap set, and a couple other odds and ends. It is full and heavy.

http://www.weberwoodworking.com/pond...necorner-l.jpg

P.S. I also have a Drill Doctor, so no real reason to have so many doubles, triples, quads, etc...

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this may or may not help you---check out pressboxstorage.com you can set this drawer or more than one on your drill press stand.

Here is what I did for mine that works pretty well. http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.p...=drill+storage

Some LV drawers under the DP.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachme...3&d=1090204447

I have my Rockwell bench top radial arm drill press mounted on a metal cabinet with full extension drawers. I've taken each one and sectioned it to fit and sort drills.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Walt Nicholson

Here is what I did for mine that works pretty well. http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.p...=drill+storage

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I think we have a winner!

Although Larry's setup is inspirational too. Something along these lines is on my list.

Would you like to sell that, Walt? That must have taken a long time to make! Looks great. I just started drilling holes in a board this afternoon but I don't think it will look that good.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by John Weber

Glenn,

Thanks, a little more $$$ then I would want to spend, but I like the idea of thin drawers. I could likely make something along those lines, or even look to a Craftsman tool box with mulitple drawers.

John

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Make your own. :D Eay for me to say.

i have a couple of drawer banks left over from a bathroom job that i use to store all my bits and blades. router bits are stored in pieces of foam with holes for the shafts, speed bore bits are stored in bank bags, twist bits and all the misc cutters are laid out in plastic trays inside the drawers for easy access and everything is labeled with my P-touch. one of the keys to efficient tooling change out is not having to spend 30 minutes looking for a particular size bit but to have it stored in such a manner that makes it quick to spot.

My storage system is still in process and needs to be completed, but so it seems to working well for me. The drawers come out so you can carry them around the shop. The front and the back drawer sections come off so you can use the full length of the drill if you need to. Some handles will be added to make them easier to pick up or remove them.Attachment 276471Attachment 276474Attachment 276475

Metal tool cabinets which have lots of thin drawers. Inside that, their original boxes or whatever I can find, such as lidless plastic containers rescued from the trash.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Larry Conely

I have my Rockwell bench top radial arm drill press mounted on a metal cabinet with full extension drawers. I've taken each one and sectioned it to fit and sort drills.

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Love this! Did you just route grooves into MDF?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Larry Dunn

My storage system is still in process and needs to be completed, but so it seems to working well for me. The drawers come out so you can carry them around the shop. The front and the back drawer sections come off so you can use the full length of the drill if you need to. Some handles will be added to make them easier to pick up or remove them.Attachment 276471Attachment 276474Attachment 276475

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I really like your level of organization Larry. Well done. I prefer that level of organization because I just tend to forget where stuff is and I need that crutch to help me NOT waste time constantly looking for things.

My system is a bit like Larry's, except my drill press is against a wall, and the cabinet is made with horse shoe shaped drawers, with a matching cab top. It is pretty deep, and some drawers are divided into three sections, long on both sides, short in the middle (ergo horse shoe). Mine was featured in WoodSmith mag Feb. 2000, issue 127, if you have it.

They built theirs a bit different than mine. Mine is all drawers, no shelves, and deeper than theirs. Mine is also made of scraps left over from a dog house, nothing fancy, but you could customize the drawer depth to get six to eight in the space allowed, easy. I have four in mine, and two are fairly deep to hold drill motors and jigs. I have a lot of bits too, and they fit in two drawers.

I will try to take pics later today. If you happen to have WoodSmiths back issue library, the easy way to find it is to enter 'Richard Potter'.

Rick Potter

Recently retired as a commercial construction superintendent, occasionally I would be called upon to do something when a carpenter was not available. I carried around a small amount of tools for commercial door installation and things of that nature. I kept the tools in the back of the company pickup truck in one of those aluminum boxes (when I was not out of town of course),. Compacting and categorizing tools into small organized packages was essential as I had very little room. I decided to change out and make my own woodwork as I did not like the styles that were commercial available without special ordering it. I don't have the facilities to store a whole house of doors and woodwork, so the only thing left was to make it. What I found was my methods of organization used for an 'on the move' situation did not work. And with the additional tools I picked up to do the work I just had no room, and that system did not work well at all. I am only a member of this site. I have incorporated a lot of different ideas into something that works with the stuff I have laying around and of course my situation. Needless to say I have taken a lot ideas from not only this site, but others. So its time for me to try to give something back. Please bear in mind that I am not a carpenter or anything affiliated with that trade at all. I have yet to make any woodwork or start any of the projects I am going to attempt in the future. My primary function has been to convert my garage into a garage - workshop, and still be able to get the vehicles in it. I will be sure to visit this site often in the future as begin the woodwork creating and installation process, as well as the cabinetry and other things on my plate that I plan to do in the future. To sum it up; I have no idea what I am doing and am going to need all the help I can get.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tom Sontag

I think we have a winner!

Although Larry's setup is inspirational too. Something along these lines is on my list.

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http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.p...=drill+storage

Wow!!!! Simply, wow!!!

John,

I don't see any pictures

Larry, what is that in the back of the Drill Press, a VFD?

Yes. The drill press came from a middle school and originally had a 3 phase motor on it. I have not installed the 3 phase motor yet. I will use it to reverse the drill and to have better control of the speed without changing the belts on the pulleys. I will be adding a VFD to my table saw as well as soon as I get a chance to get it off the shelf. I have a phase converter on it now and thought it would be nice to slow it down to cut plastic. I picked up a commercial sewing machine some time back and added a 5 HP servo motor (in lieu of the clutch motor), with a VFD and added a touch screen to control it. I used a guitar volume peddle to control the speed. I programed in start sequence where as no matter how hard you tromp on the peddle it would only speed up at a pre-determined rate base on a curve. In other words; at 100 rpm's there is no delay. The faster you set the machine the more delay is applied. My intentions are to add a foot peddle to the drill press to do similar things and still keep my hands on the work.

Two fractional index boxes one fractional stand one wall mount for spade bits one wall mount for hole saws and one cigar box for oversize and extra bits