One of the items on my to do list is to get my shop a little better organized. Many of my tanged bits (for use in a brace) are stored in boxes, trays or in a drawer. This project is a test of concept for the storage of tanged bits.
Using a protractor gauge the tangs of a few bits were determined to be 10º. A bevel gauges was set to 85º for marking saw cuts.
Some half inch scrap of vertical grain fir was used. A line was marked for the depth for the tang.
The bits were set on the bench and a divider was set for the centers of what seemed like good spacing. The centers for the bits were stepped off:
a Stepping for Placement.jpg
After penciling in the vertical center lines, a 1/4” hole was drilled for the bottom of each socket. This was also done with a piece of scrap to test for best sizing. Holding the pencil inside the bore then bringing the bevel gauge to the pencil made for a tighter fit. The exposed part of the bore for the socket being marked is visible:
b Marking Cuts.jpg
If you got ‘em use ‘em. Having rounded edges on things seems nicer than sharp square corners:
c Throwing in a Curve.jpg
The center was rounded with a 3/4” hollow and the sides were rounded with a quarter round.
Getting ready to put it together:
d Ready to Assemble.jpg
One of the things that seems to catch me on an all to often basis is when using screws, even with pilot holes, the pieces separate due to the fastener pushing one piece from another:
e Fastner Caused Separation.jpg
The screw was backed out and a different clamping strategy was used to a much better result. The bits were set in their sockets and all looks good:
Finished Bit Holder.jpg
The backside has three screws and the visible side here has two.
And there is still room on the shelf, that until recently was a mess, to have a resting place:
g Bit Holder on Shelf.jpg
This may become part of a larger project ot make an auger bit cabinet with a few rows of holders like this that can stand upright or be tilted forward to facilitate bit removal and returning bits to storage. Something like the index boxes for twist drills.
jtk