A woodworker at SawmillCreek has too many bits and not enough storage. He asked his fellow creekers for some ideas on how to make his bits easy to access. They mentioned great ideas and included great links to bit storage products that you may have never thought of.
Here are quotes from the Creekers:
1) 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.
2) 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.
3) 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.
4) 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.
5) The Boss Drill Storage Idea Them ALL: Drill Storage
This is one gorgeous set up! Check out the pictures but don’t let your shop see them – it will kick you out…
6) Baby Soda Bottles
One professional woodworker swears by these little tubes – he keeps his bits in them in his mobile woodshop.
7) Huot Cutting Tool Storage
If you want the best, the very best. And most expensive.
Check out: So what do you do for Drill Bit Storage?
http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=15460
AND check out: Drill Storage
Get a drill index. It works the best for storage and accessability, period. Extra bits should be kept in the skin packs they were sold in and hung on a nail for ease of restocking. If you buy in loose bulk, laying them in between two layers of blue painters tape keeps tham from rolling around in a drawer. Glass bottles are dangerous for the obviouse reasons.
Drill Guage templates are as a rule easy to pick up. Take two and tack them on either a thin fir strip or plastic. One on either end. Now you have the size of the hole and exact secure holder to take anywhere. Cheep.
Randy
http://www.advantage-drillbits.com
Good one, Randy! I’ll include your idea in the next ToolCrib newsletter.
G
http://www.hermanscentral.com has a lot of drill bit storage items on their web site. Most of them are huot. I think they show them under the organization and storage section
I use my old pill bottles to put my drill bits in. I have build me a old time carpenters tools box for them to stand up in. I all so put my screw driver bits and nut drivers for the drill in them. Walmart will sale you more pill bottles. That is where I got mine. Good Luck Building