Drill organization and similar

[ninefinger]

So the question is how do you organize your drills for storage and ease of access? I've looked at lots of shop pictures on this forum and others and I never see the drill bits! Lots of machines (drill presses, mills and lathes) but never the cutting tools that go in them. Where do you hide / store your drill bits?

I ask cause I'm trying to tidy up and need some inspiration for my drill collection which is growing (metric, letter x 2, number x 2, fractional- various sets plus MT shanks, countersinks, center drills, step drills, specialty and other orphaned drills (size and quality unknown...)

I'm leaning towards a tray that hold them vertically - but pictures of what others have done would be greatly appreciated!

Oh - and I also have a similar need to organize end mills!

Mike

 

[rkepler]

I generally keep drills in indexes for when I need then as a onsey:

I just took the shot above from a tooling cabinet. In it you can see a jobber 115 index, carbide jobber 115, screw machine fractions, letters and numbers (I use a lot of scew machine numbers) and a fraction taper length. Under them are 3 metric sets whose specifics I can't recall.

I keep drills in a couple other places - when I buy replacements I tend to buy more than one at a time, in smalls I buy 10/12, whatever comes in a packet. After keeping the index full the envelope goes into the top of a toolbox. If I expect to use a lot I just keep the envelope handy. Also in the top of the toolbox are tapping kits - bags with drills (tap & clearance), taps, guides and sometimes gages for threads I find common - 4-40, 5-40, 6-32, etc. There's probably another 3-4 small indexes and another 116 somewhere in the shop.

If you find a way to organize endmills that doesn't require a $1200 Lista cabinet I'd love to hear it. I'd get one but would have to kick out a machine tool to cram it in.

 

[Sshire]

I have Huot index boxes for drill bits and reamers. Huot indexes are not expensive and are made from a heavier grade of steel than the usual big box store indexes. The over/under reamer box and fractional indexes are (as are all Huot boxes) stamped with sizes.
I'm thinking of getting their end mill box next.

My 115 drill index is the Harbor Freight tin from the set that I bought and when a HF bit breaks or dulls, I have replaced them with better drills.
My neighbor has all of his bits in plastic bins and every time he needs a bit it seems to be a 10 minute exercise to find the correct one.

Best
Stan

 

[ShopShoe]

What rkepler said. I use the Huot indexes for sets of drills. In addition, I have Huot indexes that store taps paired with the appropriate drills in the larger sizes of NC, NF, and Metric. For smaller taps there is a Huot index for only small size taps (but not in metric sizes.) Cutters for lathe and mill live in drawers under the benchtop machines I use. See Brian Rupnow's recent carpentry project: Mine are built similar to his, except I cut dados in the sides and ends of the drawers to allow adding and rearranging internal dividers as needs change.

All cutting edges except the drills and taps mentioned above are stored in wood, plastic, or cardboard/paper containers to protect the sharp edges.

I have found that my organization methods change as I change, so nothing is really perfect and permanent.

The best thing for my own organization is to stay away from impulse purchases. It seems to be hardest to find a good place for something that is seldom used but bought with hard-earned money.

 

[ninefinger]

Well, here is todays solution. We'll see if I still like it after a few weeks. Photobucket is acting up so the pictures are below. Metric on left, followed by fractional, then letter and finally number drills. I also have a row of number drills at the back cause they are in a long holder I didn't want to give up.

All I did was glue down a few strips of wood to allow the individual holders to sit in. This way I can mix and match the sets around and the organizer is not customized to any particular drill set.

Its not too bad for size either at 16" x 16". The picture in my first post had the drills laid out on my cart which is 16"x30" so some space savings (but vertical height is now 7")
Now I just need to put it away - or set it up as a shelf (debating the best location for it...)

Mike

 

[Richard Carlstedt]

To keep number drills from being placed in the wrong spot or box,
I put a dab of paint in the flute gullet near the shank
Get some old red nail polish as it is hard and is quite visible.
You may want to use other colors for metric or special purposes.

I use drill indexes next to the lathe and the drill press, but use boxes like Mr Kepler

Rich