How do you store your braces and drills?

[Josh Bowman]

Looking sadly in my shop for a spoke pointer I paw through a drawer where I have about 4 braces, 5 or 6 egg beaters and the associated bits and doodads. There has to be a better way. Could you describe and or post pictures of how you store your Neanderthal hole producing stuff?
Thanks

[Tony Zaffuto]

I got a crap load of braces, etc. They mostly hang from the overhead plumbing pipes.

I have quite a few Frays with Spofford chucks, in graduated sizes. Each has an appropriate sized center bit always chucked, as well a several styles of countersinks and straight blade screwdrivers (in truth, I got a lot of Frays).

[Leon Jester]

Originally Posted by Josh Bowman

Looking sadly in my shop for a spoke pointer I paw through a drawer where I have about 4 braces, 5 or 6 egg beaters and the associated bits and doodads. There has to be a better way. Could you describe and or post pictures of how you store your Neanderthal hole producing stuff?
Thanks

I've a brace and a MF #2, both hang from pegs on the rack I put up, which also holds my hand saws.

The rack itself is simply a 2x4 bored with angled half-inch holes that I put lengths of dowel rod in. The rack is screwed to a wall. IIRC, I bored them with a Forstner bit in the brace.

Edit: Bits are stored in several places -- there's a drill index on my workbench (#1-60, A-Z and 1/16-1/2 x 64ths), the Forstners and brad points are over by my drill press, held by their shafts in blocks of some sort of wood.

[Randy Bonella]

I'm interested in this as well. I saw this picture on Jim Koepke's thread on Plane tills.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachme...1&d=1263305319

Only a partial of the brace storage but you get the idea.

[Jim Koepke]

This is another one of those beg questions of how to keep our abundance of tools in order.

For the bit storage, one of my auction purchases came with the bits in a box with a fold down front. There are round channels built into the box to hold the bits apart.

I also like the Russel Jennings three tiered box for a storage design.

And for my doweling bits, I have a tray with dividers that sits in the top of a box that holds plane blades in the bottom.

I know, no pictures it didn't happen. OK, quick find of the RJ bits:

Picture 1.jpg

Next time the camera is in the shop. Or if some are found on ebay...

jim

[Bob Smalser]

It's wet out there, and my tools are often used outdoors. Inside the shed, I want them out in the open to air where I can see any rust developing as well as grab and replace them at a commercial pace.

[Josh Bowman]

Originally Posted by Bob Smalser

It's wet out there, and my tools are often used outdoors. Inside the shed, I want them out in the open to air where I can see any rust developing as well as grab and replace them at a commercial pace.

Bob, what's this?

[Bob Smalser]

Lead.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=16747

[Josh Bowman]

Originally Posted by Bob Smalser

Lead.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=16747

Ok, it's lead......you assume I'm smarter than I am. What is the lead on and for? The block has sizes written on it....what for?

[Bob Smalser]

That lightweight mahogany block containing all those tall, top-heavy auger bits would tip over at the slightest touch without a significant counterweight.

The marked block shown is for saw files, which have similar storage problems. Like drill bits, they shouldn't touch each other in storage or they will dull, and rummaging through a drawer or box for the correct size file or bit is a major time and money loser. Plus out of sight....out of mind. As I said, I want to catch any rust as it's forming and not be unpleasantly surprised six months later when I open a box or drawer.

[Josh Bowman]

Originally Posted by Bob Smalser

That lightweight mahogany block containing all those long drill bits would tip over at the slightest touch without a significant counterweight.

The marked block shown is for saw files.

Ahhhhhh! I like the idea of counter weighting it.

[Dan Andrews]

Here are the ways I store my collection, shop user and tote box drills.The left hand pics of the tote show drills recessed into the box with slots and holes so they don't slide arround. The right pic of the box is with the drills and shelf removed.
OK, I'm a hand drill adict

[Joshua Clark]

Originally Posted by Josh Bowman

Could you describe and or post pictures of how you store your Neanderthal hole producing stuff?
Thanks

Here's how I store my braces, drills, and other boring tools. The advantage is that it limits the number of drilling tools I can own

Take care,
Josh

[Bill Houghton]

At the moment, I'm storing my braces and eggbeater drills by tying smallish loops in a short length of masonry twine (any twine would work), making a larger loop in one end by passing the twine through one loop, using that to hang the brace/drill by its knob (brace) or chuck (drill), then putting the other loop over a nail driven into the corner of a stud.

I don't much like this for the long run, because invariably the brace/drill I'd like is looped behind others on the nail. I have these fantasies about enough shop time to make a proper brace/drill till of some sort.

I confess that I have way too many of both to justify in any rational way (but they're so cheap!); in fact, I'm in the process of sending a couple of braces and an eggbeater to someone for his Scout troop. But I still have enough to equip every member of a basketball team AND the coach AND the trainer, and no doubt still have some left over.

I have a Stanley 610 that is my current go-to eggbeater that just leans on a shelf at the back of the bench.

[Derek Cohen]

A bit of storage - various tools. Braces and eggbeaters in the centre ...



Regards from Perth

Derek