Router Bit Storage

One of my first projects was some storage boxes for my router bits. I copied the idea from @jkopel.

They are all very plain, but it makes it easy to find the bits I am looking for now.

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Nice job. I’d leave the boxes without bottoms (except for the top one).

I’m going to build a Stepped Stand to store mine on so I can see them better. :slight_smile:

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Love all things for organization! Well done!

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Chuckle! Makes me want to get some router bits! :smile:

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Great idea! I keep meaning to make some organizers and I’ve been falling down on the job.

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Well done! I really like the score reference marks.

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The bottom box has a spacer in the bottom because some of the bits are so short that they would not stick up high enough to identify.

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Got it. Good call .

As noted above, I like how you scored the bit sizes too.

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I really like the scores. I know It’s OCD, but if you figured out what you wanted where you could even put the names on. (I would, and then endlessly put bit in the wrong spots.)

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Nice job David. Love the organization! Not a dime over $500 worth of bits there

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I am glad if I was able to provide some inspiration, but you did all the work!
Those look great.

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Wasn’t that one of your first projects? :thinking:

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This is on my list of things to do.

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Ah yes, those were end mills, very similar.
I have been meaning to make more!

Yours are nice since they offer more room for extracting the bits.

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Thats a good bit of boxes there. :grinning:

Yea! Got the first pun…

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If you are starting out, I would recommend looking at Amazon.

I’ve got similar sets to these:

1/4" shank:

1/2" shank:

Not the highest quality router bits, but I’ve used them for about 5 years of woodworking, and I figure that the ones I use the most I can throw away and get higher quality bits to fit in their space. It is very clearly marked, easy to store, and the edges are protected from each other.

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That looks like a nice set. I had purchased my bits one at a time as needed and never bought them as a set.

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I had considered doing that, but when I started out with my shop I was going with a mindset of buy cheap, learn on the cheap, when I ruin it, buy the good stuff.

So when I got to the router bits, I was looking at how much it would cost to get a good set of starter bits, and when I found that many are about $5 each (the rough average), and the number of bits I wanted to start out with (about 6 flat end, 4 straight bits, 3-4 roundover bits, several decorative edging bits, 2-3 cove bits, etc…) I was looking to spend more money than this “case” of bits. I fully expected them to wear out or even break within the first year. But actually I just replaced my first bit (1/2" straight bit) about two months ago.

I’ll be the first to agree that you’ll get smoother cuts with a better bit, but these leave an acceptable surface.

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You could always do a finish pass with a higher quality bit…especially when removing a lot of wood…?
Organization boxes will likely be a bunch of my 1st projects :slight_smile:

I wouldn’t recommend that actually. When you change router bits, especially if it is in a router table, you lower the bit, loosen it up, replace, raise the bit, do your best to level it, run multiple tests to make sure it’s “good enough” and then you apply it to the piece you want to use it on. I don’t know that I can get the exact same level twice. For some bits it’s not that big of a deal (i.e. cutting a channel or using a straight edge bit), but for some others it would be VERY finicky (Roman Ogee bit or Wave Edge).

It potentially COULD be done, but a LOT of work to line it up exactly and not ruin the look.

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