# Drill bit stand -Not Made any More??



## VicHobbyGuy (Mar 3, 2022)

For years, I've kept my common drill bit collection near my bench in plastic drill bit stands made by General USA.
Here's a picture of a knockoff of the fractional version:





I have fractional, number and metric versions. They work really well - molded recesses for each size drill and each size is marked (in a contrasting colour!) with molded raised numbers. If you've ever used a stand like this you won't be happy with a metal '2-tier' stand which requires threading the drill through two holes.

It's one of those items that seemed so practical (and cheap) that I assumed I easily could find another one to accommodate my increasing drill collection (for brass vs steel, for example).

I'll save you the geezer rant about disappearing buggy whips, but....apparently these aren't available any more, at least in metric.

For $20-$40 I can find molded stands without labels or with labels in helpful black-on-black or orange-on-orange printing. Not what I want.

Does anybody know a source for stands like these, in metric? (BusyBee has the fractional knockoff).

Thanks.


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## PeterT (Mar 3, 2022)

KBC sells Huot which are not bad. But their min shipping cost just expensive so not good for small $ items. I bought a cheesy metric knockoff for some spares that wasn't worth the expense, the holes were very tight on the drills.






						Results Page 1 :: KBC Tools & Machinery
					






					www.kbctools.ca


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## PeterT (Mar 3, 2022)

oops, you said metric & I dont see Huot metric


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## combustable herbage (Mar 3, 2022)

A 3d printed one could be an option.  









						Drill Bit Holder by tmt0727
					

I can buy a stand for my round set from Amazon.https://www.amazon.com/Huot-11900-Drill-Capacity-increments/dp/B0002FSBMC/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=64ths+Drill+Bit+Stand&qid=1621750088&s=industrial&sr=1-5 This is one for my hex set. The texts are pultruded, so you can put colors easily after...




					www.thingiverse.com
				












						Parametric drill bit stand by Yenya
					

I had various drill bits of unusual sizes in my toolbox, so I have decided to make a parametric stand for them in order to see their diameters instead of measuring them one-by-one all the time. The thing can be easily customized for different diameters and number of rows. See the instructions...




					www.thingiverse.com
				












						Parametric Drill Tower Stand (Rangement forets) by Pictavius
					

Tour pour ranger ses forets 1 mm à 10 mm (+3.3 mm) Tower to strore your drills




					www.thingiverse.com


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## VicHobbyGuy (Mar 3, 2022)

combustable herbage said:


> A 3d printed one could be an option.


Not an option for me, I think, but thanks for the suggestion!


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## VicHobbyGuy (Mar 3, 2022)

PeterT said:


> KBC sells Huot which are not bad. But their min shipping cost just expensive so not good for small $ items. I bought a cheesy metric knockoff for some spares that wasn't worth the expense, the holes were very tight on the drills.


Thanks for the suggestion. My impression about KBC :High prices and high shipping, but popular. $50+ for layout fluid...I don't think so.


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## LenVW (Mar 3, 2022)

I bought a fractional Inch drill rack at BB two days ago for $3.99.
No metric racks were available.


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## whydontu (Mar 3, 2022)

Drill points up or down? I was taught points down, takes less time to sharpen a drill bit than it takes to stop the bleeding and get a bandaid when you spear the end of your finger on a sharp 1/16” bit.


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## YotaBota (Mar 3, 2022)

Do you have an empty transfer punch stand kicking around? The only metric ones I've seen are the three tiered tin ones, the fractional stands can be plastic or tin.


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## darrin1200 (Mar 4, 2022)

VicHobbyGuy said:


> Not an option for me, I think, but thanks for the suggestion!


Check locally, for someone that does 3D printing. 
Post an ad in FB marketplace, or Kijiji. Alot of people do it as a side gig to pay for their hobby.


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## Chip Maker (Mar 4, 2022)

There's a couple on Ebay that are plastic and very pricey. One in Australia and one in UK. Shipping is not cheap as well. Metric being the common in Europe would be good place to look.


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## Chip Maker (Mar 4, 2022)

As an afterthought, what about dismantling a metric drill index and making a frame around it.


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## Gearhead88 (Mar 4, 2022)

I use a piece of Madagascar dark rosewood , drilled , sanded and varnished ...............................


Nah , just kidding , I have the Asian plastic one.

I did find an interesting bit holder when I searched Amazon ..........


			https://www.amazon.ca/Denture-Holder-Driver-Storage-Adapter/dp/B09SHMKX3W/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?crid=2IRGM7A5D5Z1P&keywords=drill+bit+holder+case&qid=1646406016&sprefix=Drill+bit+holder%2Caps%2C338&sr=8-4-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzSktHQk1GTU9PM0RSJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzEzMzg2SlJLN0FVWkZKVEMzJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA5MDUzMDUyUktSSVpaSzFMVzFFJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
		



I'll be getting one


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## VicHobbyGuy (Mar 4, 2022)

Thanks for the suggestions; I appreciate them.

How do you folks keep your shop drills 'ready to use' ?

Again, my criteria -completely fulfilled by the GENERAL metric drill stand I bought 30+ (?) years ago for a few dollars:
-Reasonable cost -  $15 max
-Molded holes for drills - not a multi-level metal frame with holes
-Clear (contrasting colour) labels on each hole
Like this - I shoulda bought two of them!


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## VicHobbyGuy (Mar 4, 2022)

Gearhead88 said:


> I use a piece of Madagascar dark rosewood , drilled , sanded and varnished ...............................


That would be no probem for me, but how to get the contrasting colour labels?
A 10k laser etching system or a CNC router would do it...then fill with white paint?


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## YYCHM (Mar 4, 2022)

If you can't find one to purchase, I think 3D Printed is your best option.


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## VicHobbyGuy (Mar 4, 2022)

YYCHM said:


> If you can't find one to purchase, I think 3D Printed is your best option.


Thanks for the suggestion.
I don't have a printer, and there's a learning curve which I don't want to bother with (I'd rather make stuff not computer drawings of stuff..)
I know what I charge as a minimum to do 'hobby jobs', and I'd expect the same from a 3D printer owner.
I'll probably stack up some plexi and just drill my own. Stick on labels or print a sheet and sandwich it between the top plexi layers.
I guess I'm in a real minority with my preferences - I can't stand fiddling with those metal drill indexes, and I like to have commonly used drill bits on the shelf.


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## Chicken lights (Mar 4, 2022)

How come you can’t make one? I was just at a place the other day that had a dumpster of poly off cuts. 

Then use a set of number punches with a paint marker for the labels


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## Susquatch (Mar 4, 2022)

Gearhead88 said:


> I use a piece of Madagascar dark rosewood , drilled , sanded and varnished ..............



I like this. When I get my DRO working so I can drill spaced holes easily, I think I'll make one out of black Walnut. Lots of that in the forest beside the house. 

I'll be watching the rest of this thread for ways to do the labelling.


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## Chicken lights (Mar 4, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> I'll be watching the rest of this thread for ways to do the labelling.


Label maker.....


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## CalgaryPT (Mar 4, 2022)

VicHobbyGuy said:


> I'll save you the geezer rant about disappearing buggy whips, but....apparently these aren't available any more, at least in metric.


Disappearing buggy whips.....that made me smile


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## YYCHM (Mar 4, 2022)

VicHobbyGuy said:


> Thanks for the suggestion.
> I don't have a printer, and there's a learning curve which I don't want to bother with (I'd rather make stuff not computer drawings of stuff..)
> I know what I charge as a minimum to do 'hobby jobs', and I'd expect the same from a 3D printer owner.
> I'll probably stack up some plexi and just drill my own. Stick on labels or print a sheet and sandwich it between the top plexi layers.
> I guess I'm in a real minority with my preferences - I can't stand fiddling with those metal drill indexes, and I like to have commonly used drill bits on the shelf.



I hear you on that one.  I'd love to get a 3D Printer, I just don't have the patience to delve into CNC design and programing.


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## PeterT (Mar 4, 2022)

I've made plenty of simple toolholder blocks out of ply or mdf, for example center drills, graduated c/sinks, tap/clearance hole drill combos for common fasteners. They are a great way to organize things.

For a full set of drills, there actually is a little bit of design consideration involved. Ideally you want the inter distance of drills to be somewhat equal to get your fingers in there. That is different than equal center to center distance of the shanks diameters. Also the holder drill depth can vary. Some drills increase length progressively, some in steps as a function of diameter. The metal holders typically have a little shelf that sets this height. Anyways, typically not all the same  depth. Wood has a few irritating qualities like shrinking or swelling over time so the fit can vary. I hate it when they are stuck & you wrestle with it. And it can gooed up a bit with any remnant cutting fluids or whatever. I've seen some cheapo drill sets where the drills themselves were dubious quality, but the case was pretty nice LOL. Unfortunately not as many in metric, but I bet they are out there. 3DP would solve a lot of these issues including identification.


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## kevin.decelles (Mar 4, 2022)

YYCHM said:


> I hear you on that one. I'd love to get a 3D Printer, I just don't have the patience to delve into CNC design and programing.


If you saw how relatively easy it is you would kick yourself.  Take an off the shelf Ender-Pro-3, 30 minute tutorial (cost you a beer) and you would be banging out parts.


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## kevin.decelles (Mar 4, 2022)

I have good luck with these bits (bought them from Red Deer Bolt at the Agri-Trade show).  The nice part, the case is a built in holder.  The bad part, yes it is multi-level and god forbid you drop it (also not two tone size etching).  I don't have this 'exact' set, but Champion bits in a case just like this.  I usually throw away the top part and leave them on my service-trolly.


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## YYCHM (Mar 4, 2022)

kevin.decelles said:


> If you saw how relatively easy it is you would kick yourself.  Take an off the shelf Ender-Pro-3, 30 minute tutorial (cost you a beer) and you would be banging out parts.



So it's not as convoluted as Fusion is?


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## CalgaryPT (Mar 4, 2022)

VicHobbyGuy said:


> For years, I've kept my common drill bit collection near my bench in plastic drill bit stands made by General USA.
> Here's a picture of a knockoff of the fractional version:
> View attachment 21590
> 
> ...


Thinking about your problem...here's a possible solution. It's not cheap, but more of a dual purpose solution if you do a lot of fabricating like me.

Big Gator tools makes these great things called V-Drill (and V-Tap) blocks. They are designed to facilitate drilling and tapping into round tubing. You clamp them to tubing, and you get a perfectly centered hole. The holes are just slightly oversize to accommodate the bit, but not make it wobble. I haven't put a calliper on mine (I can if you like), but I'm guessing 1/64 or 1/128 tolerance.

If you have a need for these blocks for fabricating and can justify the expense, they also make great drill bit holders (see my pic below). When you need to use the intended functionality of the V-block, you just empty out the bits temporarily. If you are looking for a reason to justify buying these V-blocks, then here you go. I love mine, although I don't use them to hold drill bits. Also, because they are a steel alloy, you could embed some rare earth magnets in the Madagascar Dark Rosewood @Gearhead88 mentioned (LOL) and have the nicest, most functional drill bit stand/V-block display this side of the Rockies. They come in fractional, metric and number sizes and you can buy them in kits with nominal discounts. The size etchings aren't painted, but you can easily solve this.





__





						Amazon.ca : big gator tools v drill
					





					www.amazon.ca
				




(Sometimes I think should set up a consulting service helping forum members justify unnecessary tool purchases they are struggling with—either due to their CFO, SWMBO, or some other silly reason.)


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## Gearhead88 (Mar 4, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> I like this. When I get my DRO working so I can drill spaced holes easily, I think I'll make one out of black Walnut. Lots of that in the forest beside the house.
> 
> I'll be watching the rest of this thread for ways to do the labelling.


For some reason , probably from you mentioning the nearby walnut forest , just like when you get a song stuck in your head , I can't un-hear the chainsaws in the background on the Red Green show.


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## Susquatch (Mar 4, 2022)

Gearhead88 said:


> For some reason , probably from you mentioning the nearby walnut forest , just like when you get a song stuck in your head , I can't un-hear the chainsaws in the background on the Red Green show.



Vrrrrooommm vrrrroooommm. Ratatat..tat. 

Just need to find the right tree that is either dead or dying or has a nice branch I can use! 

Then dry the wood, then slab it, then then then..... LOL!


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## VicHobbyGuy (Mar 5, 2022)

Not exactly what I wanted and the labels aren't coloured, but I ordered this one from eBay:





It will hold more different sizes, including the tap drill sizes for common metric threads, unlike the General version I bought years ago..


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## ShawnR (Mar 5, 2022)

I wanted the same thing last year. I thought it was weird that they were hard to find too. So I grabbed a couple of these from somewhere and figured one could cut a block of wood, or aluminum or anything to match the dimensions, lay it over top, mark or dimple each hole with the drill for that hole, then remove it and drill each hole with the next larger drill bit. That way, you would not have the problem of a tight fit on putting the drills in and out.

But a year later, this project still has not come to the top of the list. 



			https://www.amazon.ca/Irwin-12092-2-Inch-29-Hole-Steel/dp/B000CFNHX0/ref=asc_df_B000CFNHX0/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292947999281&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14717191339921992039&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1002448&hvtargid=pla-433536149949&psc=1
		


I did not look too hard but here is the metric version. It gets imported though so ~ $20



			https://www.amazon.com/Drill-Gauge-Metric-Standard-Made-Stainless/dp/B07JPD7F9H/ref=sr_1_3?crid=D1FIWEW44KH3&keywords=drill+bit+gauge+metric&qid=1646486565&sprefix=drill+bit+gauge+metri%2Caps%2C137&sr=8-3
		

I did order one of these though and it works well



			https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01BSZLSZQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## Susquatch (Mar 5, 2022)

VicHobbyGuy said:


> Not exactly what I wanted and the labels aren't coloured, but I ordered this one from eBay:
> View attachment 21645
> 
> It will hold more different sizes, including the tap drill sizes for common metric threads, unlike the General version I bought years ago..



I don't really like round holders for such things, but it does look like it would work well.

I think you could just wipe some high contrast paint into the size marks and they would last forever.


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## trlvn (Mar 5, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> I don't really like round holders for such things, but it does look like it would work well.
> 
> I think you could just wipe some high contrast paint into the size marks and they would last forever.


Last year, the following was in an auction lot but the price went WAY higher than I was willing to go.  (There was a bunch of other stuff included that didn't interest me.)  Nonetheless, I think this version of a circular drill stand is very cool.






Alas, it is for fractional inch drills; not the metric sizing the OP is after.
Craig


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## Tom O (Mar 5, 2022)

I’m surprised the Victoria members aren’t making them out of driftwood.


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## YotaBota (Mar 5, 2022)

I had to burn mine for heat during the extreme cold snap we had a few weeks ago, damn it go down to -3C, we almost had to get out the parkas. lol


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