The Best Bit Holder

Regain control of all those loose 1/4" tool bits with this durable bit holder. 
Fast, cheap, easy, and useful.  Truly. A great Father's Day Item - you can make it quick!

Step 1: What You Need

MATERIALS	TOOLS
Foam Rubber Floor Tile	Utility Knife
Small Piece of Wood	Drill & ¼” Bit
Epoxy	Ruler
	Saw

Step 2: How It's Made.

1. Decide the capacity you want for your bit holder You can either think in terms of how many items to hold, or instead what is the desired final dimensions?  The example shown has a single row of bits running down a 2 foot board.  I like this size because it’s too big to misplace or not notice.  My 2 foot board holds 48 bits!  Spending half your time looking for that tool can really slow a process down!  Have you ever bought more of the same tools because you’ve misplaced them?  That’s not me of course – I heard about that from a friend…
   
2. Cut the backer board accordingly.  I had a bunch of L shaped molding, so I used it.  You could choose a board as simple as ¾” square by 1 or 2 feet long.   The L shape is not required, I just had a lot on hand.
   
3. Cut a piece of foam tile to match the surface of the wood backer board.
   
4. Mark and Drill holes in the foam tile ½” apart.  Use a sacrificial backing board while drilling holes in the foam.
   
5. Attach the foam to the board with glue – I used epoxy.  Recently, I’ve been using super-glue with good results.  Epoxy is probably better. 
   
6. Optionally, Drill out some holes in the end and glue in some stiff wire hangers.  Or you could simply drill a good size hole in at one of the ends.  Essentially make the last hole on one end a bit bigger. 
   
7. Get all those bits under control with your new organizer. 
   You can place it horizontally or to save space, hang it vertically.

Step 3: Video A

Step 4: Video B

Step 5: Other Photos

Comments

[markgrogan]

Interesting storage idea! Surprised nobody has come up with it before and the holder made of rubber makes it actually quite flexible for different sized bits too!

[Sabata]

Great idea! I'm thinking about putting a square of foam in a box with a secure lid and laying the holes out in a grid (like you did for your router bits) to make a portable bit holder.

[his heart, my art]

i like this idea. where do you get that type of flooring tile or foam rubber?

[bobzjr]

You can get it at the big box hardware stores. Also Harbor Freight. I am often seeing a 1/2" variety more common than the 5/8" that I show on this project. I believe the 1/2" will work fine. Also if you are in pinch - go to the Dollar store and get some flip flops - often those can be a source...

[Edgar]

You've saved a lot of people a lot of grief...
Gone to my Blog:
http://faz-voce-mesmo.blogspot.com/2013/06/facam-um-quadracoptero-numa-hora-e-um.html

[bobzjr]

Edgar, Thanks for the support and glad I could help... Bob Z

[Edgar]

Keep posting, workplaces all over need these ideas. :)

[Tarun Upadhyaya]

Good Job :). Thanks for sharing your awesomeness.

[Somethingtotallyrandom]

This is a great idea! I'll probably sandwich a couple sheets to make holders for my router bits! This is a much better solution than using wood or buying ready-made holders.

[bobzjr]

I use a similar setup for the router. I find this works better for them. My router bits I tend to keep on stable horizontal surfacel, so holes all the way through are OK. And I have noticed that the foam still grabs the bits enough that they are not falling out. I particularly like how the surface is clean white (I used white pegboard). Also the natural 1 inch spacing worked great with router bits as they often need a bit of elbow room.

[Creativeman]

Good job! I'm big on organizing and appreciate this approach. What software did you use in labeling the introductory photo: "the best bit holder". Thanks in advance.

[bobzjr]

Thanks much for comment on bit holder. I used Adobe Photoshop CS 5.5. As you may have seen main tricks were 1) some small shadowing on type and 2) Perspective on part of the type. It's not perfect. I've decided if I wait for things to be perfect, they never get published. I have a lot left in my "drafts" folder.. :)

[maude frenchy]

Great idea, would make a nice Fathers Day gift

[bobzjr]

Maude, That's really a great idea - I may edit and stick your suggestion in the instructable itself - so timely - hard to pass up. Thanks!

[antioch]

Great ible, but I found it in the 'Living' category. Might get some additional attention in the 'Workshop' one.

[bobzjr]

Thanks! - I'll check into the category thing - I would agree with you.

[Mindmapper1]

I use a magnetic dish to hold all mine but this a good idea

[Dominic Bender]

Interresting design, thanks for sharing. Might be exactly what I need for my workshop...