Drill Bit Stand

[Jigantor]

Going through my tool cabinet I found heaps of blunt and broken drill bits.
I have always wanted one of those Drill Doctor drill bit sharpeners so last week I purchased the 750.
After a few hours in the workshop I had not only sharpened all my lose bits but all the ones in my kits.

This brings me to my next project.
How many of you are like me and purchased a single bit for a job. Over the years these single bits add up to 30 or 40.
I have kits with stands but these have no more capacity.
So today I decided to make a drill bit stand.

Ji

[Jigantor]

I have some 80 x 3mm or 3 1/8 x 1/8" aluminium plate 6060 T5 scrap left over from a previous job. This will be all the materials required.

Ji

[Jigantor]

I marked out the plate and cut it to length with a circular saw fitted with an aluminium cutting blade. Please use all safety equipment when using any cutting device.

Ji

[Jigantor]

I have a small pan brake or sheet metal folder but if you don't or can not get a panel beating mate to fold your plate use a vise.


Ji

[Jigantor]

Fold your plate to the shape that suites your design.
3mm or 1/8" thick 6060 T5 plate is about as thick as can be folded successfully.
After this it starts to crack. Even this thickness has stress stretch marks on the fold. The good thing here is that the stand is not load bearing.

Ji

[Jigantor]

I cut another length of plate and with the use of a clamp positioned the second plate ready for TIG welding.
In my projects I try not to have the welds exposed. This way they have a clean line and a bit of mystery on how they are held together.

Ji

[davinci2010]

I may follow your lead on this one. I have a drawer full of bits in various sizes with multiples of each. One place I worked, the guys would use a bit till it stopped cutting and then throw it on the floor and get a new one. Needless to say I cleaned the floor daily.

[Jigantor]

Hi Davinci,
Yeah every bloke would have a draw full of lose bits.
Most would be blunt or broken.
The video presenter of the Drill Doctor has a great catch cry;
"You probably own all the drill bits you will ever need"
So true
But for most of use they are blunt and useless and they are not easy to get to, to find the one we need.

Sharpen them first then fabricate or buy a stand.

Ji

[davinci2010]

I can do a decent job sharpening on a regular grinder, though I have used a Drill Doctor and it is way better. You are correct; A drawer full of bits, even sharp ones, does no good if you can't find what you're looking for.

[Jigantor]

I TIG welded the central divider.
This does not have to be the best weld, in fact it only needs to be a few tack welds.

Ji

[Jigantor]

Don't clamp the stand to tight when welding.
Aluminium plates will bend and buckle when welded if they have to much axial compression placed on them.

Ji

[Jigantor]

Take all your drill bits and sort them from large to small.
Then I clamped the stand into a drill press and using the largest bit start drilling.
I left a 5mm or 1/4" space between each hole.

This takes some time and is boring.

Ji

[Jigantor]

When all the holes were drilled I deburred.


Ji

[Jigantor]

I then cut another length of plate and TIG welded it to the stand as the base.
I also added four silicone feet.

Ji

[Jigantor]

I then sanded the stand.
Always sand aluminium in one direction.
I use 240 wet and dry to begin with.

The stand is now ready.

Ji