Router Bit Storage Cabinet

[tomp]

Have a Rockler router table  and finally made time to make the long-due storage cabinet underneath the top. The cabinet was sized to fit between the rails, underneath the Dust Bucket and to suit 16" full-extension slides. I'm using CMT bushings (1/2" & 1/4" ID) to hold the bits. Here is the abbreviated build story.

#1 - all the box parts ready for assembly

#2 - drawer parts ready for assembly

#3 - drawers hung in the cabinet

#4 - drawer fronts and edge banding

#5 - cabinet complete, back will be added after finishing

#6 - gluing in the 1/4" x 1/4" MDF grid to hold the storage blocks

#7 - pieces of the storage blocks ready for assembly

#8 - trying the fit of the bits in the bushings, bushings come in 1/2" and 1/4" ID

#9 - starting to get the router bits organized

 

[schnewj]

Well thought out and nicely executed. Great job!

[HARO50]

Looks good! Love the lift handles.

John

[Stick486]

that's not a cabinet..

that's a functional work of art...

[lew]

Super Build! Thanks for the process pictures.

 

I really like the way you made the lift out holders. That's some really nice looking plywood, too.

[tomp]

1 hour ago, lew said:

Super Build! Thanks for the process pictures.

 

I really like the way you made the lift out holders. That's some really nice looking plywood, too.

Thanks. I plagiarized the handles from an article that I saw a while back, don't remember where though. They work well as you can lift the blocks out without worrying about poking your fingers with the ends of the bits.

 

The drawer parts are 1/2" BB, the bottom is left-over 1/4" oak plywood. The cabinet parts and drawer fronts are 3/4" Sande plywood from Home Depot. I've been using that for a while to make shop cabinets, and been pretty happy with it

[lew]

1 hour ago, tomp said:

Sande plywood from Home Depot.

Thanks. WIsh Home Depot was closer. We have to settle for the "Blue Borg"

[Al B]

Well planed and nicely done.  I like the bushings you used to hold the bits. Where can they be purchased ? 

[Dadio]

They look like the ones that come with the bits. I have a box of them ,. now I know why I didn't throw them away.
Great job on the cabinet,  good quality materials too.
Herb

[Old Coasty]

Tried HD Sande one time and found the center layer was thick and full of voids.  HD used to have a Poplar plywood that was decent and about the same price as the Sande.

[Dadio]

I found some 1/2" birch plywood at lowes in 2X4 pieces that I use for shop plywood for the outsides of the cases and then go to the BB for the drawer sides. I have been having a hard time finding BB ply wood even at the lumber store where I used to buy it . They are now stocking Russian birch plywood which similar with multi plys but the cores seem to be a lower grade material for $42. for 5X5 sht.. Still it is better than the china 5 ply stuff.

 

Herb

[tomp]

1 hour ago, It Was Al B said:

Well planed and nicely done.  I like the bushings you used to hold the bits. Where can they be purchased ? 

Thanks. I bought them from Highland Woodworking, although other vendors carry them. Originally bought the tray too but returned it because it was too high and ate up height in the drawer, plus I wanted space to put labels to identify the bits if needed - I have some undersize 1/4" and 3/4" bits that I use for grooving to suit different (undersize)  thicknesses of plywood. Using the bushings let me lay out the hole spacing the way I wanted, plus using the individual blocks seemed to be a little more user friendly.

 

https://www.highlandwoodworking.com/cmtrouterbitorganizer.aspx

[tomp]

1 hour ago, Old Coasty said:

Tried HD Sande one time and found the center layer was thick and full of voids.  HD used to have a Poplar plywood that was decent and about the same price as the Sande.

Maybe they use different vendors? I've used quite a few sheets and never really noticed any significant voids, although some of the center plies have an unusual grain pattern. I like working with it better - for a cheap, shop plywood, better than the stuff they sell as 3/4" birch at Lowes or HD. At least the outer ply doesn't chip or splinter if you look at it sideways. I've both painted and put poly on it and it seems to finish up pretty well, just doesn't have much of a grain pattern. I've made shop cabinets out of the 3/4" (18 mm) luan plywood that we used as substrate for countertops and some of that had quite attractive grain when a finish was put on it.

[Grandpadave52]

7 hours ago, tomp said:

Thanks. I plagiarized the handles from an article that I saw a while back, don't remember where though.

In the 6 Sigma Manufacturing environment Tom we stated that "we shamelessly stole that..." meaning why re-create the wheel. I like the design and execution.

Really nice touch on the drawer front trim. Agree with the others...I am impressed with the ply.

Thanks for sharing.

[tomp]

@Grandpadave52

 

Thanks. I pretty much always trim my plywood drawer fronts and doors (and sometimes the front of the cabinet too), keeps the edges from getting dinged up, and me from getting splinters in my hands. I usually run some strips when I'm ripping boards down, get to the last piece out of the board  and cut as much banding as I can until I'm pretty close to the width of the finished part - that way I have banding sitting there and don't have to stop and make some while I'm working on a project. For shop cabinets and so forth, I've been making it a heavy 1/8", glue it/trim it and just break the sharp corners with sandpaper. For something fancier, I'll make it closer to 1/4" thick so I can cut a nice radius on the corners.

 

Spent a lot of time agonizing over 6 Sigma back in the day..................  And I did find the article where the author showed the knobs/dowels used for handles. I made my blocks to hold 6 bits as I felt I got more efficient use of the space - and to use up the piece of 3-1/2" wide MDF trim I had lying around. I went with the grid rather than having the blocks touching as I felt it would be easier to get them in and out with some clearance, and the grid would keep them from moving around.

Router Bit Storage.pdf

[Grandpadave52]

1 hour ago, tomp said:

Thanks. I pretty much always trim my plywood drawer fronts and doors (and sometimes the front of the cabinet too), keeps the edges from getting dinged up, and me from getting splinters in my hands.

Unique idea and solution not to mention the contrast appearance. A very nice and personal touch. I may have to "shamelessly steal that idea" from time-to-time.

Will enjoy seeing pictures of the completed, installed unit.

1 hour ago, tomp said:

Spent a lot of time agonizing over 6 Sigma back in the day

Know what you mean...I attained a Certified Green Belt level leading a few projects with cost savings/avoidance's >$1m....They tried to get me to become a Black Belt several times; wasn't for me. It had it's merits until everything became an exception then it was "Just Another Flavor of the Month." It finally was merged with Lean & a modified version of Toyota which made some real improvements. I'd be well suited to implement & practice 5S at home, but then I could find stuff when I needed it...no fun or adventure in that.

[Cliff]

What??  No perforated drawer bottoms and  pull out dust trays?

Nice Job~!!  I really like the little lift out holder caddies

 

[tomp]

10 hours ago, Cliff said:

What??  No perforated drawer bottoms and  pull out dust trays?

Nice Job~!!  I really like the little lift out holder caddies

 

Thanks, trying to get some poly on it now so I can slide it into place and move on. Nope, figure I need to remember to close the drawer while I'm working (have a hard time with the drawers under the drill press, always cleaning chips from them) - although I don't get much loose dust from the router

[schnewj]

On 3/17/2018 at 11:15 PM, Grandpadave52 said:

Unique idea and solution not to mention the contrast appearance. A very nice and personal touch. I may have to "shamelessly steal that idea" from time-to-time.

Will enjoy seeing pictures of the completed, installed unit.

Know what you mean...I attained a Certified Green Belt level leading a few projects with cost savings/avoidance's >$1m....They tried to get me to become a Black Belt several times; wasn't for me. It had it's merits until everything became an exception then it was "Just Another Flavor of the Month." It finally was merged with Lean & a modified version of Toyota which made some real improvements. I'd be well suited to implement & practice 5S at home, but then I could find stuff when I needed it...no fun or adventure in that.

Believe me I understand. We went from one buzz phrase to another as the same goals morphed into the same things under different names. The worst was, that, after 25 years of little to no problems on the manufacturing floor we were forced into practicing FOD (Foreign Object Debris) control. I swear, if they could have figured how to tether our nose hairs to our faces, they would have.

 

Go ahead, ask me if I miss it! Go ahead, I dare ya!

 

...as for 5S I know exactly what pile I left my tape measure under. If you'll give me a few minutes I'll go find it...I think!

[Grandpadave52]

2 hours ago, schnewj said:

Go ahead, ask me if I miss it! Go ahead, I dare ya!

I'll probably regret doing this BUT, "So Bill, do you miss it?" Hmmm, that wasn't so bad...guess I didn't regret it after all.