Drill bits are the hardware bin problem in miniature: too many sizes, too many types, too easily mixed up, and too annoying to sort through when you need the right one right now. The standard solution – a spinning drill bit index mounted on a drill press or bench top – works fine until you have more bits than the index holds, or until you acquire specialty bits (Forstner, spade, brad point, countersink) that don’t fit the index at all. Then the creative solutions begin.
We collected 20 creative drill bit storage solutions from our reader community. A selection of the most useful:
The labeled foam insert system – Dense foam cut to hold individual bits upright in a labeled tray. Bits are sorted by type (twist, Forstner, spade, brad point) in separate trays, each stored in a dedicated section of a tool cabinet drawer. Every bit position is labeled with its size. Every absent bit is immediately visible as an empty hole in the foam. Works especially well for specialty bits that don’t fit a standard index.
The magnetic Forstner bit strip – A rare earth magnetic strip, 24 inches long, mounted inside a cabinet door. Forstner bits hang bevel-up with the flat back face against the magnet. The strip holds 12 bits in a row; two strips hold a complete standard set plus extras. The bits are visible at a glance and retrievable in one motion. The magnet is strong enough to hold even the largest Forstner bits without any movement.
The size-labeled pegboard panel – A 2×4-foot pegboard panel with a hook for every common drill bit size, hook labeled with the size (in both fractional and decimal). Every bit has a home. Every gap is a bit in use. Works especially well if you have multiple bits of the same size – they stack on the same hook in order of condition (sharpest on top). Share your drill bit storage solution below – the more unusual the better.