Most woodworkers have between 20 and 40 router bits. Gary has 218. He also has an organizational system for them that makes the 218 feel smaller than most people’s 30. The system is the result of three years of iteration, four different storage approaches, and a genuine enjoyment of organizational problems as a category. He describes himself as a “bit nerd.” This is understatement.
The current system: a dedicated 24-inch-wide wall cabinet with a full-extension pull-out tray system inside. Six trays, each holding one category of bits: straight/spiral bits, profile bits (ogee, round-over, cove), rabbet and groove bits, joint-making bits (dovetail, box joint, finger joint), specialty bits (raised panel, sign-making, pattern), and an “active project” tray that holds the bits currently in use. Every bit sits in a custom foam insert, labeled by profile and radius. The tray numbers correspond to a digital inventory Gary maintains in a spreadsheet.
The spreadsheet sounds excessive until you understand why it exists. Gary buys replacement bits before he needs them – if a bit is getting dull, it goes on the shopping list while it still has enough life left for current projects. The inventory tells him what he has, what condition it’s in (new, good, getting dull, needs replacement), and when he last used it. Bits he hasn’t used in two years get evaluated: if he can’t imagine using them in the next year, they go on his sale list. The collection grows in capability, not just in numbers.
“Two hundred bits sounds like hoarding,” Gary says. “The spreadsheet turns it into inventory management. There’s a difference.” Both can be true simultaneously. How do you store router bits? From simple to elaborate, we want to see your setup.