Plastic Bit Holder Revisited
by pfred2 in Workshop > Organizing
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Plastic Bit Holder Revisited
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Previously I put up a similar bit holder. This is a new take on it, made with slightly different materials, and new techniques.
Materials
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This project is made out of plastic bottle cut outs, and a scrap of wood. In this picture you can see the donor water bottle that I used for the holder that I made.
Cut Plastic Into Strips
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Two equal plastic strips will need to be cut out of the plastic bottle stock.
Measure for Length
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For my application I needed my holder to fit into a specific space so I needed to measure that length for the dimension.
Cut Strips to Length
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I used my measured distance to dimension my plastic strips to length.
Determine Spacing
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Now I need to determine how far apart my bits need to be from each other, and mark my stock accordingly. I put my first bit half the distance of my intervals from the ends.
Clamp Stock to Drill
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In this step I am showing how I clamp my two plastic strips together so I may drill them together too. This way all of my bit slots will come out aligned, and I work twice as fast too.
Select Drills to Use
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I measure the shanks of my tools, then consult a drill chart to pick the appropriate bit to use to drill my plastic with.
Drill Plastic
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I set my clamped up plastic onto my drill press and drill the correct sized holes where marked.
Slit Holes Open
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With my holes drilled I need to slit them open so I can push bits into them. Later I will refine my openings with a pair of scissors, but it is easiest to start out with a utility knife now to rough out the openings.
Refine Cut Outs
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This is what my plastic looks like after I have worked at it with a pair of scissors for a bit.
Test Fit Bits
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Time for a trial run. Might have to trim a bit more with scissors here. Once happy with holding action move onto the next step.
Measure for Wooden Base
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A piece of scrap wood will be cut for the base. Its dimensions should be determined now.
Layout Base
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Once the dimensions have been determined in the previous step the appropriate piece of scrap wood can be selected. Layout cut lines on it now too.
Cutout Base
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The title of this step is self explanatory.
Glue Together
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Glue plastic uprights to the wooden base. I used hot glue.
Affix Label
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I cutout a scrap of cardboard that I could write on. Then I put the bit sizes onto that cardboard.
Conclusion
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Bits are loaded into new holder, and the holder is put into place. I leave with a similar image to what I started out with, just with the new organizer in place now.