# Router Bit Storage Cabinet



## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

Been a little slow lately what with trying to get over an eye infection, but finally back at it. In my on-going attempt to get the shop organized, the latest project is a storage cabinet to fit in the bottom of my Rockler router table. I now have the cabinet construction completed, need to take it apart and apply the finish.








All the components for the cabinet completed, ready for assembly.








Clamping the corners while putting in the screws.








Close enough for Government work. Cabinet is 22" wide, 14" tall, to fit in the opening under the dust cabinet in my router stand. 16" full extension slides will be used.








Adding the rabbet for the back panel. A "Thank You" to Mike (in Detroit) for his recommendation of the Betterlee base, that really cuts down on the mess, although a little cumbersome for some operations. 








Drawer parts ready for assembly. Usually make the drawer bottom rabbeted in on all sides, decided to try something different this time, and kind of like it.








Installing the drawer bottoms.








Hanging the drawers in the cabinet. Back panel left off to make it easier to work in there.








Making up the edge banding for the drawer fronts.








Planing the edge banding flush to the plywood slab. The banding was already ripped and "in inventory", cut to length with a little Japanese pull saw and planed flush - probably quicker (and certainly quieter) than setting up to do it on the router table.








Setting the drawer spacing with plastic shims. A little OCD, I adjusted the front height and spacing so that everything was symmetrical.








Finished attaching the drawer fronts and pulls.








Ready to add the holders for the router bits in the top drawer, bottom drawer will be used for the various bits and pieces - bushings, spare collets, wrenches, etc. that seem to accumulate over time.

I bought the plastic bushings to hold the bits, going to mount them in blocks of 3/4" MDF. I saw an article where the poster made blocks of MDF to hold multiple bits (4 - 6), thinking I would do the same and use them for holding similar bits. He also made a handle out of a piece of dowel with a wooden ball glued to the top so that the whole block could be easily lifted out.

A shout-out to Dave Falkner for his recent explanation of how to post the photos with captions underneath - I finally got it. Thanks.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Here's the website for the base. Very interesting device. Betterley Industries

I asked for a price, but haven't heard back yet.

Contact info. 
here at Betterley Industries we look forward to helping you solve your tooling needs and are more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

Toll Free- 800-871-7516
Office- 763-755-3425
Postal Mail- P.O. Box 49518, Blaine, MN 55449
Email- [email protected]
17808 Highway 65
Ham Lake. MN 55304


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

might fine work Tom..


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Very nice work Tom , thanks for sharing . Really liking the look of the edge banding . That router base looks pretty trick to


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## artman60 (Nov 22, 2015)

Koolamundo! Very nice.


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## dirt_dobber (Jun 9, 2017)

love the edge banding you did - nice work.


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## George B. (Oct 30, 2010)

DesertRatTom said:


> Here's the website for the base. Very interesting device. Betterley Industries
> 
> I asked for a price, but haven't heard back yet.
> 
> ...


Let us know when you get the price.


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## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

Hope the eye keeps improving. Nice build.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

DesertRatTom said:


> Here's the website for the base. Very interesting device. Betterley Industries
> 
> I asked for a price, but haven't heard back yet.
> 
> ...


I don't remember what I paid for it - someone on the forum posted that the cost is forgotten once you're using it which is correct - but I get the feeling that the price more than doubled the cost of my router. It's definitely made to collect dust (wish I'd had one back in the days when I was working on solid surface material, that fine powder goes everywhere), although I've found a couple applications where it's too cumbersome. I cut rabbets on case sides for the back panel and it does a really nice job of capturing the sawdust when I use an edge guide - rather than the usual two-piece wooden fence, I made a one piece one and cut a shroud that fits around the router bit - haven't tried it yet with a rabbeting bit and the factory shroud, but I cut odd size rabbets (depth equal to the thickness of the (almost) 1/4" ply and 1/2" deep, haven't found a bit/bearing combo yet that will give me the depth.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

Looking nice, Tom. Please post pics when you've got her stuffed.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

Thanks for the comments on the edge banding, something I pretty much do as standard on drawer fronts, other parts depending on the application and end use. I would probably pass on doing it if I was making parts out of that expensive BB plywood, but my shop cabinets are pretty much made of Sande plywood from HD so the banding protects the edges from damage and me from splinters. When I'm cutting parts from solid wood, I'll go ahead and cut the strips off the board until I get close to finished size so cutting them off wider boards rather than the offcuts - that way it doesn't go to waste and I have it all ready to go when I need it. I use a strip I've already cut to set the Rockler jig so that I wind up with consistent thickness, a heavy 5/32"normally unless I'm looking for something heavier for a special project. For shop cabinets, it's Titebond and a pin nailer but for fancier jobs I use masking tape - I originally bought the green tape that Lee Valley sells for the application (they claim it's stronger and has some stretch to it which is true) but found out that it's a standard 3M product and now buy it somewhere else (maybe Amazon?) a little cheaper which is good as I go through a bunch of it over the course of a year.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

*Got a nice reply. Yes, they have a model that works with the 1617, at $99. You take off the sub base and attach the aluminum base to the 3 holes drilled for a Porter Cable.*



DesertRatTom said:


> Here's the website for the base. Very interesting device. Betterley Industries
> 
> I asked for a price, but haven't heard back yet.
> 
> ...


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

$99 sounds about right, considering. Thinking about it, I did buy some extras, I know an extra baseplate machined to accept the P-C router guides and the offset adapters so that the edge guide could be used (needed because of the thickness of the aluminum base, mentioned in one of the videos). That would explain why I had the idea that the cost was about what I'd paid for the router.


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

tomp913 said:


> I don't remember what I paid for it - someone on the forum posted that the cost is forgotten once you're using it which is correct - but I get the feeling that the price more than doubled the cost of my router. It's definitely made to collect dust (wish I'd had one back in the days when I was working on solid surface material, that fine powder goes everywhere), although I've found a couple applications where it's too cumbersome. I cut rabbets on case sides for the back panel and it does a really nice job of capturing the sawdust when I use an edge guide - rather than the usual two-piece wooden fence, I made a one piece one and cut a shroud that fits around the router bit - haven't tried it yet with a rabbeting bit and the factory shroud, but I cut odd size rabbets (depth equal to the thickness of the (almost) 1/4" ply and 1/2" deep, haven't found a bit/bearing combo yet that will give me the depth.




Tom, I like your router bit storage project. Also, some of your tricks are pretty neat. Like the one in the last picture. I am talking about the little wooden clamping blocks and the moulding around the edges.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

@hawkeye10

Thanks Don. I decided to go back to attaching the face frame with biscuits as the ends show and I didn't want to go with pocket holes. I was a little worried about damaging the thin edge when I was clamping so made up the little blocks to transfer the force to the bottom of the rabbet (some cherry scraps came in handy). Worked so well that I've got them stored away to use for the next time. Sommerfeld tongue-and-groove joint on the next one, but will still need to clamp across the side panels.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

Well, a couple of speed bumps and detours, but finally back in the shop.








Laying out the grid - 1/4" x 1/4" MDF - to hold the blocks.








Cutting the horizontals - this is the jig mentioned in an earlier post, stop block gives identical lengths.








Looks like it's going to work out OK.








Gluing the strips in place with Super Glue - spacers give about 3/32" clearance.








Grid all glued in place.







Drilling the 22 mm holes for the bushings. 12 Blocks to drill so set up a stop to make things easier, 3 different stop positions for these holes plus a fourth to drill the center hole for the "handle".








Opening up the small hole in the 16 mm wooden ball to 1/4" - drilled a 1/2" hole, set the ball in place, lined up the bit with the existing hole and drilled. Held the ball with the pliers.








Cutting the dowels to length (better photo showing the stop block), actually pretty quick way to cut these small pieces..








All the pieces ready for assembly.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

OK, wrapping up the assembly of this part of the project.









Balls glued to the length of 1/4" dowel, now this assembly gets glued into the block.









Showing the two different sizes of bushings - 1/2" and 1/4".









Trial fit of a couple of router bits. The bushings are a snug fit in the drilled holes, but the bits slide out of the bushings pretty easily, don't think that there's going to be a problem cutting myself pulling one out. The bushings make a nice neat job, easy to arrange the various bits as needed and easy to find. I left a 1/2" space around the bushings so that I can make up labels to quickly identify similar bits.









Starting to arrange some of the router bits, sorting by size, type, etc. Figure that I can paint the balls difference colors so I can determine 1/2" or 1/4" easily.

Haven't decided how I'm going to partition off the bottom drawer yet, but the upper one looks like it's just what I need. Bottom drawer is going to be for the various pieces that accumulate - guide bushings, spare collets, alignment fixtures, etc. Pretty happy with the way it's turning out, looks like it's going to get rid of some of the clutter around the router table, and save me some aggravation looking for all these parts.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

wow...
*EXCELLENT!!!*


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

Well, the cabinet is now basically finished - just need to make trays for the bottom drawer and put in some dividers - and tucked away under the router table. On to the next project...............









Putting the handles and slides on after the finish has dried. Added rails for the sliding trays which I still need to make.









Here it is, tucked under the router table. Looks like I have room for some more storage alongside the dust box. To the left is a pegboard panel where I keep all the tools and wrenches for the router.









Still need to gather up all the bits and get them organized in the trays.









Some of the accessories that will be stored in the bottom drawer. I'll wait until I get the trays done before figuring out how to add dividers.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

premium...


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## nightowl (Oct 21, 2013)

Very nice set up and great craftsmanship!


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## bryansong (Mar 4, 2015)

Very clever Tom, such a great idea and craftsmanship.

Bryan


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

Excellent work on a great idea.

What's is the source for the black bushings that hold the bits in place?


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

Jon, 

Should have added that information, sorry. They're made by CMT, and I bought them from Highland Woodworking. They're a snug push fit in a 22 mm hole - needed to buy the Forstner bit so I met the requirement that every project needs the purchase of a tool - no worry about one pulling out when you remove a router bit. I drilled blind holes to match the height of the bushings and tapped them in place with a plastic mallet. They come in sizes to fit 1/2" and 1/4" diameter shank bits, I bought 2 packs of each size so should be able to tailor the individual holders to suit my bits.

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


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

Thanks Tom.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Well dang , that’s the trickest system I’ve ever seen . Great idea Tom , well implemented, and to much work for a noob like me. 
Although I may consider it when my garage is insulated


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

A good plan to replace this one I built several years ago. sorry about the sideways image. One of these days I'll get that right.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

RainMan 2.0 said:


> Well dang , that’s the trickest system I’ve ever seen . Great idea Tom , well implemented, and to much work for a noob like me.
> Although I may consider it when my garage is insulated


Mmm, Mmm, all the things you're going to get done once the shop is insulated :grin: Kind of like all the things I'm going to do once my shop is organized.

Rick,

I've seen the projects that you've done for your shop, and there is absolutely nothing in that cabinet that you couldn't do. What you have to do is break each project down into it's individual processes: look at finishing each step, rather than the whole project, and you don't get overwhelmed. Think about the steps - cut to size, rabbets and dadoes, assembly of the cabinets and drawers, hanging the slides - is there anything there that you haven't done on one of your other projects? Once you get past that point, any project should be within reach. I plan my projects (some say over plan) in my head before I start so have a pretty good idea of how I'm going to get through the various steps, sometimes one part needs to be finished first on one project but later in another because of fit between the parts, but it's all still the same steps.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

JFPNCM said:


> A good plan to replace this one I built several years ago. sorry about the sideways image. One of these days I'll get that right.


That's a good looking cabinet Jon, why would you want to replace that. I wish sometimes that I had more available wall space for cabinets like yours that act like a display as much as storage.


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

@tomp913

Thanks Tom. Unfortunately, I have the reverse problem, more drawer space than wall space.


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