Beerhippie
Well-known member
Or someone breaks a LOT of 1/8" bits.
Let's see your vintage drill bit indices
- Thread starter Davefr
- Start date
d42jeep
Well-known member
I gave it a try. Looked good but wouldn’t close any more. It could be used for Dremel tools but not very efficiently. I’m back to thinking drill bits.
-Don
-Don
Beerhippie
Well-known member
Part of today's haul. Cool as it is, I have no room for it so if anyone wants it, let me know.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Part of today's haul. Cool as it is, I have no room for it so if anyone wants it, let me know.
Stick one of your disk drive magnets to the back and mount it next to, or on, your DP.
I have a boxed index like that near mine and its my most used drill set.
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d42jeep
Well-known member
It’s been a while since I picked up a drill index but I found this one on Friday at an estate sale. I can always use number bits to fill other indices and it seemed in decent condition. I don’t recall seeing one in this brand or color either.
As found
Many of the bits were rusty and are now in the evaporust. The exterior of the box cleaned up well.
I added a few bits that I had on hand that had already been sharpened.
-Don
As found
Many of the bits were rusty and are now in the evaporust. The exterior of the box cleaned up well.
I added a few bits that I had on hand that had already been sharpened.
-Don
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Outlawmws
Well-known member
That type of index with the linked trays is just like the General and Craftsman index boxes I have Don.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
A pair of Huot mini index boxes I got 2 weeks ago 61-80 sizes, and one is complete and the other nearly so:
The rust fine wire wheeled off the one almost 100 %
One of these has been on the bucket list for a while now.
The rust fine wire wheeled off the one almost 100 %
One of these has been on the bucket list for a while now.
four.cycle
Well-known member
^ That Columbia box is quite the find, Don.
We carried Columbia for a while. They were bought out by TRW at some point but I've never been able to figure out any timeline.
We carried Columbia for a while. They were bought out by TRW at some point but I've never been able to figure out any timeline.
d42jeep
Well-known member
The bits came out of the evaporust. Several were sharpened and they and the already sharp ones went back in the box. 
-Don
-Don
d42jeep
Well-known member
I have a few letter bits in a ziplock bag so when I saw this Huot letter bit index at yesterday’s estate sale I paid up. 
After arriving home and checking it out a little more carefully I found it to not only to be complete but all of the bits were sharp and many showed no signs of usage at all. The bit were a mix of good quality US made brands. I don’t recall seeing a letter bit index on this thread but I could have missed one.
-Don
After arriving home and checking it out a little more carefully I found it to not only to be complete but all of the bits were sharp and many showed no signs of usage at all. The bit were a mix of good quality US made brands. I don’t recall seeing a letter bit index on this thread but I could have missed one.-Don
INSP380
Well-known member
Saw this one while searching FBM…. 
Would love to own it….
Would love to own it….
The Delta Index has to be pre 2010 going by Delta moving to Wellington after the Chch earthquake and renaming themselves Delta Die Casting.
Then in 2019 sold and renamed Fraser Industries.
Specialists in Aluminum die casting.
Then in 2019 sold and renamed Fraser Industries.
Specialists in Aluminum die casting.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Saw this one while searching FBM….
That would be a hard one to walk away from...
RTM
Well-known member
Man, you really know how to crush a hope. Looked a little too new for you to have slipped a century, but I was really guessing 1950s. Nice to know someone was still cranking out durable quality recently, even if it wasn't here.
INSP380
Well-known member
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Ouch!
INSP380
Well-known member
While not necessarily an index per say, I do think they’re pretty frickin cool! I pulled out my bits to fill a set of vintage Cleveland Twist indices and had to show off my vintage boxes. Been saving them to sort my bits & reamers. Anyone else save them?
Steve
Steve
INSP380
Well-known member
Loaded up my Cleveland Twists… Love these two! 
Itinerant
Well-known member
Here’s my modest contribution to the thread. No name fractional, and a Fuller countersink and unmarked brace bit holder that are holding tools on my fly tying table.
I have (had?) a cast Cleveland and another the maker of which I can’t recall but I’ll be damned if I know what I did with them.
I have (had?) a cast Cleveland and another the maker of which I can’t recall but I’ll be damned if I know what I did with them.
Beerhippie
Well-known member
^Wish I still had the eyesight and manual dexterity for fly tying....
Itinerant
Well-known member
I can still see fine, but some days my fingers don’t want to play.
INSP380
Well-known member
Another one out there listed on FBM… Toledo….Pretty cool index!!!
Steve
Steve
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
More like a merchandiser, I think, but I agree with the cool part. I have the same or a nearly identical cabinet, branded for New Britain, picked up at a flea market several years ago. I use it for ignition wrenches, sets in pouches, sets that are loose, partial sets, and orphans, organized in the bins intended for drill bits, by brand.
EDIT: Many more photos of it empty taken outside and from all angles on the New Britain thread linked here.
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INSP380
Well-known member
I only had more room and less self control… lol. There have been some great pieces out there for picking lately.More like a merchandiser, I think, but I agree with the cool part. I have the same or a nearly identical cabinet, branded for New Britain, picked up at a flea market several years ago. I use it for ignition wrenches, sets in pouches, sets that are loose, partial sets, and orphans, organized in the bins intended for drill bits, by brand.
EDIT: Many more photos of it empty taken outside and from all angles on the New Britain thread linked here.
Steve
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Found this in one of my dad's tool boxes and I initially thought it might have belonged to his dad. I'm not 100% sure it's vintage, but I've never seen one smaller. And what's really amazing is that it appears to be complete!
That's the Add-on set for the more standard 1-60 numbered sets. Pretty rare for a home garage.
Oregon rock crusher
Well-known member
Ok, this first one isn't specifically for drill bits, but it does hold a pretty nice transfer punch set in fractional sizes. Unlike most every other set I ever saw with a block holder this one uses a spiral holder with a center handle. I couldn't tell who made it until it was home and I peeled off the $7 price tag to reveal Oldak made in England. Not too common this side of the pond.
Just to keep more on topic I also finally found a Cleveland Letter bit holder to go with my fractional and number sets. It will have to be the black sheep of the set. The first two I picked up years ago from the same seller and they have that bright finish. I think this darker bronze finish on the letter set is probably more often seen. Need to load it up. Pics of both. Ed.
Just to keep more on topic I also finally found a Cleveland Letter bit holder to go with my fractional and number sets. It will have to be the black sheep of the set. The first two I picked up years ago from the same seller and they have that bright finish. I think this darker bronze finish on the letter set is probably more often seen. Need to load it up. Pics of both. Ed.
Attachments
Outlawmws
Well-known member
So I'm curious - does that transfer set have the one size up from 1/2"?
I was going to put one of my sets in a fractional index and had never really twigged that the transfers had the "one up" size in the set.
Oregon rock crusher
Well-known member
It does include a 17/32 and that seems to be pretty common on transfer punch sets. Ed.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
So that index was made for the transfer sets. Good to know. (the plastic indexs' are so iffy...)
Oregon rock crusher
Well-known member
It doesn't show that well in the picture but the index is a bit too tall for jobber length drill bits as well as having the over size hole. Definitely the way it came with the punches. I haven't been able to find another like it so far but need to check out a catalog if I can find one.