Huot Drill Index

[Jim C.]

Today I was reading a thread about drill bits being sent in the mail and the package not being properly taped up, etc., etc. (By the way, I'm a Jeff Moss fan.) Anyway, it got me to thinking about a couple of drill indexes I recently bought from Huot Manufacturing Company in St. Paul, Minnesota. It's a long story, but I found myself in need of a drill index for wire gauge drills (1-60) and letter drills (A-Z). I didn't want plastic (or metal) junk from china and found Huot online (www.huot.com). I called them up, placed an order, and got these in the mail yesterday. Nice stuff, all metal construction, affordable, and well made in the USA.

Jim C.

 

[adcrawfo]

Bought one for my fractional bits at work, best $40 in my book.


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[Jim C.]

^^^^^^^^

I got both delivered to my house for thirty six dollars and some change. Yes, I'm impressed with them. I can see a tap index in my near future.

Jim C.

 

[cclfn]

+ 1 for Huot drill index boxes

 

[jeffmoss26]

I've got some myself. Great products!

 

[Provincial]

Every Huot product I have ever owned or used has been excellent!

I am looking for an older version of the Letter Drill Dispenser. I picked up the Number and Fractional dispensers with the round knob handles and need to fill in the set.

 

[justanengineer]

Just a tip for you fellas, Huot has been making those indexes for decades. Stop by your local antique/thrift/junk stores or keep your eyes open at the fleas/auctions/yard sales and you can probably score them full of drills for <$10 each.

I really wish the larger sized indexes were more common, I really need to organize my 1"+ drills.

 

[neophyte]

Just a tip for you fellas, Huot has been making those indexes for decades. Stop by your local antique/thrift/junk stores or keep your eyes open at the fleas/auctions/yard sales and you can probably score them full of drills for <$10 each.

I really wish the larger sized indexes were more common, I really need to organize my 1"+ drills.

You can score some of the Huot indexes from Amazon for $10, plus you get to support a currently operating USA manufacturer.

 

[Jawn]

The Norseman set I got from Epsteins came with one. Nice piece.

 

[nine4gmc]

I have a NOS Huot Drill Index No. 29 for jobber drills 1/16 to 1/2 in 64ths I would trade for one of the Letter style indexes or other Huots.

 

[Jim C.]

I stopped by my parents house this weekend and took a few pictures of my dad's drill index (wire gauge 1 - 60). He's had that index and set of drills for as long as I can remember. According to my dad, he got it in the early 1960s.

Jim C.

 

[Jim C.]

I have a NOS Huot Drill Index No. 29 for jobber drills 1/16 to 1/2 in 64ths I would trade for one of the Letter style indexes or other Huots.

Just wondering if you still want to make that trade. I have a new, unused Huot A-Z index, that's collecting dust out in my shop. Send me a PM if you're interested.

Jim C.

 

[Dust Devil]

Chicago Latrobe drill sets come in those huot tins. CL bits are sweet.

 

[PT Doc]

All of the Norseman bits I have gotten were in Huot indexes. Huot is down the street from Norseman supposedly. Seeing Mr Huot is not uncommon at the Norseman facility supposedly. They are good quality and should last forever.

 

[nine4gmc]

Just wondering if you still want to make that trade. I have a new, unused Huot A-Z index, that's collecting dust out in my shop. Send me a PM if you're interested.

Jim C.

Unfortunately I sold it on eBay last year, thanks for the offer though. I now have these Huot index cabinets now so if anyone has the letter index with knobs matching my other two, I'm sure we could work something out. The letter cabinet is the bottom one with full length pulls, my ocd tells me I want knobs...

 

[-Brent-]

Yep... my OCD agrees with your OCD. Hahaha. Still, it's a cool set-up.

 

[PFSard]

I now have these Huot index cabinets now so if anyone has the letter index with knobs matching my other two, I'm sure we could work something out. The letter cabinet is the bottom one with full length pulls, my ocd tells me I want knobs...

Shayne

I can't help you with your search for the correctly configured Letter Cabinet. But you've aroused my curiosity. I have four of those Huot cabinets. Three with the long pulls and one with the knobs (for number drills). I assume the knobbed cabinets are earlier configurations. If so, when did Huot change over?

Paul

 

[Buckgnarly]

Unfortunately I sold it on eBay last year, thanks for the offer though. I now have these Huot index cabinets now so if anyone has the letter index with knobs matching my other two, I'm sure we could work something out. The letter cabinet is the bottom one with full length pulls, my ocd tells me I want knobs...

What do they look like when opened?

 

[nine4gmc]

PFsard, I have no clue when they switched over but that's my came conclusion, knobs being older.

Buck, the fractions and letters are slots front to rear and the number cabinet is slots 2/3 with a long slot across the back like this.

 

[southalabama]

Those are nice.

I just bought a new huot cabinet. I'm slowly filling it up. I'd hoped dad would share his unorganized bit collection but he still prefers the scattered to hell approach. I'd intended to give it to him but after seeing the last two toolboxes I gave him collecting dust I kept it. He uses the five gallon bucket method. Sockets in a bucket. Wrenches in a bucket. Etc. He has tons of tools but they are scattered.

I must go to the wrong garage sales. I never see anything that cool. Around here the sons seem to take the tools. None left for the yard sale.

I understand about the OCD. The pull cabinets without knobs stick out. Good luck finding a suitable mate.

 

[EdT]

Probably the best thing I ever bought at a tool auction was a set of three Huot drill indexes (like in post 18). I think I paid $275 for the three of them and they were full to the brim with drills. All the way up to 1/2". In the intervening 12 or 15 years I'll bet I haven't had to buy more than a couple of dozen drills just to fill in the commonly used sizes. There are still quite a few sizes that I have never used any of them, but it's nice to know they're there (grammar police watching that one!).

 

[theoldwizard1]

I got a deal on some Neiko drill (much better than your average no-name Chinese). Threw away the index and bought a Hout.

 

[nine4gmc]

Unfortunately I sold it on eBay last year, thanks for the offer though. I now have these Huot index cabinets now so if anyone has the letter index with knobs matching my other two, I'm sure we could work something out. The letter cabinet is the bottom one with full length pulls, my ocd tells me I want knobs...

Yep... my OCD agrees with your OCD. Hahaha. Still, it's a cool set-up.

Those are nice.

I just bought a new huot cabinet. I'm slowly filling it up. I'd hoped dad would share his unorganized bit collection but he still prefers the scattered to hell approach. I'd intended to give it to him but after seeing the last two toolboxes I gave him collecting dust I kept it. He uses the five gallon bucket method. Sockets in a bucket. Wrenches in a bucket. Etc. He has tons of tools but they are scattered.

I must go to the wrong garage sales. I never see anything that cool. Around here the sons seem to take the tools. None left for the yard sale.

I understand about the OCD. The pull cabinets without knobs stick out. Good luck finding a suitable mate.

Luck showed up in the garage sale thread and after a couple messages with member tomahawk_25, a swap was plotted and shipped. My OCD can take the weekend off now, thanks tomahawk!!

BEFORE:

NOW:

 

[jakemac]

But ........ but .......... the bottom cabinets don't have any knobs

 

[Jim C.]

Great looking set of vintage Huot cabinets Nine. Are you planning to restore them?

Jim C.

 

[Adam.C]

OCD? I put little stick-on green felt dots on the bottoms of my indexes so I can stack them without metal to metal contact. Cared for, these cases dill last a lifetime. Really nice to buy something that will last a long time.

 

[Larch]

Luck showed up in the garage sale thread and after a couple messages with member tomahawk_25, a swap was plotted and shipped. My OCD can take the weekend off now, thanks tomahawk!!

BEFORE:

NOW:

Nine4, you continue to amaze me!