Let's see your vintage drill bit indices

[Outlawmws]

Those have screw caps, not the slip on like Starrett used.

 

[Outlawmws]

Pic of my set:

And Macgees:

 

[macgee]

Macgee, the smaller round wood cans looks like the base for a Starrett set of drift punches. I have one about 1/2 full now

Some brace mounted twist drill bits came in similar cases. I have a Cleveland set hiding somewhere.

I have the short version.

https://archive.org/details/ClevelandTwistDrillCoCatalogue391919/page/n73/mode/2up

Starret does offer these wood round cases for punches and some other items as does the Everede boring bar tooling company but this one I thought came from a Cleveland brace drill bit set that I had like RTM's, I ended up selling the mini Cleveland set bits inside a larger brace auger wood case set (good riddance) but love having the wood round case for my hex set.
Round shape & blue for metic and square shape and multi color for SAE. The nine hole wood case has been perfect for my metric hex set.

EDIT: *** Outlaw is totally correct and I'm wrong, it must be an old Starrett case of mine that I had laying around. Here's an old pic of my Cleveland Brace drill bits in their wood index holder and an Everede index version of mine. My Cleveland holes are too small to match.

 

[macgee]

Looking through the previous pages in this thread, I have to say they're some really cool examples of drill index's that's worth checking out and I'm jealous.

Here's my vintage fractional size Whitman & Barnes index No. 5 tray and a common as cool no name usa made #1-#60 number sized tray.

 

[propmaker]

This one is a little different. I believe its shop made, its attached to the top lit of a wooden machinist box that came from a machinist at Douglas aircraft.

 

[Outlawmws]

That is different! I'd agree, shop made.

 

[macgee]

Nice Propmaster, Yeah that looks shop made, that is no easy feat having to make all those sizing stamps, getting them all lined up and even looking and depth.
I like how he combined fraction, letter and number bits that he needed according to decimal size (big to small), I would like that kind of arrangement. I use the three types almost daily.

I wonder though, if you open and close the cover if some of the bits fall out?

 

[propmaker]

I wonder though, if you open and close the cover if some of the bits fall out?

That was my thought as well, I figured the box did not move much with a set up like that.

 

[theamcguy]

Anybody have any extras they want to sell? Send me a PM. Thank you

 

[FrankLee]

Nothing too exciting here.
Radnor index
LSi index
Cincinnati milling guide
Browne & Sharpe gauge
National
Craftsman index
no-name index
Craftsman tap guide

 

[mcmlvif100]

The Cleveland Twist Drill Co.

Garage sale buy. While trying to learn more about it, I found an old listing for a similar index. The description matches mine.

https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/132750-cleveland-twist-drill-company-drill-bit

Ad reads -- This is a drill bit holder made by The Cleveland Twist Drill Company of Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. It is 8 1/4" long by 1 1/4" wide and stands 1 1/4" high (without bits). Made of solid brass with a black crinkle paint finish.

Both sides are marked on the base part with The Cleveland Twist Drill Co. Cleveland, Ohio U.S.A. and New York / Chicago / San Francisco / London. In addition, the number sizes from 1 - 24 on one side and 25 - 60 on the other, and includes the equivalent decimal sizes from .0400 to .2280. One short end is stamped with Made in U.S.A., the other short end with Patents Pending. Each hole is drilled to accommodate the proper size bit for a total of 60. Circa estimated to be 1920's to early 1930's"

 

[crguy]

The Cleveland Twist Drill Co.



Ad reads -- This is a drill bit holder made by The Cleveland Twist Drill Company of Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. It is 8 1/4" long by 1 1/4" wide and stands 1 1/4" high (without bits). Made of solid brass with a black crinkle paint finish.

I believe those were plated, sort of an antique brass color - not solid brass or painted.
Yours has just darkened with age.

 

[Davefr]

Here's a NOS National:

 

[don long]

Very nice Dave

 

[don long]

I picked up thes box a while back and guess it's classified as a drill index
It has 3 different sections to it

2021-02-09 09.48.51 by don long, on Flickr

2021-02-09 09.48.37 by don long, on Flickr

2021-02-09 09.45.44 by don long, on Flickr

2021-02-09 09.47.38 by don long, on Flickr

 

[Farmer J.]

I don't normally look on this thread, but when i saw that Don was the last post on it I just had to see.. very nice set of auger bits there, Don
And some nice drill bit indices to be seen before that too.

 

[Outlawmws]

Dave, Incredible find! I think that is the first NOS in the thread?

 

[RTM]

The Cleveland Twist Drill Co.

Garage sale buy. While trying to learn more about it, I found an old listing for a similar index. The description matches mine.


Ad reads -- This is a drill bit holder made by The Cleveland Twist Drill Company of Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. It is 8 1/4" long by 1 1/4" wide and stands 1 1/4" high (without bits). Made of solid brass with a black crinkle paint finish.

Both sides are marked on the base part with The Cleveland Twist Drill Co. Cleveland, Ohio U.S.A. and New York / Chicago / San Francisco / London. In addition, the number sizes from 1 - 24 on one side and 25 - 60 on the other, and includes the equivalent decimal sizes from .0400 to .2280. One short end is stamped with Made in U.S.A., the other short end with Patents Pending. Each hole is drilled to accommodate the proper size bit for a total of 60. Circa estimated to be 1920's to early 1930's"

This might be your rack, part of a large set, just to mess with your OCD.

https://archive.org/details/ClevelandToolsForTuningUp/page/n6/mode/1up

 

[ecotec]

Nothing too exciting here.
Radnor index
LSi index
Cincinnati milling guide
Browne & Sharpe gauge
National
Craftsman index
no-name index
Craftsman tap guide

The LSI index is awesome. I have been so busy for the last year and a half, that I have not been able to go to estate sales.

I think that any Detroit area drill index or drill bit stand is great. Good find!

 

[BrianHoward]

Where do i begin

 

[Frenchy23]

found this one today tucked behind a tool cabinet covered in dust at an estate sale today, pretty happy to have found it and having only paid a dollar for it, I can see myself keeping/using it

 

[Outlawmws]

Cool find, Great price! you ****!

 

[Southern83]

Went to the Hillsville VA fleamarket over the weekend. Picked the index up from a really cool vendor. Actually passed on it when I first seen it. I typically use everything I find in my shop. It was too cool not to go back for. I'll just have to find a way to display it.

 

[crguy]

Interesting in a couple of different ways. Does it look like it was plated originally? I've seen a bunch of these and don't recall ever seeing one that wasn't shiny plated when new.
And why go to the cost of making a wood box to sell it in? It's not a tool you would use, then put it back in the box until the next time you used it.

 

[PFSard]

So many people on GJ who have found some really nice vintage drill indexes. This person was probably not able to ... LOL So he made his own (well vintage style). I thought some might find it interesting even though he'll have to wait a few years before it is truly vintage.

 

[d42jeep]

Went to the Hillsville VA fleamarket over the weekend. Picked the index up from a really cool vendor. Actually passed on it when I first seen it. I typically use everything I find in my shop. It was too cool not to go back for. I'll just have to find a way to display it.

That is a very cool index with an equally cool shipping container. None of the cast indices I’ve found have been plated and I’ve found quite a few.
-Don

 

[crguy]

That is a very cool index with an equally cool shipping container. None of the cast indices I’ve found have been plated and I’ve found quite a few.
-Don

Then you're really missing out. These are all plated, and none are rare.

 

[d42jeep]

Yep, missing out.
-Don

 

[Firebrick43]

Yep, missing out.
-Don

god, the pattern makers and sand crabs had really brought their A game when making that!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Don't remember seeing your collection of antiquers in a group shot before, Don.

One of the aspects (along with the shapes and ornateness) that makes them so attractive is the dark finish. Funny how things go, whether it's regional or just circumstantial, but I have yet to run into one in the wild.

 

[crguy]

Yep, missing out.
-Don

"Never seen a plated one" - If you wiped the old oil/dirt off the New Process index you'd see it's chrome plated. And, a couple of the others are copper plated.

 

[d42jeep]

"Never seen a plated one" - If you wiped the old oil/dirt off the New Process index you'd see it's chrome plated. And, a couple of the others are copper plated.

Whatever. If I see another really unique index I’ll probably pick it up but I’ve pretty much reached my saturation point.
-Don

 

[Shelbylex]

This is an amazing collection, Don. I need to keep my eyes opened - would be nice to find some in the wild!

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks. Except for the first one that I inherited from Grandpa Al, they were all found in the wild.
-Don

 

[Farmer J.]

Whatever. If I see another really unique index I’ll probably pick it up but I’ve pretty much reached my saturation point

Don reaching a saturation point with collecting? Nah, I never expected that!!
Nice collection, thanks for sharing. J.

 

[mc4life27]

Here’s one I got for a back stabbing I though was a friend. But it’s for sale if interested

 

[crguy]

Here’s one I got for a back stabbing I though was a friend. But it’s for sale if interested

What???

 

[d42jeep]

It’s been quite a while since we found a drill index since the pandemic has curtailed our searches in the wild, but we spotted this Ajax brand number bit index at a Pinole, CA estate sale today and it was way too cool to leave behind.
-Don

 

[humber2]

Here’s a pair of Dormer fractional drillstands from England.

The numeration is pretty small on the outer circle.

 

[crguy]

It’s been quite a while since we found a drill index since the pandemic has curtailed our searches in the wild, but we spotted this Ajax brand number bit index at a Pinole, CA estate sale today and it was way too cool to leave behind.
-Don

That's a fairly common one. Several companies used a similar design.