Storing reamers, what to do?

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I had some tool rolls made up put of an old piece of thick leather jacket for my reamers. It's sized so the flutes slip into the pouches leaving the shanks exposed for easy reading. Cheap and works great.
 
I just got through sorting through my multiply-random-sourced collection of reamers. Put aside those that were'nt "even" inch or metric sizes. Used two of the Falmbeau boxes that @Eyerelief mentioned to organize what I kept. I also have a set of Chinese over/under inch reamers in their own wooden box. Everything fits in one drawer of my 4-drawer HF tool cart. Anybody in the market for a handful of odd sized reamers? PM me - they're yours for the shipping cost.

PS - those wooden boxes that @Shotgun mentioned look really useful! I noticed that there are also 6 drawer and 10 drawer (actually double 5-drawer) units as well. As of now it's a fanrastic solution in search of a problem!
 
My reamers are scattered out by function. The "chucking" reamers are in a metal(Huot?) drill case above the lathe. A full set 1/16 to 1/2, Chinese but so seldom used they should last a while. Taper pin reamers are in a plastic box with the taper pins, each size by compartment. The reamers have sleeves made from shrink sleeving, unshrunk, just slid on. There's a set that I was given, of larger machine sizes in a canvas wrap up. Looks ex-Army. . . Like most machine tools, reamers are considered "sharps" and should be protected. By what method and system is up to the individual. Small ones can be stored, like thread dies, in a wooden case with grooves milled into the surface. Just a 1x4 with grooves cut with a utility knife would be better than cardboard. If a router were available, the imagination could run wild. I have that router. . . and a thickness planer. What's holding me back is I have higher priorities to tend to first. What's your excuse?

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Bi11Hudson said:
My reamers are scattered out by function. The "chucking" reamers are in a metal(Huot?) drill case above the lathe. A full set 1/16 to 1/2, Chinese but so seldom used they should last a while. Taper pin reamers are in a plastic box with the taper pins, each size by compartment. The reamers have sleeves made from shrink sleeving, unshrunk, just slid on. There's a set that I was given, of larger machine sizes in a canvas wrap up. Looks ex-Army. . . Like most machine tools, reamers are considered "sharps" and should be protected. By what method and system is up to the individual. Small ones can be stored, like thread dies, in a wooden case with grooves milled into the surface. Just a 1x4 with grooves cut with a utility knife would be better than cardboard. If a router were available, the imagination could run wild. I have that router. . . and a thickness planer. What's holding me back is I have higher priorities to tend to first. What's your excuse?

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ummm.....

mmmmm....

I'm just getting started?

Also have a ton of priorities. You guys keep showing tools you made yourself, and I've just not been able to keep up, dang-it. I only have about five or so reamers at this point. I scored a big box of "stuff" from a craigslist listing not so long ago, but that was mostly drill bits. Practically an entire set. I bought a couple drill bit carousel off of Aliexpress for the bits, with the intention of mounting them to a post on the tailstock end of the lathe. (Key word: intention). I have improved my nut/bolt storage issue with motor oil bottles and shelving. I need to order a couple of those artist pen storage drawer sets for reamers, taps, et. al.

BTW, for short drills and taps, "sports bottle ice trays" are da bomb. I got mine for about $3 each at the grocery store.

sports bottle ice tray at DuckDuckGo

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OK. I might cheat.

With the artist drawer I linked above, you still have to do something to keep the parts from banging against each other. Routed slots in a piece of wood being the easiest, as Mr. Hudson noted above. If I make those wood block, I could store them in these stackable containers. Then I will be able to see what's in the box, and be able to take the whole container to where ever I'm working.

www.aliexpress.com

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I have recently started wrapping old reamers and end mills with plastic expandable mesh. I only cut enough length to cover the cutting surfaces, that way I can still read sizes on shanks!

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So far so good, I've been pleased with the results. Cost is very minimal, and I can stack reamers/end mills in drawers together without damage. Also the plastic mesh gives you an opportunity to identify types of reamers and cutters without unwrapping each one every time you go searching!
 
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