1 Wall-Mounted Magnetic Strip
A wall-mounted magnetic strip is a convenient way to store the various small hand tools that you use frequently in the shop. But most commercial versions have an exposed metal strip that can scratch tools. The magnetic strip shown above and on the right uses rare-earth magnets to hold the tools securely and a thin strip of cork to protect them from damage.
I started with a 2"-wide piece of 1⁄2"-thick stock. The length is based on the number of tools you want to store on the strip. Then you can drill 1⁄8"-deep holes with a Forstner bit for 1⁄2"-dia. magnets.
After epoxing the magnets in place, you can glue a 1⁄32"-thick strip of cork over them. You could also use a piece of rubber from an old bicycle inner tube. Now all that’s left to finish up is to mount the strip on the wall or to a pegboard.
2 Tool Rack
Finding a place to store individual tools so that each one has its own spot can be a challenge. This tool rack will keep tools off the workbench, but within easy reach.
The rack is just a piece of hardwood with holes and slots to hold the tools. I started by ripping the hard wood blank for the holder into two pieces. With a dado blade, I cut notches for tools like chisels or squares. You can also drill single holes for screwdrivers. A series of holes smoothed with a chisel will make a slot for pliers. Then, glue the two strips back together.
To mount the rack securely, you can cut a groove in a second piece to serve as a mounting strip. Then just add some glue and a couple of screws to secure the rack to the strip.
3 Tool Caddy
A tool caddy like the one shown at right can hold several types of narrow tools. Plus, it’s portable, so you can take it with you anywhere in the shop.
I started building the caddy by making a plywood box with simple rabbet joints. It should be tall enough so tool blades fit inside. The hardboard top has a series of evenly spaced holes to hold the tools. The holes are far enough apart to allow room for the handles. Then it’s fitted into a dado at the top of the box.
A hardboard bottom fits into dadoes cut near the ends of the sides. A piece of cork glued to the bottom of the box will protect sharpedged tools from damage. This handy caddy, that’s quick to make, will keep your tools within easy reach at the workbench or anywhere in your shop.
4 Knife Box
For a safe place to store tools that have razor edges, like utility knives, marking knives, or X-Acto blades, a piece of foam insulation works well.
The low box that fits around the insulating foam will keep it stable. The box can be stored on the workbench or mounted to pegboard. To store the knives, just push the blades into the insulating foam.
5 Pegboard Storage
Pegboard is a handy storage item in any workshop, but sometimes the pegboard hooks come off with the tools. To remedy this frustrating situation, you can use separate tool racks mounted with L-hooks to store tools.Attaching a frame to the back of the pegboard will allow enough clearance to maneuver the hooks. It will also keep the pegboard stable on the wall.
After you attach the hooks, just slide them in the holes of the pegboard and then lower the holder against the pegboard so the weight of the holder locks the L-hook in place, as shown in the inset drawings at right. It’s almost impossible for the holders to fall off, but you can still move them easily if you want to reconfigure the racks.
Any of the tool racks at right can be mounted to pegboard using L-hooks. The simplest of these racks is just two pieces of wood connected in an L-shape to hold small bar clamps. The same design can be used to store squares. Just cut a slot into the top piece from each side. If you add dowels (inserted at an angle) to the front of a rack, it will hold several C-clamps.
Finally, a strip of wood with holes drilled in it and slots cut in the front will hold chisels and screwdrivers. All of these racks can help you organize your shop efficiently.
