You don't always need a specialized accessory to solve a workshop problem. Sometimes an inexpensive piece of hardware or a small modification to something already in the shop works just as well.
These four Woodsmith reader-submitted tips cover clever pegboard storage, accurately spaced shelf pin holes, easier clamp selection, and a simple way to keep panel glue-ups from sticking to your work supports.
1. Use Drapery Hooks for Low-Cost Pegboard Storage
Pegboard is a versatile way to organize hand tools, but outfitting an entire wall with specialized hooks can add up.
Cesar Ramirez of Sanger, Texas, discovered an inexpensive alternative: drapery hooks.
By installing the hooks upside down in the pegboard, Cesar creates small hangers that can hold a variety of lightweight shop tools and accessories.
Their simple shape makes them useful anywhere you need an extra hanging point, and they're easy to reposition as your tool-storage needs change.
Woodsmith Tip: Drapery hooks aren't designed specifically for tool storage, so reserve this solution for lightweight items and make sure each hook is securely seated before hanging a tool.
Shop tip submitted by Cesar Ramirez, Sanger, Texas.
2. Use Pegboard to Drill Evenly Spaced Shelf Pin Holes
A neat row of shelf pin holes requires consistent spacing. Larry Darrelson of Gulf Shores, Alabama, uses a piece of pegboard to make that spacing automatic at the drill press.
Larry clamps a strip of pegboard to his drill press fence. The regularly spaced holes in the pegboard provide the indexing system.
A dowel serves as the indexing pin. After drilling one shelf pin hole, the workpiece can be repositioned to the next location using the pegboard and dowel as a reference. Repeating the process produces a consistent series of holes.
It's a simple shop-made alternative for drilling accurately spaced shelf pin holes without laying out every hole individually.
Woodsmith Tip: Before drilling the project parts, make a test run on scrap to verify the hole spacing, setback, and drill bit size. When drilling multiple matching parts, establish the same starting reference point for each one.
Shop tip submitted by Larry Darrelson, Gulf Shores, Alabama.
3. Label Bar Clamps for Easy Clamp Selection
When several bar clamps are hanging together on a clamp rack, it can be difficult to tell their lengths at a glance. The clamp heads all look similar, leaving you to pull one out before discovering whether it's long enough for the job.
Dan Martin of Galena, Ohio, eliminates the guesswork by writing the clamp length directly on top of the clamp head.
A silver-colored marker works especially well on a black-painted clamp. The high contrast makes the number easy to spot—even when you're standing a few feet away from the clamp rack.
Now Dan can look over his clamps, find the length he needs, and grab the right one the first time.
Woodsmith Tip: Label all your clamps in the same location so you know exactly where to look. This works especially well when the clamps are stored with their heads facing outward.
Shop tip submitted by Dan Martin, Galena, Ohio.
4. Make Non-Stick Risers for Panel Glue-Ups
Raising the boards off the workbench during a panel glue-up makes it easier to position and adjust clamps without disturbing the workpieces.
Dan Martin uses wood risers for this purpose. There's just one problem: Glue squeeze-out can bond the project to the risers.
His solution is packing tape.
Dan applies a strip of packing tape along the top of each riser before starting the glue-up. Dried glue doesn't readily stick to the slick tape surface, so squeeze-out can be removed without damaging the riser.
Once the tape becomes covered with glue or gets worn, Dan simply peels it off and applies a fresh strip.
Woodsmith Tip: This same idea can be useful for other glue-up fixtures, cauls, and assembly surfaces where you don't want squeeze-out bonding the project to a shop-made aid.
Shop tip submitted by Dan Martin, Galena, Ohio.
Simple Ideas for a More Efficient Woodshop
These four tips solve common workshop problems with inexpensive materials and straightforward ideas. Drapery hooks create low-cost pegboard storage, pegboard provides repeatable spacing for shelf pin holes, clearly marked clamps are easier to identify, and packing tape turns ordinary wood risers into reusable glue-up supports.
Small improvements like these don't change how you build a project, but they can make everyday shop tasks faster and less frustrating.
