Description
One of the biggest and costliest tool storage regrets I have is surrounding my garage walls with pegboard. If you’re just starting out, my advice is to stay far away from this pressed paper. It’s ugly, weak, frustratingly cumbersome and I, myself, regret ever using it.
And I've used both 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch pegboard...neither impressed me.
Because pegboard has to be anchored away from the wall, you'll have to add spacers or furring strips, which take away some of your hook placement. And if it's not supported just right, the panels can sag or buckle under the weight of your tools.
Then there are the hooks themselves. Depending on the type you're using, they can pull right out when you remove a tool. You can buy locking clips to help prevent this, but that's another expense on top of the pegboard, mounting materials, and hooks.
But a much better solution that I've found is using the shadow board technique. The idea is simple...give every tool its own designated place.
Now, traditionally, you'd trace around each tool with a pencil or marker, leaving an outline that shows you exactly where it belongs. But I'm going to show you some ways to make this even simpler, and not as ugly.
And it's incredibly simple. Hang a piece of plywood on the wall. For lightweight metallic things, you can get away with a single, cheap magnetic strip. For tools that hang easily, like these French curves, you can get away with a single nail. Or, for a tighter grip, use a pan head screw to add a little support. Other, heavier items like these machinist squares, I've created wooden ledges and rely on magnets to keep them up.
And the best part is that you get to be creative and make personalized holders for your wall. A couple of rounded wood cleats hold my staplers in place, while custom rounded blocks hold up my yoke scraper.
To save wall space, I made this block that my speed squares fit in. And to get more space on your walls, you can skip nails and go with longer, larger diameter dowels. This useless stack of saw blades I refuse to throw away...all hanging from a single dowel.
And my least favorite things to hang on pegboard were pliers, or any other handled tools. But add a piece of conduit and a couple of wooden mounts, and you can easily hang them with their handles straddling the bar.
Your tools will be better secured, you'll feel more pride in your customized organization, and you'll never forget where each tool goes. With a quick glance at my wall, it's easy to see any missing items.
I know pegboard is supposed to give you flexibility, but I'd easily trade that for a more secure wall that tells me when something's missing. And that's what makes the shadow board system...work.
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