Question about your tool rack

[Brian Effinger]

For those of you with the slant board tool racks that several people posted a number of months ago, how far do you have to lift your tool up to pull it out of the rack?

I'm thinking of making a couple of these, but they will probably be mounted one above the other. I just don't want to take up a lot of room for tool removal clearance.

Thanks.

[Jake Helmboldt]

Brian, are you talking about the tool rack with the offset half circles in two planes and the slanted bottom support? If so, you don't have to lift the tool up more than a couple inches since it then tips forward out of the rack (since the offset half circles serve to wedge the tool handle in place). I have mine on pegboard behind the lathe at about eye level and the tools simply lift right out.

My suggestion would be to have the lower one mounted outward slightly with spacers/blocks of an inch or two so that they could be staggered and take up less vertical space.

[Cathy Schaewe]

you don't have to lift the tool up more than a couple inches since it then tips forward out of the rack

Ditto. Maybe 3-4 inches for the really long tools.

[Jon Nuckles]

The only thing you have to lift to clear is the board with the row of half circles at the bottom front of the tools. You could put that right at the base and, if you made it from 3/4" material, you'd only have to lift a tool 3/4" to pull it out. I might go a little higher than that so you don't have to be as careful when you put them back, but 1 1/2" should be plenty. If you don't have to organize your tools in some other way, put the shorter tools on the bottom rack so the upper rack doesn't have to be mounted so high.

[Chris Barnett]

If any of your tools have larger than usual diameter handles (i.e. Ellsworth), might want to use a larger forstner bit for a few holes.

[Fred Perreault]

Do we have any pics of the tool holder being discussed? It sounds interesting.

[John Keeton]

Fred, I sent you an email!

I have two of these racks mounted one over the other and do not have any difficulty at all. I don't recall the distance between them, but could measure and/or take a pic if needed.

[Jake Helmboldt]

If any of your tools have larger than usual diameter handles (i.e. Ellsworth), might want to use a larger forstner bit for a few holes.

+1 on Chris' comment. I have a large scraper and a a couple skews with really fat handles. They could use a slightly larger diameter spot on the rack to be more secure and seat more fully in the rack.

Also, long tools, like hollowing tools and big bowl gouges can tend to be a bit top-heavy. I need to make a second rack as I've run out of spaces, so I will make the next one with larger half-circles and a slightly deeper/taller rack for those bigger tools.

[Fred Perreault]

John, thanks for the message. I was in the shop this morning coring a red maple 15"x 6' blank of ordinary looking stuff, and a black locust 15"x7" feathery crotch. My, the locust was a toughie, even green. But I am improving my technique with every core, and am accumulating some drying rough outs. Gardening season is approaching in these here parts, and I can hear the ground thawing in the veggie garden every time i walk by to the shop.

[Thom Sturgill]

Like John, I have two of these stacked. The top one is just below a wall mounted AC which protrudes 2-3". I have tools that just clear the bottom of the AC by less than an inch and have no trouble removing them. The natural movement is to lift and swing the blade out at the same time, so not much vertical clearance is really required. Mine hang from a french cleat and were easy to position. I will go home for lunch and measure the gap and length of the longest tool in the bottom rack.

Bowl gouges on top, spindle gouges on bottom - 11" between racks but less than 2" from tip of longest spindle gouge to the bottom of the top rack.

[Brian Effinger]

Thanks everyone. I thought it might only be a few inches, but wanted to make sure. John & Thom, if you have a photo handy, I'd like to see them.

Recently I got my hands on some slat wall that was being tossed out, and have it fastened to the wall at the head of my lathe for tools and accessories. I'd like to place one rack down low for the taller tools, and one above it for the rest.

IMG_2321.JPG

I like these racks over the leaning variety (like Tim Yoder's from Woodturning workshop) because I'm a klutz and would probably knock them over if they weren't held in place. Of course the leaning racks would be easier to make, but I have a bad habit of taking the difficult path.

[John Keeton]

Here are a couple of pics of my toolracks. There is 11" between them, but the actual clearance needed is only a couple of inches beyond the end of the longest tool. The one pic illustrates the forward movement of the tool begins almost immediately, so the need to "lift" it from the rack is minimal.

Fred asked about the angle of the bottom, and it is about 45*. As I recall, it was just a factor of using the board I had available and making it fit.

The previous threads from which I took these racks were posted by Jeff Wright and Dan Forman, and I condensed those dimensions into the attached .pdf file. Theirs were much nicer. Mine was from some scrap wood, pinned with a pin nailer, and screwed to the wall!!

[Fred Perreault]

Thanks for all the helpful answers. I just gotta get my tools organized.... in fact I plan on taking care of my procrastinating ways.... later

[Thom Sturgill]

And here's mineDSCF7831.jpg

[Cathy Schaewe]

I got the plans for mine from John K. The only think I might change on the next one is to make a couple of spots for the smaller tools (using a smaller forstner bit). They can get a bit rattley in the standard holes. Things like my little round skew, or the lovely d-way beading tools. (Can you hear the quiet gloat?)