Hanging tools

[Hector M Torvisque]

Hi!

I'm new to the forum. Looks like a swell place.

I am setting up my workshop and am struggling with how to mount my tools on the wall. I have some thin ply for interior wall surface and have managed to use nails to provide a mounting surface for a couple of simple tools (Veritas flush trim saw, Trend snappy bitset) but I can't really believe that short of making custom mounts for everything or using pegboard there isn't an easier way to go about this! Nails are such a crude way of going about this job. Should I just put some shelves up and then try to modify them to accommodate my tools?

How do you guys do it? If there's a big thread on this subject I'm sorry if I've missed it, but I could only find ones about plane storage.

Thanks!

[John Lanciani]

Because it's fast and easy to move things around to find the best place for them.


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[Bob Riefer]

I try to keep tools near to where they'll be used for the most part. For wall hanging, I use drywall screws directly into the wall as needed, and label that spot with a sharpie marker. I also like open shelves and bins (as opposed to cabinets with doors). I've stored all the plastic cases for my power tools away, choosing to instead keep those tools in "cubbies" to make accessing them and putting them away easier.

I also keep a couple "task specific" tool boxes for efforts that take place out of the shop. For example, I have an electrical tool box, a plumbing tool box, a sheetrock tool box etc. Each of those tool boxes contains common fasteners and tools needed for their dedicated jobs. Makes it much easier than having to gather everything each time and put it back etc.

[Mike Wilkins]

I am not a big fan of pegboard for the shop, but I do have a small section of it in my storage room to mount hammers & general construction tools. In the main shop, I have a collection of shop built cabinets and cast offs from a kitchen cabinet remodel. For me having cabinets to house tools makes for a much neater shop. Similar items are stored together (sanding items in one cabinet, routers in another, etc).
One great suggestion I can give to anyone is to stick your nose in a book. There are several great books from Taunton (the FineWoodworking folks) that cover this same subject, and a source of some great ideas. Barnes & Noble is another.

[Ben Hatcher]

For screw drivers, wrenches, pliers, hand saws, and things like that, I use pegboard with a mix of store bought and shop built hangers. Tools that I use at the bench I keep at the bench. I just built 5 huge drawers into my assembly table base to keep chisels, planes, nail guns, sand paper, files, etc. together and close at hand. Things that I use outside of the shop or less frequently I keep in task specific boxes. For example, I have one with my angle grinder and accessories, one for 12v electrical, one for household electrical, one for plumbing, one for jig/fixture hardware, and so on. I've been through many iterations of shop organization and so far this one is working out pretty well for me.

[Roger Myers]

I have mounted French cleats to the wall (which is drywall) ... I have these running nearly continuously around the perimeter walls at several different heights (say 18" from the ceiling, and then two feet lower, and two feet lower again). Then, I have several "tool panels" which hang from the cleats.... These can be simple or fancy, custom to a specific group of tools, or just a panel with screws and nails added as you need to. I also have several custome hangers for tools which also hang from the French cleats, as well as some smaller cabinets. Beauty of this arrangement is it looks nice, is very flexible...move the panels anywhere you want....and no peg hooks falling out....
I made the cleats out of cherry about 1 1/2" in width, and ran a small bead with a molding plane along the edges, just so they look nice. Fasten them to the studs with screws and they will hold a lot of weight....

PS, welcome to the creek!

[glenn bradley]

+1 on the cleat system. I have really enjoyed the speed and flexibility of rearranging to meet the current need.

[Steven Wayne]

I got six sheets of 1/4" peg board on CL recently for free. I put up pegboard on my long walls from the ceiling down to about 4' from the floor. It's amazing how much you can put on peg board and how useful it is. I put some above my main work bench. This houses my combination wrenches and a few other frequently used hand tools. I also have a few hand tools on the other side of my shop that I use often. Grouping accessories and hand tools around machines and such can save a lot of walking around. I'm all for organization.