Gladiator Gear Track Mod

[Kent Adams]

Has anyone ever tried to make their own hooks with this track? I've got a bunch of this gear track and I've been scratching my head on how I can make my own attachment hooks, cabinets and shelves utilizing the track system. I don't have a metal bender or vice I can use to fabricate metal and not sure I could if I did have them. I bought this stuff long before I knew about french cleats. I want to use it, but with my own shop made attachments for it.

[Kent Adams]

Have I stumped my fellow Creekers?

[Kent A Bathurst]

I think the message is you are a party of one on this product - - I had never heard of it before your post.

Your first loss is your best loss. Sell it.

Or, buy the OEM accessories.

Which is the bigger out-of-pocket solution? Loss on sale v purchase of their hooks? Kinda line the razor v the blades, no?

I use screws into the wall, with custom-built brackets.

[Kent Adams]

I should sell it, but its one of those things where you're lucky if you get 20% of your investment back if you sell it. Its a great track system (better than French Cleats IMHO), but its a case of management (whirlpool) having limited imagination as to the possibilities. I probably have $2000 in this system.

This will give you an idea of what this stuff does: http://www.histoirede.org/wp-content/uploads/m/m-appealing-garage-storage-and-organization-systems-garage-organization-systems-orlando-garage-organization-systems-overhead-garage-organization-systems-omaha-garage-organization-systems-nj-gara-730x436.jpg

[Kent A Bathurst]

Kent...........

I don't doubt for one minute what it can do. I just wonder if you can find a way to avoid putting $$ into their proprietary gadget-hanging thingies.

There is a business/accounting/finance concept called sunk cost. Sunk cost is the monies already spent on a project - $$ sunk into it, literally. THe point of sunk cost is that you cannot get that back out - it is gone. You don't include sunk costs in your decision-making process going forward.

You don't end up in a good place it your approach is: "Since I have spent $XXX already, then I must do YYY going forward in respect of those decisions/costs from the past"."

You only do YYY going forward if that is the best solution to the issue at hand. Forget the sunk cost - what is the right decision going forward? How much $$$ would it cost to build and install a french cleat system, versus how much do you need to spend on the OEM brackets to get what and where you want to be? For you, it very well may be to invest in the OEM brackets. I dunno - - I am not in your shoes/shop. YOu have to decide.

Maybe take a generic bracket to an area machine shop, and see what they want to produce a few dozen for you? GOtta be cheaper than OEM, one would think.....

Understand, please - all of this is coming from a guy that would not/has not installed even a french cleat system - I use them on specific tasks, but not shop-wide. It does not maximize space utilization [and that is my specialty, on a professional end]. I put up 1/2" ply, make custom tool holders, and screw them in. And move them, as the spirit -- ahem -- moves me...........

best of luck

Kent..........

[Greg R Bradley]

I have a fair amount of the original Gladiator modular product. It is great as far as it goes. The original welded cabinets are great as long as you can keep them out of the hands of freight idiots, bLowes and Home Dopey incompetents. Further corrupted by the customers of the big box stores that drove Gladiator to come out with the customer assembled step-down from the original that is a waste of time. This was followed by the Chinese crappier copies of those that pretend to be a simple solution.
When a vendor was blowing some out at 50% off, I filled in some empty spots and now consider that good money after bad.

It has some advantages but I would suggest using it for what you have and build your own for the rest of your project using what you learned from what you have.