AW Extra - Hyper-Organize Your Shop

A Hook-And-Slat Wall System Puts Everything At Your Fingertips

By Jock Holmen

I’ve struggled with the clutter in my small garage shop for years. Recently my neighbor remodeled his garage using a commercial wall-slat system. That gave me an idea for designing my own system. I used 1/4-in. and 3/4-in. plywood (Photo 1) to create a hook-and-slat system that organizes all my tools, hardware, shop supplies and hand tools. It’s a flexible system that allows me to make changes easily as my shop evolves. I use the same hook-and-slat system to hang things on a roll-around cart or my bench. I even devised handles that double as hooks so I can hang individual drawers on my bench to put fasteners and hardware right where I’m working. Along the way, I added some pull-out vertical dividers with slats mounted on them. See “8 Great ideas,” below, for all these ideas and more.

Photo 1: My entire wall system hangs on this simple hook-and-slat system. To make a hook and slat, I simply glued a piece of 1/4-in. plywood onto a strip of 3/4-in. plywood. 

It’s easy to build

This hook-and-slat system is simplicity itself. Take a strip of 3/4-in. plywood and offset another strip of 1/4-in. plywood to create a hook and its partner, the wall slat (Photo 1). You must shave a bit off the inside edge of the slat (Photo 2) so the hook can slip in and out with ease. After I attached the slats to the wall (Photo 3) I began to invent different holders and boxes for all the tools and hardware I use frequently. 

Photo 2:  Shave the inside face of the 3/4-in. plywood for each wall slat. Remove just enough material (usually less than 1/32 in.) so the hooks slide in and out without binding.

3 Great Benefits

A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place

My system puts everything in plain view and right at my fingertips. No more fumbling in drawers or cabinets. When I’m done using a tool, it goes right back on the wall, leaving my benchtop clutterfree and ready for work.

This System Can Hold a Ton––Well, Almost

Trust me—this wall system is plenty strong. The slats can hold up an entire cabinet full of tools without causing you worry.

Low Hanging Boxes Keep Benchtop Clear 

All the boxes, like these sandpaper organizers, can be taken off the wall and hung on the bench to bring their contents where the work is. The boxes are designed to sit below the benchtop, leaving the top unobstructed.

8 Great Ideas 

Roll-Around Cart

My roll-around cart normally lives below my bench. When I need to go mobile, it comes out of hiding, ready to be adorned with boxes and dividers that contain the tools I need for a given job. Here I’m getting the cart ready with everything I need for a glue-up. 

Pull-Out Dividers

Each divider is task-oriented. This one carries adhesives, countersinks and drivers for assembly. The dividers slide on a plastic channel designed to hold lattice, available at most home centers. A 1/4-in.-wide tongue is machined on the top and bottom of each panel. Multi-ply birch plywood works best for these dividers.

Spot Lighting

A small block of wood with a hook attached allows me to put my work light right where I’m working. The light can hang off the wall, my bench or even the roll-around cart.

Hook and Handle

Even my individual screw drawers can hang on slats. That’s because I designed the drawer handles just like the hooks, only smaller in scale. Pull out a drawer, turn it around and hang it on a hook—everything’s within easy reach. 

Hand-Plane Holder

My hand-plane holder puts all my planes within easy reach. 

Hanging Tool Caddies

All my handheld power tools and their accessories have places on my wall. Individual tool caddies hold sanders with their paper, drills with their chargers and bits, and routers with their wrenches. When I need a tool, I grab its caddy and take it to where I’m working. Now I never leave a needed accessory behind.

Orbital Caddy

Hey! Check out my random-orbital sander caddy. The paper is organized with 1/4-in. plywood dividers labeled for each grit. I just lift the appropriate divider and grab the paper I want. The sander sits on top of the paper stack for transport. I put a five-degree back angle on the bottom shelf to tip the paper and sander so they don’t fall out when the caddy hitches a ride on the cart. 

Slide-By Panels

The slide-by panel assembly is housed by large shelves at top and bottom. I even used some of my old perfboard to make a divider.

The slide-by panels glide along the same plastic channel used for the dividers (see “Pull-Out Dividers,” above).

 

 

 

 

About the Author

Jock Holmen has been a master carver and woodworker for 29 years. He owns and operates The Norwegian Termite in historic Mendota, Minn.

November 2006, issue #125

Purchase this back issue.

Here are 28 additional totes, cabinets, shelves and holders.

Drill Caddy

Air Nailer Caddy

Router Caddy

4-Drawer Cabinet

Drawer from a 4-Drawer Cabinet

2-Drawer Cabinet

Drawer for 1/2" Router Bits

Orbital Sander Caddy

Shelf for Allen Wrenches

Shelf for Hex Bits

Shelf for Plug Cutters and Countersink Bits

Shelf for Foam Brushes

Rack for 2 Bar Clamps

Clamp Rack

Tote for Drill Bit Cases

Tote for Glue Bottles

Holder for Extension Cords

Holder for Hex Drive Bits

Holder for Portable Shop Light

Holder for Spokeshaves

Holder for Coping Saws

Holder for Shop Brush

Holder for Spring Clamps

Holder for Hammers

Portable Storage Panel for Rolling Carts

Pegboard Panel for Rolling Carts

Shelf

Shelf