digest
Short Summary
Main recommendation: Store clamps on purpose-built wall racks using slotted or notched plywood holders, rather than flimsy grain-weak hangers or hanging pipe on rafters. Steve Ramsey shows how he replaced his old clamp storage with modular racks mounted in unused space behind a door, so the clamps can be hung quickly and reached easily.
Key Points
- His old hangers were single boards with grain running the wrong way, so they snapped easily and only worked if clamps were placed gently.
- Pipe clamps hung on PVC pipe from the rafters required cinching and tightening each clamp, which made quick storage a chore.
- Bar clamps were stored where they were hard to reach and at risk of being knocked by a new light fixture he nearly hit once.
- The unused 6 inches of space behind the door became the new storage area, and the door can still open.
- He split the system into separate modules for bar clamps and pipe clamps so they can be placed or rearranged independently later.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Cut the plywood into roughly 5 by 6 inch pieces and make some angled cuts on all of them.
- Set the saw to a shallow 3-degree angle on the top of each piece, which keeps the pipe clamps from falling out.
- Glue the angled pieces onto a strip of plywood, spacing them 1 inch apart and tacking them down, which gives room for 12 pipe clamps. Secure them with screws.
- For the bar clamp holder, laminate two pieces of 3/4 inch plywood, rabbet one side, and cut a series of slots 1 inch apart on the table saw. Cut a back piece so the parts fit together.
- For the C-clamp holder, cut a series of notches in a thin strip of 3/4 inch plywood, then add 2 inch spacer blocks and side blocks for support.
- Store spring clamps on a strip with dowels, and use a small wood block to hold another clamp.
- The door catch is a clip-type catch that only needs to be pulled out about 3 inches to clear the rack.
- He mentions the same space could hold shallow shelves for paint cans and finishing materials.
- Mounting the pipe clamp holder high in the corner gives the clamps a secure position.
Bottom Line
Steve Ramsey's setup is more durable and faster to use than his old hangers because it uses angled, properly cut plywood modules placed in otherwise unused space.
