9' Long Tool Rack (pics)

[Michael Schwartz]

Here is a 9' long tool rack I built from ash to span a window right behind my bench.

I made the rack by sandwiching 3/8" spacers between two faces. I left the spacers which I cut longer on each end about 1" proud to use as a tenon, to mate with the mortises in the side brackets.

This method would work really nicely for a knife rack for a kitchen as well.

The problem I ran in to after installing the rack were that the tools had a tendency to fall/rack right over into there neighbors. My solution was to glue up two long 3/8" thick scraps I had left over into an L shaped piece which I cut into individual dividers on the bandsaw. I chose not to glue or pin them in so they are adjustable as I move tools around or add more.

I filled the rack up full with tools pretty quickly, many of my chisels however are in the other room getting sharpened.

Below the rack is my unfinished Roubo style work bench based of the design by Chris Schwartz. The top still has not been flattened out, and i haven't made the deadman or crochet yet, and I am awaiting shipment of some vice hardware at the moment but I will make a post about the bench next week.

Edit** based on a response the with of the tool slot is 3/8"

[Dan Barr]

Thats pretty useful. I have a lot of smaller versions of that going on with my tools. I have various, cans, rolls, holders, etc. but not a one stop type thing.

Great idea.

any key to the inner width? i guess you took a look at all your tools and kinda figured from there. (5/8 or 3/4"?) also those wooden blocks are useful too.

cheers,

dan

[Michael Schwartz]

any key to the inner width? i guess you took a look at all your tools and kinda figured from there. (5/8 or 3/4"?) also those wooden blocks are useful too.

cheers,

dan

3/8" is what I figured based on my tools. So far it has worked for anything I have placed in it.

I might drill some holes on the front and add some pegs to hang some additional tools from

The spacers are are about 1.5" wide and a foot apart. I then use the adjustable dividers within each section.

[Pam Niedermayer]

Nice idea nicely implemented; but I'd stop inserting saws into it, too many opportunities for bending as they're pulled out.

Pam

[David Gendron]

Real nice, I have a realy similar one but not as prety... I did put some pegs on the front of it and it work great! Look like a nice looking bench to!

[Joe Close]

I might drill some holes on the front and add some pegs to hang some additional tools from
.

I have the same kind of tool rack, except I added the pegs along the front, and not as long as yours. The pegs are handy for hanging all sorts of tools. I really like your idea of the spacer. I've had problems w/ chisels falling over, and have been wondering what I could do. A spacer never occurred to me. I like it, nice idea Michael!!!

[Randy Klein]

Very nice, you'll definitely appreciate it. I also added pegs to mine IAW Chris Schwarz's and they hold very many tools. My rack is spaced 1/2" apart. Here (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=94139)'s a post about it.

[Jim Foster]

How long is your workbench?

[Randy Klein]

How long is your workbench?
If your asking me, it is 10 feet and I love it. Although it's a bear to move, which I had to do recently (from Ohio to Colorado).

[Michael Schwartz]

How long is your workbench?

not sure if your asking randy, or myself but mine is just over 8' long. I will be posting a thread about it very shortly.

[Jim Foster]

Randy & Michael, thanks for the replies. Michaels bench looked a little longer than 8', that's why I asked.

My bench is also going in front of an 8' span of windows, an the tool tray you both have made may be just the ticket for me as well.

I'm finally getting ready to build a similar bench (probably pretty much the same. :) ) and I still keep changing my mind on the length. I think I settled on 9' due to the length the boards will come in. I picked up the wood for the legs two days ago and hope to get the wood for the top this week also. I've settled on Douglas Fir, but the only boards I can get easliy are 2x12x 28' believe it or not. So a 9' top will make good use of the boards. I think it would be about the same price to use Oak, but hopefully the fir will be easier to get ready.

[Roger Benton]

i made a much smaller probably not as good looking version of this rack-
it's holds 4 bench chisels, 4 mortise chisels, about 8 screwdrivers, and a bunch of members of the 'pliers' family. to deal with my chisels and screwdrivers wanting to fall over i used 3/4" and 1" forstner bits to make holes about 3/8" deep right onto the top for the handles to rest in. works great so far, everything stays put and can't fall over.

great looking bench!