Clamp Wall

[Mark Katz]

Despite the adage "You can never have enough clamps”, for the most part I do have enough. But what good are they when they're scattered all around the shop and end up in hard-to reach places? So my latest project organizes (almost) all of them onto one wall. My wife says I arranged them like a work of art, but the reality is that I tried to get them into a limited space without having to move some to get at others. It's a big improvement.

[Gary Ragatz]

Nice! I had the same problem you describe, with clamps scattered here and there in the shop. A few weeks back, I got one of Rockler's mobile clamp racks, and have been happy with that. Once I get a couple of shelves into it, it will hold most all of my clamps and accessories (for now). It keeps things accessible and pretty well organized, and I like the mobility, as I don't have just a single spot dedicated to glue-ups.

[Jim Becker]

One of the best organizational things I did in my shop a few years ago was around the same idea you bring up...keeping all the clamps in the same place so that they are easy to access and provide immediate feedback on what's available for whatever I'm about to do. The one thing I would do different were I setting things up today is use a more "stacked" method of hanging them so that I could, um...fit more of them...in the same space. LOL

Old image, but...
https://qwgqzq.sn.files.1drv.com/y4m_Sk7eTTyR6iLS7wGFSEqrUkHLCKh1X91KGTEMyd5p0jTDFK og3z9dtpN_buonylmh__u5V51SV116lxV7hPeCr5AP6NcJ_keo 5TniLvrkRMelXU4P0slIO3BIROZlhrCivftPqIN0JOs4NL-ObQeLcD4W7ykOJECoBsLlczTlwM8BEm04155ABI_Y7kE2E71nH DUrhYS-rwoYP-YF33wuQ?width=495&height=660&cropmode=none

[Doug Dawson]

Despite the adage "You can never have enough clamps”, for the most part I do have enough. But what good are they when they're scattered all around the shop and end up in hard-to reach places? So my latest project organizes (almost) all of them onto one wall. My wife says I arranged them like a work of art, but the reality is that I tried to get them into a limited space without having to move some to get at others. It's a big improvement.

I really like the Shop Fox clamp racks for this, a really great turnkey solution, thirty bucks a 3-pack on amazon, and they fit our Bessey/Yost/whatever parallel clamps like a glove. No need to build anything, no need for anything more than that. I've had people comment on how tight it looks.

[Bruce Page]

My wall. Haven't had anyone try to bust in through the garage door.

[Frederick Skelly]

Mark, you will not regret getting everuthing in one place. Good move!

My clamp wall closely resembles Mr. Becker's.

[Mark Katz]

Bruce Page: Nice use of space - I've been trying to think of ways to use the space in fromt of my 2 garage doors but I need to open one when cutting long pieces on the table saw and open the other one for long pieces on the jointer/planer. I have considered mounting and locking some of my long accessories (such as Festool Guide rails) into pockets on the garage door panels so that they will just go up and down with the door.

Jim Becker: My old method actually required tightening the clamps onto various studs and crosspieces in the shop which was a real pain. It's so great to just reach for one now and lift it off its bracket. And, yes, the stacking method really does save space.

I considered using these Woodpeckers brackets (https://www.woodpeck.com/woodpeckers-clamp-rack-it-2882.html) but they only come in one size - good for the K-body and similar clamp - and I would have to build the other brackets anyway, so I just made them all from plywood. I see they're now introducing some new versions in various configurations. Good to keep in mind if you're going to do something similar and have an unlimited budget.

[Jim Becker]

I surly like the concept of an "unlimited budget"... ROFLOL!! :D :D

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Mark, I like your idea! I just bought my first Bessey K-body clamps a few weeks ago. I have them hanging across my mortiser stand but and constantly navigating them to get into the cabinet behind them. I think I will modify your idea slightly to allow me to use French cleats and rearrange the shop as my desires change. Well done Sir!

[John Isgren]

I don’t see how anyone could justify $60 for a pair. For that price you could buy a really nice piece of birch plywood and make 16-20 sets of racks. I like how yours came out!

[Carl Beckett]

Nice upgrade Mark! I went through this same exact exercise recently (a good problem in that Santa brought me several more clamps). My shop has very limited wall space so I used the stacking design like you did. I like yours better in that each 'style' of clamp has its own hanger. And clever compressing the space by 'nesting' the smaller ones close to longer ones. Mine is mixed so sometimes I have to take some of the top ones off to get to the bottom ones. It is just what space allowed, but still better than having them strewn all over as you say.

(nice little origami around that electrical panel cover... ) :)

[glenn bradley]

Organized and easy to access makes your clamps easily earn their keep. The clamps at the left of the pics (my most often used ones) are right near the bench for easy off, easy on which keeps them from snow-drifting on the bench or surrounding area. This is around 2014:

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Huh, I'd forgotten I still had a land line in 2014. And then last year:

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The cleat wall makes small or large changes easy and has saved me a lot of headaches when I need something shifted just a bit as things morph along.

[Jim Andrew]

I built one of the rockler style portable racks, but bigger, then bought too many clamps to the point had to make it bigger, and now it is so heavy it is difficult to roll. Also have clamps hanging on the wall, but out of wall space, unless I built a rack over the garage door, but have to open it occasionally to get a project out. So guess I will just persevere.

[Mark Katz]

The cleat wall makes small or large changes easy and has saved me a lot of headaches when I need something shifted just a bit as things morph along.

Interestingly, Glenn, my first inclination was to build John Malecki's adjustable version - even bought the plans (https://johnmalecki.com/product/adjustable-clamp-rack/). But then I realized how much more compact I could make it if clamps were at various levels. Çombined with the fact that my clamp collection has become somewhat static over the years, this fixed approach will work fine for me.

The brackets are three pieces (2 arms and a back) and are screwed to the plywood from the front. So, theoretically, they can be removed and repositioned if really needed.

[phil harold]

I built an "A" frame years ago
has wheel but just sits
I love the inside storage

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[andy bessette]

My clamp wall.

https://i.postimg.cc/C15gSSXG/shop-7.jpg (https://postimages.org/)