Pegboard...is it really the way to go?

[Dragfluid]

It all works. I've got some pegboard, and some slat wall. Never had a French cleat. Sounds *****.

To keep the hooks on the board, put a little dab of RTV on the back of them.

 

[Jazz1]

I am very cramped for space, so I have built most of my upper cabinets with pegboard for the outer door. This allows me to store most of my stuff inside a cabinet, but more commonly used, small, and odd shaped items can be put on the pegboard.

Here is one of my more recent additions. I replaced a set of shelves with these cabinets to hold various Systainers, with a special shelf to hold different pneumatic nail guns. Across the top I have a piece of unistrut that the front panel slides in.

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Each of the four cabinets are about 18" wide, 36" tall, and 12" deep. The 36" x 36" sliding front panel has a small roller on the bottom to keep it vertical.

I find that as long as I don't get too crazy slamming cabinet doors, I don't have any issue with items falling off of the pegs.

Lee

Now that's using the melon when real estate is at a premium in the garage!

 

[drivesitfar]

All: I used to use quite a bit of pegboard when I was able to park a car in my garage, but now no car and a ton of old metal cabinets and shelving works for me.

I always have liked the look of a nice pegboard full of tools though especially in front of a clean workbench.

sadly my FSD (flat surface disease) never allows or allowed me to keep the workbench clean and hopefully all these cabinets and shelving will help cure me.

cheers

 

[964haus]

I like my pegboard a lot. It's made from 1mm powdercoated sheetmetal and there's a lot of hooks and toolholders for it. The hooks are all mounted with small screws.

I have about 12 meters of pegboard in my tool area.

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I think it's nice to see your tools and it's easy to keep them in order with pegboard.
Im not doing dust work here so they stay pretty clean.

I bought my pegboard and holders from Biltema . It's a car part store from Sweden.

My shop wants to be your shop when it grows up!

 

[Burl]

Is it the way to go? For me it is.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=6198&pictureid=97566

 

[T-handle]

My shop wants to be your shop when it grows up!

Thanks Your shed is awesome 964haus I started to fix my mopeds in a small room attached to my dads garage. Only bad thing was that the air compressor was in the same room

30 years later I have finally a workspace of my dreams, and the air compressor is out of the room

 

[crewchief888]

pegboard is the devils handywork

I hate the stuff.

dad had it in the garage when I was growing up, the only toolbox he owned was a SK cantilever box.

theres a piece of it above my woodworking bench in the basement left there by the previous owner.
one of these days i'm going to rearrange that area and the pegboard will meet it fate in the firepit.

 

[Git]

I have pegboard on one sidewall and cleat wall on the other. I love my pegboard. I like to be able to see where things are, I have a bad enough time finding things as it is

 

[pioneer1]

Yes a dry shop and using the heavy pegboard only.

You can paint the good smooth face to any color you want to enhance the looks of your shop. Pegboard makes for a lot of extra tool storage. A big plus in a small shop.

I have just a couple small peg board panels. One I painted yellow that's over my motor bench and one I painted red that's over my electric bench.

The boards came with the metal benches which I bought over twenty years ago from Sears.

I have pegboard, but would like to paint it. What kind of paint is best?
I don't want it to scrape off just by removing tools and sliding them on the pegboard.

 

[rsparks64]

I have just a couple small peg board panels. One I painted yellow that's over my motor bench and one I painted red that's over my electric bench.

The boards came with the metal benches which I bought over twenty years ago from Sears.

Similar to Motorman, although I also had pegboard on about half a wall in my old garage. Now I have pegboard on a workbench like Motorman, some stacked toolboxes, a mobile storage bench, some shelves, and some wall panel organizers (Gladiator). I like the pegboard on my work bench and keep a few things on it that I use regularly for simple stuff like different screwdrivers and wrenches, scissors, utility knife, measuring tapes, pencils, pens, a couple of kinds of tape, glue, etc. Most tools are in my stacked toolboxes or on shelves.

 

[Motorman55]

I have pegboard, but would like to paint it. What kind of paint is best?
I don't want it to scrape off just by removing tools and sliding them on the pegboard.

I'm pretty sure I used Rust-Oleum indoor/outdoor latex base enamel in the Qt. cans. Just rolled it on with a small lint free roller. Hasn't scratched off yet.

 

[Dragfluid]

I have pegboard, but would like to paint it. What kind of paint is best?
I don't want it to scrape off just by removing tools and sliding them on the pegboard.

Please prime it first.
I use primer and paint from my local Tru Value. They've made their own paint for over 20 years.

 

[TylerRNEMT]

I am actually torn on pegboard..... in one sense I love it..... it kind of completes my work bench area, can look decent, holds a huge amount of awkward items therefore freeing up some drawer space in my toolboxes and cabinets, and makes it so easy to grab commonly used tools. On the other hand it can look terrible, allows tools to become very dusty, and is very easy to become a cluttered mess. I had a single sheet mounted above this large workbench when I moved in to the right of the window.... I pulled it down and purchased a couple more sheets and then painted them all with a satin black oil based paint on a foam roller.... turned out pretty good and I created a more finished look by wrapping the window and bringing it around the corner of my L shaped bench. BUT I am constantly fighting my urge to “slap” more things up there as I pick up new items..... I have definitely over cluttered it to my liking and it’s knmy list of projects to remove everything on the pegboard and start over with what I really want up there....

Here it is in all of its cluttered glory: you can’t tell in this pic but it wraps around the corner on the right side of the bench also.

-Tyler

 

[Hallucar]

I am actually torn on pegboard..... in one sense I love it..... it kind of completes my work bench area, can look decent, holds a huge amount of awkward items therefore freeing up some drawer space in my toolboxes and cabinets, and makes it so easy to grab commonly used tools. On the other hand it can look terrible, allows tools to become very dusty, and is very easy to become a cluttered mess. I had a single sheet mounted above this large workbench when I moved in to the right of the window.... I pulled it down and purchased a couple more sheets and then painted them all with a satin black oil based paint on a foam roller.... turned out pretty good and I created a more finished look by wrapping the window and bringing it around the corner of my L shaped bench. BUT I am constantly fighting my urge to “slap” more things up there as I pick up new items..... I have definitely over cluttered it to my liking and it’s knmy list of projects to remove everything on the pegboard and start over with what I really want up there....

Here it is in all of its cluttered glory: you can’t tell in this pic but it wraps around the corner on the right side of the bench also.

-Tyler

Doesn't look cluttered to me - in fact it looks very neat and organized. I never really considered dust accumulating on shop tools as being an issue, but a couple of you have mentioned that now, so maybe it is something to consider. For me the biggest issue I was thinking was the tools rattling around while putting the bench to use.

 

[Henricogolfer]

TylerRNEMT I think yours looks great!

 

[el monte slim]

The very first property I purchased over 30 years ago was a newly constructed starter home in a cookie-cutter neighborhood. The developer lined two of the interior garage walls entirely in pressed wood pegboard paneling from floor to ceiling. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it wasn't long before I started hating it. Even when appearing to be organized, the cluttered look, cheap appearance, and hassle to keep hanging items even passably clean just drove me up a wall.

I much prefer metal cabinets, drawers, and pallet racks with enclosed storage tubs for tidy and easy to clean organization of a garage or workshop space.

Every once in a while, I'll think about getting a small amount of metal pegboard to mount somewhere, but then I come to my senses.

 

[gtsgarage]

My first house with a small one car garage had all pegboard. I took advantage and hung everything. Still have hundreds of hooks.

Second house had a two car garage I installed a few large pegboard panels and kept a lot hung. Looked good but did occasionally knock stuff off or had hooks come out when removing wrenches.

Third and current house have a larger 3 car garage. I haven’t hung tool. It’s all in metal cabinets. Lots of tool storage and I love it, much cleaner. I have the new age pro grey cabinets and have been very happy with them.

Keeps things organized and clean, looks nice too.

 

[drivesitfar]

Tyler: your set up looks like it's in the family room. very neat and clean so only suggestion i'd make is to maybe get a bigger old non swiveling vise and put it more in the middle of the bench so if you have something in your vise's jaws you have to spray something on or file that you won't get it on your couch.

ALL: i'm covering up my pegboard with shelving cause I have too much stuff and not enough space, but pegboard did have it's use for 30 years around here. here's one wall i'm finishing up now.

 

[bluegoose972]

I've used pegboard in the past and could never get it to look the way I wanted. On my current bench, I just placed a sheet of 1/2" plywood and then used it as a blank canvas to lay out the tools how I wanted them, not concerned about where holes were located. Then I simply installed different length nails and ****, I had a very organized back wall.

Getting ready to build a new work bench in the new shop and currently trying to decide what I want above the work bench.....Cabinets? Shelves? Pegboard? Plywood? So many real world problems! LOL

 

[ProGun3400]

I use it, it’s what I’m used to. My dad’s transmission shop had one wall above the rebuild bench covered in pegboard. It held bushing drivers, few tools but the majority was used to hang paper/rubber kits. Here’s a few older pics of mine which has now been moved to the left and lowered. I moved it over & down to allow room for the hanging/ceiling shelves to utilize the wasted space. I built a wooden frame out of furring strips & pocket screws. They’re all on 16” centers. I then screwed the metal pegboard to the furring strips. The furring strips are wide enough that the pegboard is attached, not only at top and bottom, but also screwed down the seams where they meet. The hooks are holding mostly transmission gasket kits, some clutches, steels, bands, etc. Works just fine for my needs...

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: one thing pegboard is really good for is hanging big or oddly shaped items so if you've got those and the space the pegboard does have it's use that is for certain.

PG: your gaskets hanging reminded me of my 4 foot aluminum pipe wrench, huge calipers and other things that i can't find a spot for now.

 

[MattRMagnum]

Both my garage and my house have pegboard in them, but I'm likely going to take it down. I don't really like it (I'd rather have tools in drawers, and I've zero lack of drawer space), and it was put in immensely inconvenient spots.

Though garage size might play a factor. Mine's 30x36, and came loaded to the brim with cabinets.

 

[67CarGuy]

Grew up with pegboard in Dad's shop, have it in mine. I agree on how it can look cluttered sometimes, but one of these days... I'll pull everything down and reorganize it to better use the space I have.

For now, I've got a combo of pegboard, open shelves, cabinets under one bench, cupboards along another wall, and whatever other space I can find :

 

[brownsmustang]

I like my wall control metal pegboards with the matching accessories. Paper towel holder etc.... Plus I can get it in different colors.

 

[lilscorpion]

I tried pegboard multiple time but found that, as others stated, drawers and cabinets increase storage space, keep tools cleaner, and tend to keep the tools more organized (if you take the time to organize them in the drawers).

 

[Lassen Forge]

Also grew up with Pegboard, because it makes the stuff you use all the time (especially on the bench) really accessable. And if you use your tools enough, they don't get dusty, right? Also, the really awkward, large tools that either don't fit in a box or take up way too much space in one can have a home.

Saying that, I also run an organized work toolbox, which is actually more like a supersized work cart, because it's nice to have stuff you can grab when you're right next to the project at hand.

BTW, I like the black background, looks REALLY sharp! One of our work shops did the same thing, with the tools outlined in white paint marker, and you could tell when something was missing...

 

[ItsNemo]

I've got 6 panels of wall control hung on a wall where I don't really have room for anything to stick out (it's near a corner where my wash sink is). It has things like funnels, goggles, face shield, ear muffs, squares, clamps, caulking gun, grease guns, etc. not the usual screwdrivers/wrenches or tools like that...it's mostly the bulky awkward stuff or things that I grab very regularly on it.

Being wall control, most of the accessories are their slat ones which tend to hold on well. In general it's a good use of otherwise useless space, but I am definitely not a fan of pegboard for everything/everywhere.

 

[Old Radar]

It seems like every other guy has pegboard up in his shop in some capacity. Wondering if it really is the cat's pajamas, or is there a better alternative?

As several members have indicated, most shops need a variety of storage options defined and refined by the space available, the work done in the shop and frequently, the alternate uses of the shop space.

For me, my shop is in my two car garage--where I park two of my cars and my two motorcycles--so space is limited and used primarily for vehicle parking.

When I moved in, my garage was four finished but bare walls. I started with a bench I built from the oak cabinets ripped from my dining room remodel and mounted pegboard on the wall above. I added sturdy hanging shelves above the sink and along the entire right side of the garage, leaving two areas for long tools.

I'm more into woodworking than blacksmithing so I don't have a vise on my main bench--I have one on my aux bench but still rarely do any serious pounding--so I've never had an issue with tools falling off my pegboard. Besides the normal peg hangers, I also use a screw-in system for odd or large hangers.

What I appreciate most about the pegboard is it allows for flexibility and growth. Since I've retired, my tool acquisition rate has increased considerably and I've been able to reorganized the pegboard several times. Also, some hangers can be pressed into service for tools they were not designed for--since I use magnetic strips for my screwdrivers, I use 6-gang loop screwdriver holders to neatly hang my hand saws (see upper left in the photo). I even use a couple of trashed sockets screwed into the frame of the board to hang my torque wrench and breaker bar.

Since my pegboard is now reaching critical mass, I've acquired a couple of Kennedy 520 machinist's chests and a Kennedy 6-drawer cart in addition to the Craftsman 11-drawer chest that has been sitting on my bench for over a year waiting for me to restore it. I'll have to force myself to take a break from Estate Sale-ing in order to reorganize everything.

So I think the answer to your question is it shouldn't be considered the cat's pajamas, but it should be considered a useful storage tool that complements and coordinates with other storage tools. Just like you wouldn't limit yourself to owning a single wrench, you shouldn't limit yourself to a single storage method.

 

[tarmy]

I love mine...

 

[lilscorpion]

I love mine...

Does look really organized and clean.

 

[Brad54]

I have a 32x40 shop, 12-foot walls. I have the entire shop sheeted in white-face pegboard from the ceiling down to 4-feet above the floor.
I've had it that way for 15 years, and absolutely love it.
GOOD pegboard hooks are the key--they should require some force to push into the holes.
I didn't spare the screws securing it to the wall studs as well (drywall screws, they countersink themselves in existing holes and secure the pegboard perfectly).
I hang shovels, laws tools, etc. on them in the garage, and in my shop I've hung everything on them, including aluminum intake manifolds, heavy tow hooks, aluminum bellhousings, carbs, etc. etc., and in one area I had a full set of werenches from 1/4 to 1 1/4, with at least two wrenches of every size, including the largest ones, and 7 or 8 for each size from 7/16 to 5/8. There was a fair amount of weight in that whole area, and no problem.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I only like pegboard for larger tools that won't fit in my toolboxes: conduit benders, welding helmets, fish tapes, t-squares, etc. Everything else goes in the toolboxes so they don't end up covered in dust.

 

[Hammer1963]

I'm the "other guy" I have never used pegboard in an open area. Just inside of cabinets or closed areas which works well. I make too much dust and dirt for it to work for me in the open shop

 

[TylerRNEMT]

Tyler: your set up looks like it's in the family room. very neat and clean so only suggestion i'd make is to maybe get a bigger old non swiveling vise and put it more in the middle of the bench so if you have something in your vise's jaws you have to spray something on or file that you won't get it on your couch.

ALL: i'm covering up my pegboard with shelving cause I have too much stuff and not enough space, but pegboard did have it's use for 30 years around here. here's one wall i'm finishing up now.

Ha Ha Thanks!
I really don't worry much about the couch....It's an old fake leather couch from my wife's old apartment....her dog had scratched holes in the center of each cushoin. It's very easy to wipe down and keep clean and I find myself using it all the time so it stays. I do think it would be handy at times though to have the vice in the center rather than the end....but I also use the center area A TON for all kinds projects so I think it would be as frustrating with it in the way for all other projects as it is having down there when I do need it.....I've looked at some options to make it modular.....like a hitch and receiver kind of thing. Thanks for the tips!! It definitely helps getting another perspective on things from other members on here sometimes!!

TylerRNEMT I think yours looks great!

Thanks!!

 

[Slednut]

Personally the answer to the question is no, just the thought of reaching over my bench to obtain a tool makes my back hurt. I have drawers, it takes me a couple minutes to clear my bench of tools when I'm done using them.

Maliciously having to put a tool on a hook, or in a hoop would drive me crazy. Grabbing a tool with grinding dust all over it and having to wipe it off before I use it is not for me.

 

[fsae0607]

I don't like pegboard. I prefer a toolbox.

No offense meant to anyone that likes pegboard, but IMO toolboxes look more "shop" to me and pegboard looks "arts and craftsy".

I do my share of metal fab in my garage, so my tools need to be in drawers.

 

[TylerRNEMT]

I definitely like the idea of using it for large awkward items

 

[atch]

Like most on here have said, NO. In the basement shops of my previous two houses I had pegboard. Now I have two big roll around tool boxes and am about to need a third. I also have 13 file cabinets, some of which have bulky tools in them; like skill saws, routers, sanders, etc.

I have found that the tool box drawers work much better for me than pegboard.

 

[NKlamerus]

Love my pegboard. Not white though, mine is grey.

Can't stand opening a drawer to get tools, it's easier to hold junk in drawers.

Here's a snippet of a pliers rack from a closet shelf.

 

[NKlamerus]

Found another photo, I have a 4x4 sheet mounted to the back of rolling workbench, it also lines the side of the shelves to the right.

We don't own so I'm moving house to house, my biggest mistake was making them taller than a standard garage door