Shop-savvy Clamp Racks

Larry's mobile 4x5' table is trimmed in quartersawn white oak. A series of 1", 11⁄2", and 2" PVC pipes mounted through the base function as holders for clamps, hammers, and other tools. Because pipes from one side pass directly above those coming from the adjoining sides, Larry can store dozens of clamps in a relatively small area right where he needs them.

Chris Finnerty modeled his Virginia shop after WOOD Magazine's Idea Shop 5. Simple notched supports provide plenty of clamp storage.

Not only does Walt Nicholson's clamp rack roll smoothly anywhere in his Idaho shop, it also stores associated tools, hardware, and materials. "I started thinking about the wasted space in the middle," Walt explains. "I decided it would be nice to have everything that I used when clamping and gluing in one place."

Todd DiOrio frequently repurposes discarded materials and components into handy shop furniture and accessories, and this rack is a good example.

Robert "Burgie" Burgoyne organizes everything in his shop and has plenty of storage. Things he uses the most, like his many clamps, are mounted low in accessible wall racks.

Starting with a base of 3⁄4" plywood, Robert Burgoyne has made several tool and accessory racks, like this one that houses bar clamps and handsaws.

Robert Burgoyne takes time when designing his shop projects to be sure that each is good-looking as well as efficient. "I could just drive nails in the wall and hand stuff, but that's not aesthetically pleasing. It's not a reflection of your creativity or craftsmanship, and I'd rather spend an afternoon building a cool-looking holder."

Tyme considered building a clamp cart—even had materials ready to go to build one—but decided against it. His projects require a variety of clamp types (and lots of them), and he didn't want to limit himself to the small capacity of a movable rack.

Many clamp racks are oriented so the bar slides into place fits, but Tyme made a more efficient version. "The problem with clamp racks that have them oriented the other way is that when you hang more clamps in a row below, when you reach for a clamp it'll knock some of the others handing above off the rack," he explains. "These simply can't fall off."