# To pegboard or not to pegboard



## tazboy (Jul 22, 2013)

I'm organizing my workshop and I've come to the point of needing to decide on how to do it. I was either thinking of pegboard or just making my own. Making my own would be more fun and maybe more customized but it wouldn't be as modular, especially since this is my first go at organization. I might want to change stuff around.

The pegboard would make it much easier to move things around the way I want them. I've just heard of the annoyances that pegboards can bring someone. Like the hooks falling off… well that's pretty much it. But I can imagine that being annoying. I've read of plastic pegboards and plastic hooks. Maybe those are better. Just looking for some information from you guys that have tried with and without pegboards and which way you like best. Maybe hybrid?


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

I like just plane old plywood. Give it a coat of paint and your ready to hang stuff on it. Use simple hardware - nails, screws, screw in hangers, hooks, etc. and they want fall out either. You can also make the typical wooden hangers for wrenches, screwdrivers, etc. These are fun to make, look good, and hold the tools better. All of these hangers are cheaper than peg board hangers, too. Have fun.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## nicholasrhall (Aug 19, 2012)

Another option is a French cleat system. Bigredknothead has a great setup with a nice project blog showing how he built it. Do a quick search using the search and you'll probably find a few more great examples.

That said, you can't beat a pegboard for cost and speed. My has done just fine by me


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## nicholasrhall (Aug 19, 2012)

Another option is a French cleat system. Bigredknothead has a great setup with a nice project blog showing how he built it. Do a quick search using the search and you'll probably find a few more great examples.

That said, you can't beat a pegboard for cost and speed. My has done just fine by me


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## Momcanfixit (Sep 19, 2012)

When I first started spending time in the garage, I put up a pegboard. No regrets at all, minimal effort in making it and it has served me well.

Ideally I'd like a french cleat system, but that's down the road a bit.
For the effort, energy and cost, you'll get a lot of use out of a pegboard and it's not a lifelong commitment.
I bought two sheets of pegboard from HD and framed the backs of them to keep it off the wall enough for the hooks. It' ain't pretty, but it works.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I used pegboard for awhile. It's cheap and I like that it comes
in white because it brightens the shop. My shop accumulation
has become too dense for pegboard to serve anymore, but
I still like it. I had some little shelves for hand planes made from
a piece of wood with a couple of L hooks in the back.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

My shop is fully covered w/ pegboard (wood grained look), and I find that it is much easier to locate/relocated hanging items. I also have shelves for less used tooling.
Bill


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## oldcans (Feb 23, 2010)

I had a wall of pegboard already in place when I bought my house but I chose slatboard









for the bulk of my shop just because I liked the look a little better. It is kind of pricy if you buy new but if you can find it used it could be an option. I purchased mine for $4 a sheet so it was very inexpensive.


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## gtbuzz (Sep 19, 2011)

I started off with walls of pegboard, but I recently took out the pegboard and put in a French cleat system instead. I find the French cleats to be far more versatile. Also, since I can build my own tool hangers, I find myself making a lot better use of space too. I used the pegboard to make a hanging storage cabinet. This was a far more efficient use of space for me. I can post some pictures when I make it out to the shop again.


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

I have pegboard the former owner used in the shop. It is nice enough, works and having raided a few box stores for hangers it has been cheap to make a fixture. In some places I have used the French cleat system and it works as well. Either works well or a combination. White does reflect light and I have used this on the ceiling and it has served me well for many years. Having run into cabinets that nobody wanted I have filled up my wall space with cabinets and have less and less wall space to where it wouldn't matter if I put up sheetrock. (Laughing) Your shop is a place of transition, as you get more experience, tools and your interest change so shall how you hang and store all that cool stuff. My take anyway…......


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## Josh122 (Jan 2, 2014)

I had started in my shop with pegboards and they did just fine. It's versatile and quick to set up. You can even make small shelves using a piece of lumber and the metal clips that will hold a decent amount of weight.










I went to a french cleat system in the last couple months because it also seamed versatile and allowed me to not just change small things easily (like chisel holders or screwdrivers), but also my cabinets I've started to build. With the cleats, I can move these things anywhere. It also helped to consolidate some of my things while making them a little more accessible. I'm currently making some newer cabinets that will be nicer and more intricate for practice, but quick and dirty works too, as can be seen below. Now I feel like I have a bit more room to work with.


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## reedwood (Jan 27, 2011)

Slat board is awesome.

You're only buying a few sheets, get what you like the best. Pegboard works OK but doesn't have that professional look. Go with the thick HD hangers and thicker 1/4" PB if you buy it.

I lucked out and got a bunch of 3×4 ft. scrap cut offs from several displays we did for Home Expo. I butted them together and you'd never know.


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## brtech (May 26, 2010)

I'm using pegboard on one section of wall, works pretty well once I found these:
http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/product/2116

The metal hooks they sell in the BORG don't work for me.


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## wseand (Jan 27, 2010)

You could probably do some sort of combination. Peg board is a great way to start getting stuff organized, then over time when things become more permanent then move to wall mounted tool boxes with doors to add more room to the wall. It's a great way to add storage space and put like tools together.

Something like this. This is not mine.


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## BArnold (May 20, 2013)

As I was building my shop, I put 1/4" lauan on the bottom 4' of each wall and 1/4" white pegboard on the top 4' of each wall. In addition to the utility of the pegboard, using white negated the need to paint and it brightens the shop considerably. If I had it to do all over again, I'd do exactly the same thing.


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## Cruiszr (Jan 15, 2014)

I enjoyed reading all the different ways wood works finished out their workshop. I must admit I was a little surprise that no one mentioned using OSB on their walls. This is the choise I made when I was finishing out the interior of my shop. Never have a problem wondering about finding studs hang cabinets or wall brackets for shelving. I wanted a wall that would handle what ever I wanted to attach to it. I also found that OSB was cheaper than sheetrock of painted pegboard. Haven't bothered to paint it yet but I've got it on my "to do list", LOL. Left the ceiling open to use for storage between 2×10's for second floor. Will probable use OSB again when I get around to finishing off the second level of shop. Will install a drop ceiling to to help with light and maintain excess to roof rafter and air flow. Check out shop photo for a view.


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## GregInMaryland (Mar 11, 2010)

I have both pegboard and a slat system. Here is my lumberjock project on the slat wall: linky. I can tell you that both have their plusses and minuses.

I like having both type, though eventually I would like to replace all the peg board.

Greg


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## tazboy (Jul 22, 2013)

Thank you everyone for helping me with figuring out what to do. I think I'm going to go with the French Cleat System. Looks like fun and it would help me with my beginner skills. So I'm going to go with lauan 1/4" like BArnold suggested. It's moisture resistant so that should help with it being in the basement.

The thing I don't know about yet is when thickness plywood I'm going to use for the french cleat. I was watching a video of someone using it and it looked like they were using 3/4". I would rather not use that size because of the price. But I might need to go with thicker to increase the cleat attachment strength.


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## Josh122 (Jan 2, 2014)

Tazboy, good luck! 3/4" is generally best, especially if you're talking about cabinets. if you're doing lighter fixtures, you can get away with other types of lumber, and they don't have to be hardwood or plywood, but I'd still go 3/4". I've used leftover pine for around my bench area where I have a lot of smaller fixtures, with a lot of success.

Also, Remember that one sheet of plywood will also cover a LOT of wall space once you rip it into strips.

Again, good luck!


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## jmartel (Jul 6, 2012)

One argument against pegboard/open storage is getting everything covered in dust.


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## Texcaster (Oct 26, 2013)

All my tools are in one big cupboard. The upper tray has 3 sections- setout tools, files & rasps,- pliers, screwdrivers etc. The drawers have sandpaper, screws, biscuits, dowels, soldering iron, fiddly bits. The small blue section, all polishing supplies. Saws in bags by the drawers, mortise & carving tools in rolls in the little cupboard around the corner. Luthiery tools in the Silver Ash toolbox. I park my benches near the tools and everything is to hand.


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## John_ (Sep 23, 2013)

I currently use pegboard but I am getting ready to do another wall with a slat system similar to the one in shopnotes
http://www.shopnotes.com/issues/132/sources/slat-wall-storage-solution/

To keep my pegboard hooks in place I have these little black plastic clips that work quite well - you can see them in the pic


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## SawTooth1953 (May 7, 2009)

> I currently use pegboard but I am getting ready to do another wall with a slat system similar to the one in shopnotes
> http://www.shopnotes.com/issues/132/sources/slat-wall-storage-solution/
> 
> To supplement that Shopnotes link, I found they offer some slat wall component plans for free here:
> ...


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## mounttod (Sep 28, 2015)

Keep in mind that open storage solutions alow all the dust your making to settle on the tools. Not a huge deal but I personally hated peg board. The second I started buying nicer tools a nice tool cabinet was built soon after.


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

You know how those darn hooks always flip around and out when you pick up your tools? Someone here mentioned using a hot glue gun to hold them in place. I thought it a great idea but have yet to try it. Just passing it along.


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## tomclark (Feb 16, 2010)

While many like to hang their tools on pegboard, it's not for me. I don't have the patience or wall space for it. Just one of these 24" wide x 23" deep drawers probably holds more than most woodworkers have hung up on their walls.

The 6' long shelves over the back of the bench hold all the stuff that never gets put away, things that would not work good with pegboard

Hey George - My shop does have panted OSB on the walls, very nice for hanging things such as sharps you wouldn't want to put in a drawer.


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

Tom, your shop is a thing of beauty!


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## Woodbum (Jan 3, 2010)

tazboy: For what it is worth, I use some pegboard for hanging jigs, patterns and clamps, but I keep all of my small hand and power tools in shop built mobile floor cabinets; wall hung cabinets, and kitchen cabinets I salvaged from my house after a tornado trashed it, inside and out. I used to work in my garage facing the street with the doors open and was a little paranoid about having everything "on display" to all who happened by. I like cabinets because they keep everything cleaner and out of sight. That being said, pegboard, slatwall, and French cleat hangers all work great, and it is just your personal preference as to which is better for you. I too use the little plastic clips for my pegboard hardware, but they still tend to pop loose and fall on the floor. Then you have two things to search for. They are better than nothing at all but still IMHO are a major PITA. Don't rush into using anything without carefully considering all of your options since you might want to rearrange things later on. Just my thoughts and methods of operating.


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## Knothead62 (Apr 17, 2010)

I think pegboard takes up too much wall space. If you can fit it in, no problem. The pegs can be a nuisance sometimes. I am very limited in wall space. My neighbor tossed an old secretary with the fold-down desk. It has three drawers- desk area is for turning stuff; drawers are for pliers, wrenches, screwdrivers, etc. All contained in a desk three feet long. Some things are on walls but shelving limits that. Let us know what you decided on doing. Pictures?


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

In my last shop I used 3/4 plywood sheets and I really liked it. If you want it to be bright you can just paint it what. You can hang anything on it anywhere that you want including cabinets and shelves.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

> In my last shop I used 3/4 plywood sheets and I really liked it. If you want it to be bright you can just paint it what. You can hang anything on it anywhere that you want including cabinets and shelves.
> 
> helluvawreck aka Charles
> http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
> ...


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## ClayandNancy (Feb 22, 2010)

like *Oldcans *I have slat board and love it. I make my own hangars so I can customize them to what I'm hanging.


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## Gentile (Jun 3, 2013)

I'd reccommend painted OSB and the French cleat system. If you want the versatility of peg board, you can French cleat pieces of peg board on the cleats. 
My Dad had one wall covered in peg board. The peg board was behind his RAS. The space between the studs there eventually filled with sawdust. That was in the days before dust collection systems…
My shop is drywalled, it's a pain to hang stuff. My shed has OSB sheeting, much easier to hang stuff there…


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