# How do you store your clamps?



## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

There are as many ways to store clamps as there are woodworkers. Youtube has many videos on how to build them. What method do you use? Please share with the rest of us. Pictured below is my method using a display rack from a department store I picked up for free. The rack has casters so I can roll them around for use and storage.


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

I get more replys when I talk about popes, pedophiles and priests…


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## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

I keep them on simple wall hangers. I had built "Norm's" clamp rack. It is/was handy. However, I have more wall space than floor space. So I went the wall route.


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## sgmdwk (Apr 10, 2013)

I got tired of having clamps lying on every open surface in the shop, or clamped onto the edges of shelves, so I made some clamp holders to handle all my clamps. The I started another project and bought a bunch more clamps to help with it. Now I have my clamp rack full - and a bunch of clamps on the horizontal surfaces and clamped to shelves around the shop. It's a never-ending cycle.


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## Charlie5791 (Feb 21, 2012)

I bought a stainless baker's rack at BJ's for $50. It has nice big wheels on it. My clamps are on that "rack" and I can roll it wherever I need it and it's stable (and cheap…. did I mention cheap?) The wire shelves make a convenient place to set stuff down when I'm working. When I'm done with a job I can roll the rack around and put stuff away and then park it back in the corner.


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## BigRedKnothead (Dec 21, 2012)

Rockler suckered me into these racks, but I haven't regretted buying them. Well made….as opposed to other rockler stuff.


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## Mosquito (Feb 15, 2012)

I've added quite a few clamps to this, but for now this is what I'm doing


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

Just a length of black pipe and a couple of pipe hangers:


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## whitebeast88 (May 27, 2012)

i have one of the rockler racks that only fits my small clamps.my bigger clamps and pipe clamps are in the corner.thats on my list to do as soon as i finish my ms station.


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

Does anyone have a picture of the perfect clamp holder? Should include all types. If you have hand drawn plans scan them and show them.


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## cutworm (Oct 2, 2010)

It's on wheels so I can roll it to where I need it. Saves me some steps. Like madts, this is just not as interesting as your other posts.


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## 69BBNova (May 1, 2012)

I don't have much in the way of specs because it was build out of stuff I tore apart…

The clamp boxes are 3 pieces of 4" x 26 1/4" with the front piece sandwiched between the top and bottom pieces with an open back…

The spacing of the holes is 2" on center, and the holes are 1 1/4" dia…its also on casters but I really never move it, but it works exactly as it should.


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

I have open studs on one wall of my shop. I have 1×2's nailed horizontally and clamps hang between the studs like rungs.


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

69, pretty nice for stuff torn apart.

Dan, how about some pix. I know everyone puts their clamps somewhere but you never know who may like a certain way and do the same.

Remember, we are a brotherhood of woodworkers sharing with others. There are no cliques or diques on this site.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Here's mine…...I built these a few years back to mount on the wall for easy access near my work bench..


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

Rick, excuse the language but holy ********************! Really nice layout.


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## vikingcape (Jan 3, 2013)

Wow! You guys are giving me some ideas. Anyone have any extra clamps they want to send me….....


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

More pix, more pix…We all can't be like Rick so show is what you have…


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Thanks…...........!!!!!!!!!!


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## hairy (Sep 23, 2008)

I'm too lazy to do it up right. I clamp them to the floor joists above the workbenches. They are where I use them. Wall space and floor space is all taken. The really long ones, the ones I seldom use, are stacked in a corner in buckets.


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## Charlie5791 (Feb 21, 2012)

If I clamped mine to the trusses I'd need a ladder to get them down


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

I wall mounted my clamps using electrical conduit (EMT) I also have built two large drawers to store my (over 100) spring clamps.


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## debianlinux (Jul 27, 2013)

I just hang them off the natural gas line that snakes around the ceiling of my basement shop. Probably not the wisest choice of hanger but it is certainly the most convenient. the longer pipe clamps I clamp to the bottom of the floor joists so that the pipes run parallel to the ceiling. If one ever lets go it'll knock me out cold. I suppose i am living on the edge down there.


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

I have a set of steel racks from Peachtree Woodworking for pipe / parallel / bar clamps. The steel racks are high up on the wall and hang on a french cleat.

For C-clamps, F-clamps, and others, I have a 2' x 4' sheet of plywood with brackets and 1/2" EMT that is also hanging on a french cleat.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/50195


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Older pic, but it's still where I have my clamps. More of them now (of course) but hung like RD's above.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

Unfortunately most of my shop photos were on webshots. Which has since gone bad… I have to do some serious diggning to find the photos, and my clamp storage does desperately need to be reworked. But for right now, I have a pair of 32" horizontal bars made from scrap 2×2, attached to the wall studs via scrap 2×4 cutoffs. This holds 48 F type bar clamps. 12 each of 6, 12, 24, and 36" sizes. A plywood shelf on generic closet shelf brackets complete with hanger rod is mounted directly above. An L bracket and friction catches that you use for wall clipping brooms and such hold my 4 pipe clamps, the hanger rod is presently holding a half dozen HF 6" quick grip clones and a dozen real quick grips, those in 12" sizes.

I have an assortment of spring clamps that are simply clipped to a wire hanger that was been turned into a loop and hung from the hanger rod.

There is also a half dozen Jorgensen 90 degree clamps, half dozen band clamps, a handful of C clamps etc that are just stashed in bins mounted to the wall by the clamp rack.

This whole arrangement needs to be redone, and soon…


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

That's a nice set-up you got there, Gerry…..I like a shop that is neat and clean, and clamps stored neatly up and out of the way…...A good arrangement is necessary to keep things neat and tidy….Your system fits the bill…............Stellar job…....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## ADHDan (Aug 17, 2012)

+1 for the Rockler racks. But I don't have a giant collection, so two Rockler racks and an old medicine cabinet and towel bar gives me enough storage.


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

Most of the team is here…

Side 1:









Side 2:









It's simple 2x lumber, exterior plywood, bolts, and casters. Don't skimp on caster quality for something like this, it isn't light!


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

Cessna, I think Rick has some competition…

Smitty, "hung like RD"? Rodney Dangerfield?

Guys, this is exciting. Lots of really good ideas. Thanks to all those that posted pix. How about some more. ?.

A1Jim, I knew you had a bunch when I looked at your shop pix.


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

I just had a thought…maybe we could start a "clamp clique" and exclude anyone who disagrees that clamps need to be hung…


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## eao2012 (Jan 14, 2013)

I've also got open stud framing and I tend to hang mine on the electrical conduit I have running horizontally along the wall from stud to stud. Maybe once I get a good collection like some of you guys it'll be worth building a storage rack for them 

nice *DKV*, i see what you did there haha


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

I do have a design ready to be built, I just haven't done it yet…

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=4c4d0db8f2e91e81a1b95b258b5f7139

Pretty simple, but should more than double my clamp storage capacity, and give me a space to put my band clamps / corner clamps…


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

DKV, I won't as how you knew I was referring to Rodney Dangerfield…


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

Db, nice. Show us the end result. When do you think you will start?


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## gtbuzz (Sep 19, 2011)

I used to just clamp to whatever was available, but there was very little organization in that system. Then went to using pegboard and hooks, but it's a pain when you run out of hooks and it wasn't very space efficient either. Now I'm using French cleats. So far, pretty happy with it. It's very versatile, easy to reorganize (important to people with OCD like me) and you can easily make new cleats out of scrap lumber.

I'd love to have some sort of mobile clamp cart to so I can wheel around whatever clamps I'm using on any given project, but unfortunately, I'm flat out of space.


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## Dorty (Sep 7, 2011)

i got the rack and the clamps off a friend for $100. All the clamps aren't on in this picture but it holds 80 pipe clamps or paralell clamps.


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

Dorty, 100 bucks? Good friend…


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## TerryDowning (Aug 8, 2012)

Previous homeowner fastened a 4×4 to the wall of the garage (Reason unknown to me.) It works for holding my clamps, such as they are. Smaller spring clamps are are just clipped to a loop of nylon webbing.


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## surfin2 (Oct 24, 2009)

With all these great clamp racks I don't see any jet clamps.

RickD
With all that weight how do U hold all those clamps.
I don't see any braces?
What kind of wood did U use…
I've been going on Utube for idea's so I can get mine up.
I was thinking about using PVC board.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Hey Rick…..I was just going to answer your PM when I saw your question here…...The way I did mine:
I used 1" hard maple, cut a dado down the center of the backerboard, screwed and glued them in….No need for braces (on mine, anyway)....But you can do it anyway you want to….Mine have been up for a couple of years now, and show no sign of sagging or coming loose…....


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## Tugboater78 (May 26, 2012)

Not an impressive collection but used some scrap plywood and make some racks for each type I had. Need to make some more though


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

Tug, nice and neat and there when you need them. Brilliant!


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## Lumberjunk (Jan 28, 2013)

Not picture worthy, but I just hang em' on my old wooden step ladders.


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## rexb (Mar 28, 2012)

I have 4 different racks for different types of clamps: pipe clamps (the Rockler ones), quick clamps, bar clamps, and assorted small clamps.



















The one for bar clamps is my favorite, this can be used for any style of bar clamps by simply varying the size of the slots and their spacing.


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

Rex, after looking at your pix and others in this post I am starting to think everyone is a neat freak. Well, almost… Anyway, it is nice having tools where you expect them to be when you need them. I am wondering, have we ever had a "neatest, cleanest shop" contest? Should we?


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

*With all these great clamp racks I don't see any jet clamps.*

There are 4 on my rack. I don't like them as much as some of my others, mainly because of the slide release lever.


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## surfin2 (Oct 24, 2009)

I was trying to figure out if those 4 were jet.?
The ones with the black handles, they didn't look square.
I Guess I came to the wrong conclusion…
Still 4 out of all those parallel 
clamps???


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

I built clamp storage based on SWM's project:
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/63413
I like it because I can store a large number of cabinet clamps without taking up a lot of space, as I don't have the shop space for a large wheeled rack or a whole wall of clamp storage.


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

Yup… I bought 4 Jets, and after using them, went back to buying K-Bodies.

Over 5 feet, I greatly prefer the aluminum rail clamps. They're way easier to position without a helper.


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## Choupinette (Jul 22, 2013)

Great topic. As I'm just starting out, I have but 4 clamps to store, but am already thinking how to organize everything. I have very little space, but I do have some wall space so that's where I'll start.


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

Chou, wall or roll around. They both have their merits and there are some really good examples in this thread. In a shop that has been in action for awhile both wall and floor become scare…choose well.


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## Dwain (Nov 1, 2007)

Great stuff! I recently built a home for all of my pipe clamps. It is based on a French Cleat system. I borrowed heavily from Steve Marin at Woodworking for Mere Mortals. I can get two to three clamps on each in each space, and there are four spaces to each rack. That was a big deal, as if I had to put one pipe clamp in each rack they would be around every wall in my garage two times over! Here is a pic:










For most of my smaller "F" clamps stay on my rolling assembly cart/bench. Here is what they look like:










I will tell you what, getting those things out of the way has made a big difference in how I can move in my shop. Wish I would have done it sooner.

Good Luck!


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## MrStyle (Aug 30, 2013)

As a newbie - I am amazed at the number of clamps that folks own…


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

You cannot have too many clamps.


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## surfin2 (Oct 24, 2009)

*U CAN NEVER HAVE 2 MANY CLAMPS…*


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

Mr, if I was you I would pull the trigger on a purchase or two…just sayin'


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

DKV: Why? So he can GLOAT?


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## DKV (Jul 18, 2011)

Bump test


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## toeachhisown (Eddie) (Mar 30, 2011)

your a mess it works


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## Brandonbozo (Jan 20, 2011)

Here a picture of my clamp rack I made a while ago. It was pretty easy to make and has served me well.


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## ksubenny (Apr 24, 2013)

Best picture I can find of mine, I've added various sized dowels on the side to hold spring clamps since this picture was taken


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## RibsBrisket4me (Jul 17, 2011)

Angle iron on the wall…


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## redSLED (Mar 21, 2013)

Clamps are in there somewhere.


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## RibsBrisket4me (Jul 17, 2011)

love your hat Red!


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## redSLED (Mar 21, 2013)

Wish that was me - only so I'd have more hand tools!


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## Jokker78 (Oct 2, 2013)

Rick I think you have more tied up in clamps than I do my table saw


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## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

just an observation

how is it possible that so many people store so many clamps that look brand new

clamps should have a knick in then, paint removed in spots, evidence of being "used", maybe some dried %$#^& glue on them ?

that said

Nice Racks


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