You know what I haven’t shared in a while? A new Shop Upgrade Series installment.
One year ago, I was in the midst of my 30 Shop Upgrade (check out parts 1 and 2 here!). I can look around my shop today and say “well, that sure didn’t last long.” The place is an absolute disaster zone but I’ve got so many plans to make it better. It’s just going to take some time. Today’s upgrade comes straight from the lovely, super smart, and talented Cynthia at Lucky Buttercups and Daughters. While waiting for glue to dry, Cynthia has been cranking out some awesome storage solutions from her shop (check it out on her Instagram page) and I’m becoming rather jealous of her clean and organized space.
The upgrade of hers I’m sharing with you today is a storage solution for spring clamps.
I absolutely love spring clamps and use them all of the time on smaller jobs. Home Depot has some for $1 each and I try to remember to pick some up each time I’m in there (because you can never have enough clamps). I prefer the 2″ clamps.
The last time I was trying to come up with a storage solution for my clamps, it didn’t pan out so well. I built it out of scraps then had no place to hang it in a stud so I just slipped it between some shelf brackets.
While not ideal, it worked. But, unless I had everything moved out of the way for a full day of work in the garage, they were quite difficult to reach and ended up scattered all around because I wouldn’t put them back. I also found another “good enough” space to keep them but it was in the way at times.
Enter Cynthia. Her idea was simple, inexpensive, and space saving.
I headed to Lowe’s and picked up a 1” dowel in a 4’ length and two ¾” split ring hangers.
You’ll need two small pieces of scrap wood and some screws to attach them to a wall as well. I had these on hand so I didn’t buy them. I know it sounds weird that you are buying a ¾” rings for a 1” dowel but trust me on this. If you don’t, pick up your dowel first and walk over to the rings and try them on for size. Told you so.
I first cut two small pieces of scrap wood into approximately 4” squares. Because I loved the look of my painted lumber cart, I decided to go ahead and paint the dowel and scrap blocks to match. For those wondering, the paint is called Azure Jazz from Lowe’s. (I’ll eventually be painting all of my shop furniture the same color.)
Once the paint was dry, I attached half of each ring to each scrap block in the middle. I also drilled pilot holes in the corners of each scrap block to attach it to the wall.
I screwed the first block into the wall at the height I wanted it. Depending on your space and your desires, the dowel could be hung vertically (which I did), horizontally, or even diagonally if the mood strikes you right. I then secured the dowel in place with the second half of the ring. This is so I know exactly where I want to put the second scrap block.
Using a level, make sure your dowel is hanging…well…level.
Try your best to maintain the alignment and screw the second scrap block into the wall where you want it.
Secure the bottom of your dowel in place with the other ring half.
Now you can step back and admire your work.
Don’t forget to put your clamps on it!
Wall space is at a pretty big premium in my shop so I found the perfect spot on this little piece of wall next to my water heater closet. The clamp holder doesn’t stick out too far or get in the way. Bonus is that it is always accessible even for a quick project.
If you have smaller clamps, you’ll want to go with a smaller dowel.
Other than waiting for paint to dry, this project took all of maybe 10 minutes to accomplish. I can’t thank Cynthia enough for her stroke of brilliance and allowing me to copy it.
What quick shop storage solutions have you come up with for your space?