John,

mine is basically two 3" deep boxes made from 3/4" ply. the front box attached on the edge with an 8" deep piece of ply and a piano hinge. There are holes drilled into the top and bottom to fit my clamps. you could easily cut slots into them to fit your "F" clamps. My next addition will add a 12" deep piece of double thickness (for strength) ply to the other end and a third box. I will need to shim this one wider to allow middle door to swing.

Not that it's been a problem but one change I would make is to slope the top and bottom of the cabinet back so the clamps will be less likely to fall.

John

That is a good point on the sloping. Even it you are using something on the wall it helps to hold them.

John Hechel said:

Not that it's been a problem but one change I would make is to slope the top and bottom of the cabinet back so the clamps will be less likely to fall.

John

Good Evening Fellows,

Since my clamp caddy is only 36"long x 18" deep x 36" high and sets beside my portable tool shadow box I can move it to the work space I would be working in and save many steps going to and fro from the wall to where the work is located in the shop.

Now that I have built on, I plan to make a second caddy with the same size foot print to have in the new addition as well that will be just a mobil as the first one. A few dollars invested in the casters is worth the money for the time saving of having the clamps by my side so when I need one, it is right beside the work. I even place the work piece on dollies so that I can even move it out of the way should I need to work on another piece while some glue is setting up or drying.

I usually only leave the clamps on a glue up for at least an hour and then it is safe to remove them and return them to the caddy to be ready for the next time I need them.

You would be surprised on how much time you save with the caddy next to your item you are working on. Try it you'll like it.

John Moody said:

That is a good point on the sloping. Even it you are using something on the wall it helps to hold them.



John Hechel said:

Good Morning John,

Since I have my clamp cart on casters and small room in which to store it I still have room for it in the location that was in the picture however one could make one that would/could be used by making it short enough to be placed under a bench or table or one could aldo drill holes in each end and slide the pipe clamps horizontally and by doing this you could use a small foot print of floor space.

Ralph Allen Jones said:

Good Evening Fellows,
Since my clamp caddy is only 36"long x 18" deep x 36" high and sets beside my portable tool shadow box I can move it to the work space I would be working in and save many steps going to and fro from the wall to where the work is located in the shop.
Now that I have built on, I plan to make a second caddy with the same size foot print to have in the new addition as well that will be just a mobil as the first one. A few dollars invested in the casters is worth the money for the time saving of having the clamps by my side so when I need one, it is right beside the work. I even place the work piece on dollies so that I can even move it out of the way should I need to work on another piece while some glue is setting up or drying.

I usually only leave the clamps on a glue up for at least an hour and then it is safe to remove them and return them to the caddy to be ready for the next time I need them.

You would be surprised on how much time you save with the caddy next to your item you are working on. Try it you'll like it.



John Moody said:

Another good suggestion Ralph. I guess we have to get creative and look for every square inch of space and how to get the best use of that space.

That might be a good idea for some space under the work bench so they would be close.

I'll have to give that some more thought also...

Ralph Allen Jones said:

Good Morning John,
Since I have my clamp cart on casters and small room in which to store it I still have room for it in the location that was in the picture however one could make one that would/could be used by making it short enough to be placed under a bench or table or one could aldo drill holes in each end and slide the pipe clamps horizontally and by doing this you could use a small foot print of floor space.

Excellent Question John. As always has been said you can never have enough clamps but that also goes to say, you'll never have enough Wall Space.

I found this same dilema when remodeling my shop as my acquisition of clamps had gotten to the point of them being scatter in different areas of the shop.

I've always wanted them at close hand to the workbench or assembly area so this is what I came up with.

At the time this picture was taken, the space required was adequate but since then more has been added to the inventory so I'm now faced with the job of redesigning a wall system to accommodate the expansion

I know Reid that is what I am faced with and I really want to use some of the wall space for other storage. As I have collected more and more clamps the space to store them in has become important. Easy access to get to them and put them back up when finished is a must to me. It bothers me to have them laying on the bench when not in use or having to get on a step ladder to get them down.

There have been some great solutions presented here and if I am going to take the best of what has been presented to design what I think will work for me. My shop is 24 x32 and at one time seemed huge. Now I feel as though I am closed in and can't move. Got to get some better organization going on in there.

Do you have that picture in a larger format? It is a little small although I can make out what is going on there.

Reid Smith said:

Excellent Question John. As always has been said you can never have enough clamps but that also goes to say, you'll never have enough Wall Space.
I found this same dilema when remodeling my shop as my acquisition of clamps had gotten to the point of them being scatter in different areas of the shop.

I've always wanted them at close hand to the workbench or assembly area so this is what I came up with.

At the time this picture was taken, the space required was adequate but since then more has been added to the inventory so I'm now faced with the job of redesigning a wall system to accommodate the expansion

Lets see if this is a little bigger picture-

John Moody said:

I know Reid that is what I am faced with and I really want to use some of the wall space for other storage. As I have collected more and more clamps the space to store them in has become important. Easy access to get to them and put them back up when finished is a must to me. It bothers me to have them laying on the bench when not in use or having to get on a step ladder to get them down.

There have been some great solutions presented here and if I am going to take the best of what has been presented to design what I think will work for me. My shop is 24 x32 and at one time seemed huge. Now I feel as though I am closed in and can't move. Got to get some better organization going on in there.

Do you have that picture in a larger format? It is a little small although I can make out what is going on there.

Reid Smith said:

I might add, on this picture ( which is an old one ) that the pipe clamps are not added to the rack yet. They set behind the Bessey's.

The smaller Sure-Grip's just clamp to the top rail.

Great Gobs of Goose Grease Reid,

And you don't have you pipe clamps on the wall yet? Where in the world are you going to put them hang them from other clamps?

Ralph

Gene, it is a constant battle isn't it? >

Gene Howe said:

It's been said that you can never have too many clamps, and I agree. But, storage can be problematical.
I'm going to have to re model my storage as I now have to make room for a cabinet to house my new SCMS! Oh, the trials and tribulations of working wood

Hi John,

With the new drum sander I received I am already looking at the open space under it and next to the motor where I can build a small cabinet to house my sanding strips as well as a drawer hanging under the frame. It ill clear the floor by about 4" any way and not bother moving the tool around. All 600 pounds of it for I put casters under it. Two straight and two locking swivel type with a load capacity of 300 pounds per wheel.

Well, my clamps are kind of here and there. The longer ones hang on the wall. The smaller clamps goes in drawers. A few go under the messy work bench. And some are in the little storage shed next to my shop.

I'd love to have one of those roll around clamp racks like "Greg" has (good job Greg) it would save a lot of steps at time. But I have so much "stuff" in my shop I can afford the floor space for one.