I am not sure I mentioned but usually between projects I like to do some positive things for the shop so I can improve the environment little bit by little bit. Back in the first part of February I got a sheet of Baltic birch attached to one of my shop walls for clamp and other storage. I have been meaning to post my progress but time has a way of slipping by so I am catching up and having one big post about the last few weeks of shop work.

My first and foremost issue was getting my bar clamps stored in the wall so I looked around the Internet for ideas on how to do this. I decided I liked the idea of storing them depth wise instead of side by side after I saw this link. The storage seemed pretty simple so I started laying out my clamps on the floor and figuring out what I needed.

I easily could see this type of storage was going to take less space over the side by side storage and if I made it as all one unit grouping them together it would take all the less space. In my shop like many others space is a premium. I set out cutting the brackets and made six of them, then I determined the layout and measurements to mount them to a backer board.

Once this was determined I transferred the measurements to the backer board, pre-drilled my all my screw holes, and then screwed and glued each of the brackets on one by one.

Here are shots of the completed project and one of all the clamps hanging on the wall. I have room to add more or different length bar clamps and the whole concept worked out better then I thought it would when I started.

Once I had these bar clamps on the wall I set about making storage for my other clamps including f-clamps, c-clamps, spring clamps, etc. The ideas for these storage units came from a free PlansNow plan and one from Wood Magazine which I had gotten free some time ago. I took bits and pieces from each of these while adjusting some of the measurements along the way.

Once all of them were completed and mounted I decide my wall storage turned out pretty nice, with plenty of more space for additions down the road. I also gained back some storage under my old bench for odd and ends.

After this attention turned to another shop project left uncompleted for years, a new scrap bin for under my miter saw. This was a pretty simple box construction with casters on the bottom and some cut out hand holds. The idea came from issue #297 of Workbench which I used as an idea some time ago to design my miter station and counter workspace.

I always say why reinvent the wheel, just take the ideas and tweak them to your situation or liking. Makes projects go faster and easier.

With this chuck of shop projects completed over the last few weeks I have turned attention to a new box project but additional detailed shop projects will be on the way. I need a larger table for my drill press and looking to make a cross cut sled for the table saw (believe it or not I have yet to make one). Some hardware is on order and as soon as I receive that I will be working on these shop items as well.

If anyone is curious as to why all the small odd and end woodworking projects, well come spring I will be working on new siding and windows for my house and hate to have to walk away from something big not completed. The process has sort of started and I am surprised to not see more information on the Internet from start to finish. I have done some of this work before but toying with the idea of blogging on the process along the way. It will not be woodworking information per say over the summer, but possibly good information for some people out there. Us woodworker have homes to maintain too and being the hands on types like to do things ourselves if we can.