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How Do You Store Your Handscrews?

glenn bradley

glenn bradley

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I stored them on a length of knotted rope in an out of the way corner in the old shop.

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This worked great. I have over-planned the new shop to where there isn't really a corner that doesn't already have a more important purpose
:huh:
.

My plan was for some sort of as-yet-to-be-determined fixture that would cleat mount or something like that. This general sense of what I would do was never really well formulated though. I figure we have a lot of clever people around here. I have around 4 each of 12", 10", 8", and 6". How do you store yours?
 
glenn bradley said:
I stored them on a length of knotted rope in an out of the way corner in the old shop.

This worked great. I have over-planned the new shop to where there isn't really a corner that doesn't already have a more important purpose
:huh:
.

My plan was for some sort of as-yet-to-be-determined fixture that would cleat mount or something like that. This general sense of what I would do was never really well formulated though. I figure we have a lot of clever people around here. I have around 4 each of 12", 10", 8", and 6". How do you store yours?
Click to expand...
I think you saw the pictures I posted of my new shop space. In there you can see I am using the rafters. It was all I had at the time and not sure if I will continue. Of course if you don't have rafters exposed then... I thought of running a vertical 2x and clamping them in the same way. Not sure what I will do. They tend to clutter up the shop visually hanging down like that. Here is photo I just took.IMG_20211108_155808026.jpg
 
I've been hanging them on long hooks (homemade sticks pointing out from the wall, not sure what else to call them) about 4 deep.. which is"ok" if you sort by type per hook so you're not taking off three to get one. I don't think it's as space efficient as something like Bills setup though, largely because they hang at a diagonal, so might have to think about that a bit.
 
I don't have pictures of what I used to do but I can describe it. I bought sections of 1/2" rebar which I cut into 15" lengths. Then I located studs in wall in the area where I wanted to hang my clamps and made marks where I wanted to drill holes for the rebar.

On the drill press I made a guide block from a section of 2x4 by drilling a hole angled downward at 5 degrees centered on the narrow edge. Where it came out on the other edge I marked a line at that center so I could locate the guide block with my marks on the wall.

Then I just drilled holes 3" deep into the studs. I tapped in my rebar and voila' I had storage racks for my hand screws and lots of other clamps. It was easy to relocate these storage bars whenever I wanted to move them.
 
Thanks everybody. I'll factor all this in and see what pops out. Simple is often best as Bill and Robert show. I do hate having to move three sizes to get to the size I want so that will definitely play in what I decide.
 
I don't own any handscrews, but like Bill Satko I hang all my clamps from the rafters... one group hangs over a walkway near my work table... just barely clears my head, but if I forget to remove my face shield or trend air shield, I'll hit them as I walk under... I store a lot of stuff in the rafters of my shop... spare saw blades for the band saw, extra belts for the lathe, buckets with my brushes and cloths that I smear polyurethane on turnings, extra lumber, and generally anything else I can fit up there.
 
Thanks everyone. I factored a lot of your suggestions in and ended up here. First I should mention that I don't know how I got along without a laser level. This one was reasonable but lacks a gimbal-lock and other things a pro might want. It has been invaluable in the shop build.
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I thought about a lot of variations, orientations, and so on but, this seems like the best fit for my shop.
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The overhead method would scare me, either vibration or whatever, they would fall on my head! Or, more than one would come down when I try to take only one down. Now Glenn, that rectangular hanger idea is superb! If I can remember it, I will be copying it in my shop for sure. If you don't mind, are the 90 degree angle brackets hanging to the right, are they for specific sized boxes and keeping corners square?
 
Bill Satko said:
It is so much easier to have you do my heavy thinking for me. Thanks!
Click to expand...
HA-HA-HA! Well then, let me share this DESIGN FLAW in case anyone heads down this road. The handscrews are fine. The Rockler clamping squares have hung on a 1/4" pegboard hook for so long I neglected to take into account the effects on them by the universe at large once moved to the 5/8" diameter pegs. The small ones tend to lean to one side and fall off :bang:.

Drawing on the SWFoFWW (Star Wars Force of Family WoodWorking) a vision came to me. I yanked the bottom two dowels and cut a kerf down the length of them.
McLaren-Handscrews (5).jpg
I then rip a piece of thin scrap left over from resawing something and glue them in.
McLaren-Handscrews (6).jpg
Whew! That was close. I almost put the universe out of balance 😬.
 
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