Clamp Rack Ideas

by masoon

4.9K526

Intro: Clamp Rack Ideas

I made this instructable to show people how I organized my clamps. Its intended for people who want to see other examples of clamp racks before starting to build their own. You'll want to build your rack to match your clamp collection and workshop environment.

If you are having a hard time visualizing your design it might help if you put the clamps on the floor and try arranging them to see how best to fit them together. Imagine which clamps you use the most and arrange them accordingly and make sure to hang them at the proper height for your needs.

The "steps" are closer shots of different points of interest that might help you design your rack. Hope it helps.

STEP 1:

The whole left side of the rack is angled out at the bottom to make the clamps fall toward the rack not outward towards you. kwik grips are gripped down on 2x4. The large kwik grips, Jorgensens, and the Besseys are hanging over a cleat to help them stay on (Second Pic) . klelismen wooden cam clamps have a cleat they rest on(third Pic) My spring clamps are on a thin piece of ply 3/16" thick screwed to the side of the left rack (fourth pic)

STEP 2:

A scrap piece of conduit pipe holds my c clamps near the bottom on the left. I love the way this part of the rack functions. Its easy to slide them left to right to get at the one you want.

STEP 3:

The longer clamps on the right are held by little pucks of wood spaced to catch the edges of the clamp heads. It keeps them on the rack until they are lifted up to avoid a clampalanche.

STEP 4:

Deep jawed clamp rack. I only plan on having two of these large deep jaws so hanging them sideways works. I filled their jaws with the wooden jaw clamps.

STEP 5:

Box of ropes and ratchet straps, and bike inner tubes pieces, string, paracord below always come in handy for glue ups. Box with soft pads, and soft wood blocks for clamping without leaving a marred surface below as well. I use the dowel pegs for hanging various clamp related stuff (pic 2).

STEP 6:

Here's where I should explain something - The left side of the rack was part of another rack I built but wasn't happy with. It was a design I got from the TV show "The New Yankee Workshop". It was a free standing rack on wheels. The problem I had with it was in order to move it across the shop I had to move everything in the way, I just find it easier to carry my claps where needed. I did liked the slant design, so I chopped it in half and screwed it to the wall and have loved it ever since. I needed to mount it off center of studs in the wall, so I screwed a pieces of 3/4 plywood to the wall and screwed the rack to the plywood(pic 1) Its not too pretty, but I recycled what I had and its strong enough to do chin ups on. Hopefully the photos are self explanatory but I'll answer questions if you have them. I keep my pipe clamps in a corner standing upright. They are all too big for my clamp rack. The last photos have measurements tagged in them.Thanks for looking and I hope this helps somebody with their clamp rack build.

STEP 7:

6 Comments

canemaker49 6 years ago

very nice work with good ideas! no one needs a clampalanche!! lol thanks

masoon 6 years ago

Ah thanks! Yeah, I have had them fall on me, and had to slowly turn towards them to catch the ones that were hanging by a thread while others drop. haha

masoon 8 years ago

Thanks Yonatan24!

Vyger 9 years ago

I think I have clamp envy. You have way bigger ones than I do and a lot more of them. But the storage idea is for certain a sound one. It beats my 5 gallon buckets digging them out from the bottom technique. I didn't see any pipe clamps though. Those are some of my favorites because they can be super heavy duty and with a good collection of pipe can be made to fit almost any need.

At first I was thinking that the only improvement I could make would be to add a lip of some kind so you could actually hook them in place, then I noticed that you already did. Yep, probably helps prevent them from slipping off and hitting you in the head.

Now all you need to do is make a sign and a check out sheet for the neighbors.

"All borrowed clamps must be signed out and in and must be replaced where you got them from".

masoon 9 years ago

Haha. yeah borrowers are given stern warnings. I'm glad you reminded me about the pipe clamps, I keep them in a corner standing up. I'll add a shot of that, thanks for looking and for the comment!~