The goal with this tool wall was to organize all my hand tools and create a really nice looking system creating clever solutions for each group of tools. Also, make sure to check out the video of the whole process.

Step 1: Creating the Wall

I started with taking down all the tools, as well as the board which they were all hanging on. Then I put up rows of pine, which I whitewashed to get a light backdrop that still had some cool depth. Then I was all ready to begin.

Step 2: Plane Shelves

To store my hand planes I wanted a simple solution where I could easily move the planes around and add to it over time. I began by cutting up some nice white oak for a shelf, creating brackets and a lip. I secured the brackets, first with glue and a pin nailer, and then with some screws.

To create a tiered system, I made some thicker blocks of wood which I glued in the back. That way some of my larger planes were able to sit higher than the ones in the front.

Step 3: Squares Holder

To store my engineering squares, as well as a smaller tri-square and combination square we cut out grooves on the table saw and then removed some material with a chisel out of a nice block of wood. That way each square fit in perfectly and had its own spot.

To ensure the squares sat in well, I added some small neodimion magnets which I epoxied in, and that made the whole unit very nice and stable.

Step 4: Mallet / Hammer Holder

To hold the mallets and the hammers I used a similar technique where we marked out the tools in a block of wood, and then chiseled out the space within each indention. That way each hammer or mallet could slip in and stay in place.

Step 5: Saw Holder

This holder was a little tricky, I went through a couple of different ideas and configurations. I wanted to be able to hold the larger tenon saw behind the smaller crosscut, rip and dovetails saws.

The concept I eventually settled on is pretty simple: I used a back piece of wood, and then I positioned out a few dowels at different positions. I drilled holes in the wood so the dowels fit snuggly and then was able to hang the saws in place, and make sure they were kept stable with an additional dowel.

Step 6: Chisel Holder

For the chisel holder, I first began with a nice piece of wood. I cut out grooves in the wood using a table saw so that a piece of wood, the holder of the chisels could slip into it and attach. I drilled holes in the smaller wood piece and cut the holes out with a bandsaw.

Step 7: Leather Part

To ensure the chisel ends were protected, so you could't accidentally brush upon them, I wanted to add a cover.

I began with cutting up and dyeing some veg tanned leather. The idea is to create a folded pocket, that sits at the base of the chisel holder. I placed all the chisels in the wooden holder and measured out where the leather should sit.

Then I used some contact cement, glued the leather in place and used some upholstery tacks to secure the pocket together,

Step 8: Assembling

At this point I glued and stapled in the chisel holder in the groove, and lightly tapped it in place to make sure was nice and snug. Then I drilled holes in the holder and secured it to the wall.