Portable Pegboard Workstation

See Step 10 for Updates

If you don't have room for a workshop and you enjoy sitting on you Pacman Foot Stool (thanks allesflex) in front of your awesome HD projector making, making, making all day long then this instructable is for you.

This is my portable workstation. My aim was to build a well equipped micro workshop that is quick and easy to assemble and takes up very little room when stored.

Step 1: Pegboard

• Figure out how large you want your pegboard to be and cut some 3/16” (5mm) pegboard to size.

• This can be cut with a saw or it can be scored on both sides and snapped along the score line. Use a plane or a sanding block to tidy the edge.

• Stitch the pieces together with paracord, string or leather shoelaces

Step 2: Layout

• Lay the board flat and layout your tools to gain a rough idea of where they will go. Rather than pegs, use bolts with a nylock nut on either side of the board .

• The bolts are very strong and they won't move.

Step 3: Tool Tray

• Cut some more pegboard to make four sides of the tray.

• Use hot glue to hold the box in place while you stitch it together as tight as possible.

• I added some skewers in the corners to tighten the assembly. The leather will stretch over time so i will add more skewers as needed.

Step 4: Magnetic Strip

• To make the magnetic strip take a strip of pegboard, wood, cardboard or plastic and drill a hole large enough to fit the magnet.

• Glue the magnet in place with super glue and add a layer of electrical tape to protect the brittle magnets.

Step 5: Handle

Thread some more leather lace through a tube and tie it to the top to make a handle. Aluminum, copper or even plastic pvc tubing works great.

The magnets from the magnetic strip on the other side are strong enough to hold some spare hack saw blades too :)

Step 6: Tool Attachments

Most of the tools are attached using the bolts or magnets but there are many ways to hold the tools.

Step 7: Storage

The entire workstation folds away.

The white box is an old computer keyboard box with cardboard dividers duct taped in place to store all my fixings.

You don't even need to put this in a closet. I store my worktop, tools, fixings and waste bin behind a door!

Step 8: Assembly

Like a typical male i loathe making two trips. I can carry my entire workshop in two hands and set it up in 10 seconds!

Step 9: Finishing Touch

The final and most important step is to add an instructables sticker to the pegboard. Like adding a Nike tick to a pair of sneakers, an instructables sticker makes anything look totally awesome!



Tips

• For the magnetic strip I used a strip of bamboo from a chopping board. Bamboo chopping boards from the dollar store are a great source of cheap manageable material. You can split the chopping board with a knife, chisel or hatchet and sand the surface to a smooth finish. When sanded to 320 grit it will be glossy and doesn't require lacquer varnish or finishing oil.

• The aluminum tube was salvaged from an old TV antenna. Spin it in a drill and use wet and dry sandpaper to clean it up and add a great brushed finish.

• I used the pegboard for a week and then ended up reconfiguring the whole layout. You may not know the best layout until you start using it. I'm left handed so I have the board to the left or my workstation with the tools I use the most on the right side of the pegboard. This is a good starting point but let your layout evolve as you use it.

Step 10: Update

I got some great suggestions for improvements and additions. I though I would update the instructable with the new ideas.

• I put a screw in the wall where I work and hooked the pegboard to it. Now the board sits flat against the wall and takes up less room.

• Positioned the pegboard against a power outlet which conveniently fell right behind the hole. I can plug in my hot glue gun, lamp, dremel, charge power tools etc…

• Added heat shrink to screw threads to protect precision tools  (thanks CA)

• Added markings to the top of the screwdrivers so that they can be identified from above. If you just want to grab a screwdriver you don't have to open it up to find the one you need.

Comments

[Yonatan24]

Hi, I've added your project to the "Awesome Pegboard Projects! You Must Have These!"

This is the link If you are interested:

https://www.instructables.com/id/Awesome-Pegboard-P...

[Paul Massey]

Thank you!

[srilyk]

zip ties might also be useful for joining the pegboards

[MaryJaneOK]

What I've been looking for to carry carving tools, gardening tools and art supplies. The fact that I get to make itself is even better. I am a 65 y/o woman and still prefer to "do it myself"

[sassyrose]

BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!! Wonderful, well thought out and beautifully presented. I'll be looking for more from you.

[dropkick]

Great idea! I'm going to make one for myself as soon as I can scrounge the peg board.

Thanks.

[aesmeralda]

Great idea!
Keep it coming.

[gena2867]

Awesome! How much do you think it weighs when loaded? Do you think piano hinges would work instead of the lacing? Great ideas, I was looking for something for my workshop closet. Thanks for posting!

[Paul Massey]

It weighs around 18 lbs. It is very manageable and I am considering making use of the outside as well. This would increase the weight.

A piano hinge would work but I would probably use small nuts and bolts rather than screws to attach it. Pegboard is relatively weak and screw might pull out.

[Charlie Alpha]

Heat shrink over the bolts would also add protection for your tools from being scratched by the threads.

[Paul Massey]

Great suggestion Charlie Alpha. Thank you. Check it out!

[rickdf]

Super idea. I need something like this because I too hate running up and down the stairs for stuff when I forget it while working on a project. Thanks!

[vincent7520]

The "keep it simple buster !" motto brought to its highest !!!…

Great !

[bonymorales]

It's a great ides, thanks for you idea

[Paul Massey]

Thank you. I'm very happy with it. I have been using it for a couple of weeks and iv thought of more additions. I will post an update soon.

[shannonlove]

Inspired, but having made something like this, I can say that the bolts will move overtime.

The threads on the bolts will abrade the sides of the hole giving the bolts room to wiggle. The more they wiggle, the more they abrade and so on. You can significantly retard the process by using large washers both front and back.

Threadlock is also a good idea.

[Paul Massey]

I turned the nylock nuts so that the domed section locates the bolt centered in the hole. The threads don’t come into contact with the pegboard only the round face of the domed nut.

Those nylock nuts are as good as thread lock for keeping the nut on plus I can take them off and move them without adding more thread lock. Iv been using this for 3 months with no abrasions or loosening.

You make an interesting point though. When using plain bolts a washer and perhaps a lock washer might be needed.

[shannonlove]

Ah, good idea. I missed that you used the nylock nuts.

[Jobar007]

Instead of electrical tape (which can get sticky) for the magnets, go with heat shrink. That's what I thought it was on initial view of the magnet step.

[Kaag]

be careful with the heat though, magnets lose their strength when heated.