Love or hate, pegboards can be a pretty useful way to organize your tools. But what about odd shaped tools? They require multiple metal hooks or other hardware to hang them properly. So many times I've pulled a tool off a pegboard only to have one of the metal hooks fall down to the Pit of Dispair, never to return until the next deep cleaning of my shop. And I like to keep my shop clean, mind you.

My speed square gets used the most in my shop, so I thought I would start with it. I have a poster rack style pegboard that I rescued from a job years ago and upcycled in my latest shop as a swinging tool organizer. This allows me to access the back of the pegboard, which is critical for this project. If you don't have a poster rack style pegboard, you could add this to something like these cabinets:

You will need:

Materials:

5mm Chicago screws
Medium thickness leather

Tools:

Scribe
Xacto Knife
Punch/Drill
Straight Edge

Step 1: Create the Template

Remove the paper from a crayon, tape a sheet of paper to the pegboard and rub the crayon to transfer the pegboard grid. Lay the tool on the paper and mark which holes need Chicago screws for mounting. The tool should be well supported and should have some room to pull out easily. I added a half inch on one side of the template to account for the thickness of the Speed Square. Cut out the template and mark the holes.

Check out the Design Sketching class for more information on drawing and templating!

Step 2: Cut the Leather & Punch the Holes

Mark the leather with the template using a scribe. Cut out the template with an Xacto knife or sharp scissors. Realign the template on the leather and punch the holes. I needed to widen the holes with a drill because my punch was too small.

Step 3: Install on Your Pegboard

Push the Chicago screws into the leather, then into the pegboard and tighten the mating screw on the back. If you want to move the holster on the pegboard, just unscrew and reposition. You could add thread lock glue if you want them more permanent.