This is a DIY for a peg board tool cabinet.

Hi everyone! This is my first DIY so please go easy on me lol. Nonetheless here is a little forewarning. I AM NOT A MASTER WOODWORKER. Actually I'm in IT and am just a homeowner that likes to learn and build projects with my daughter. There are probably a multitude of better ways to do the things I do in this DIY and by all means I am completely open to constructive criticism. The other thing to keep in mind is you dont have to rigidly stick to what I did. Feel free to make edits or changes to help you get the project done. With that being said lets jump right into it.

This creation was inspired by a freestanding pegboard cabinet on wheels I saw on pinterest. We settled on this size peg board mainly because our truck is in the shop and my car is only so big lol. The purpose behind this was to give us a good spot to hang tools and conserve space by making it fold out effectively giving us 3 peg boards for the space of 1.

NOTE: my garage is messy hence the need for something to organize my stuff

Step 1: Tools

You'll need a bunch of things and I'll try to make sure I list everything I used. You can probably use some things in place of what I used but....this is what I used.

TOOLS:

1. Awesome Safety Goggles/Glasses

2. Circular Saw

3. 3/4 inch Spade Bit

4. Power Drill

5. Long Phillips Bit

6. Big Level

7. Pen

8. Measuring Tape

9. Speed Square

10. Straight Edge or Yard Stick

11. Sawhorses

12. Stud Finder

Step 2: Supplies

1. #10 - 1 inch Wood Screws

2. 10 x 3 Cabinet Screws

3. 1/4 inch Washers

4. 2 Cans of Spray Paint

5. Rubber Bumpers

6. 2 Pegboards 48x23 3/4

7. Door Hinges

8. Lumber
-2 or 3 of 2x6 planks
-2 or 3 of 1x4 planks

Step 3: Decor

I started with paint at this stage cause I wanted to keep the wood is original color and just color the peg board. Just make sure it's clean before you paint and let it dry before you flip it. I was able to get a nice coat on each side of 1 pegboard with 1 can. This pegboard is 48 inches by 23 7/8 inches so if your pegboard is a different size adjust accordingly.

Step 4: Back Frame

This backing is mainly structural and to provide a gap between the pegboard and the wall so that the pegs have room to actually go in. At this stage I tried to use as few screws as possible as lots more will be going through the planks and you need to leave room for them. Also when putting them in try to sink them flush so it doesn't cause issues on the next layer of wood. I started with 1x4 planks which actually measured out to about 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches. I cut them using the circular saw to the lengths needed to go around the edge of the peg board. 1 plank at 48 inches and 2 at 20 1/2 inches. Once I had that done I just found the center of each board and drew a line using a straight edge to guide my cut and split each board in half. Save the extra board as we will use that later. I then used 2 screws per plank and stuck to the #10 - 1 inch screws to keep them from coming out of the back. I forgot to take pictures so do a little mental pre-planning on screw placement and you should be fine.

Step 5: Anchor Screws Part 1

Here is where I used a 3/4 inch spade bit on the power drill to create spots for the anchor screws and washers to sink below the rest of the pegboard. I did this so that they don't get in the way when we attach the next layer of boards. I didn't really measure the depth. I just eye balled it and was good to go. I ended up going with 4 across the top and 4 across the bottom with one on each side for a total of 10.

Step 6: Support and Level

This is the stage where you decide where you want it to sit on your wall. Since this workshop is for my daughter and I to build stuff and she's only 7 years old I put it down low. The size of this plank doesn't matter so much as its just something for the cabinet to sit on for additional support and leveling. I used that extra half board from step 4. Before you just go sticking it anywhere though use a stud finder and map out where you want the anchor screws of the back frame to go in. In my case the studs didn't line up with both sides simultaneously so I chose the side I would be putting the hinges on to go in the stud as it will have the most weight on it. Now break out the level and screw it to the wall. I used 2 of the 10 x 3 cabinet screws each with one of the 1/4 washers on them. I found it easier to attach one screw and not drill it the whole way down. Then start the other one and level it out before driving them the rest of the way in.

Step 7: Anchor Screws Part 2

Now we can put up the backing on the support plank we just attached and screw it to the wall. I just used 10 of the 10 x 3 cabinet screws each with 1/4 inch washers in the spots we dug out with the 3/4 inch spade bit. Make sure you get them all the way in so that our next layer of wood will sit flush.

Step 8: Rip the Boards

Now for the next layer. I started with 2x6 boards that actually measured about 1 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches. To start, cut your lengths to sit around the outside edges of the pegboard and one through the middle. You should end up with 2 boards that are 48 inches long and 3 boards that are 20 7/8 inches long. Once that's done use a straight edge to split each board not in half but with one part measuring about 2 inches deep and the other half measuring about 3 1/2 deep. Doing it this way will put less weight on the hinges once you're done. Next you need to find the center of each of the larger pieces on the face that was just cut. It probably doesn't matter much but I took special care to keep the halves marked so that I could match up the pieces to their exact other half. Here's where your mental screw placement pre-planning comes into play. Measure and mark your spots to drill with a pen. Once you've got all the spots marked go ahead and drill down using the spade bit. If you are using the same screws that I did you have to drill down pretty far in order to have a large portion of the screw actually going through the other side and into the backing you already have on the wall. To make this easier on myself I just put the spade bit beside the board so I could see about how deep it would go and then used a pen to mark the spade bit so once I reached that line I stopped drilling. Don't worry about being perfect. I ended up making 4 holes in each 48 inch board and 2 holes on each of the shorter boards.

Step 9: Big Frame

Here's where it starts coming together. Put on one of the long boards first. I found it easier to start all 4 screws first and then hold up the board and start screwing it down. It was definitely easier having my daughter hold it in place so if you can, grab an extra pair of hands to help out. Alternate screwing down all the screws a little at a time until they are in as far as you can get them to go. Since our cabinet is so low I started really having trouble putting enough pressure on the screws to get it flush to the backboard. So if this happens to you don't be shocked. Next do the top and bottom middle boards. I had to put a lot of pressure on them to get them to sit flush against the long board. Once these were in it was fairly easy putting the last long board on. For the middle board just measure where you want the bottom of the middle board to sit and put a little pen mark. Hammer in 2 nails on your pen marks and slide the middle board down to rest on them. Now screw down your middle board and you should be good to go.

Step 10: Support and Sand

Give your cabinet some extra support here by putting in some of the cabinet screws on each joint. To make things easier I drilled holes before I put the screws in just to help me get past the long boards before the screws really started tightening up. I ended up only doing 5 screws total. 1 for each of the 4 corners and one on the middle board on the side I was not putting the hinges. With that done I sanded down the boards not only to prevent splinters but to erase my pen marks.

Step 11: Front Door

We're pretty much going to repeat what we just did except without the cabinet screw holes and it's not attached to the wall. Do your long board first, top and bottom middle boards next, and the last long board. I made the mistake of putting on the corner cabinet screws before the middle board and it was ridiculously tight. I ended up sanding down the ends and beating it into place with a rubber hammer. Get your middle board into place using your measurement on the interior middle board so they line up. Feel free to be liberal with the 1 inch screws and use the 1/4 inch washers so the pegboard has virtually no chance of it popping off with all your tools on it. Now do your corners and you'll be ready for the hinges.

Step 12: Hinges and Rubber Stoppers

Time to put the hinges on. The hinges I picked are for a front door so they should be up to the job of holding up my tools. I found the easiest way to do this was to attach the hinges to the door section where you want them. I did one up top, one on the bottom, and one in the middle. With the hinges fully attached to the door it was just a matter of holding the door in place and using a pen to mark one of the holes in the top hinge. Once you do that you can let the door down and partially screw in the mounting screw. Back that screw out and put the door back on and put the screw in with your fingers. Now screw it in most of the way leaving some gap for minor adjustments as you put the other screws in place. Tighten all of them down and test it out. At this point I did a light sanding on the inside of the door to eliminate future splinters. I noticed when I shut the door it slammed kind of hard so I grabbed some rubber stoppers that probably came with some computer equipment I bought at some point and put them opposite the hinges just so I wouldn't shut it and have tools on the ground. Tidy up any spots you see.

Step 13: Enjoy

Start loading up with pegs and tools and enjoy your new masterpiece. If you're anything like me this just the first step in getting a well organized garage/workshop worthy of a walk through with guests lol