Making/Projects/Clamp Rack
Background
Woodworking clamps come in many sizes. There is a cost and value to the clamps so caring for them is important. Good clamps will apply pressure without damaging the wood that you are clamping. The various sizes and types of clamps make it hard to store them.
Research
Lots of online information on clamp racks.
Notched
A series of notches that match the width of the bar of a clamp. The notches would be spaced the width of the widest part of the clamp head or tail.
- Pro
- See missing clamps fast
- Feel that the clamps are safe and protected
- Multiple levels can increase density
- Con
- Clamp specific
- Complex build
Stacking or Deep
A set of supports that store the clamps stacking away from a vertical surface like a wall. Along the same idea as the retail sale where many identical items are stored for sale and stocking. Very possibly the way you grabbed your clamps to buy them.
- Pro
- Efficient in high numbers of clamps
- Easy to build
- Con
- Assumes identical head and tail width
- Assumes identical clamp count or grouping
- May not hold clamps straight or allow them to tangle
Knob/Handle Hangers
Using the handle or knob for tightening clamps as a method of hanging the clamps with a bar or cross member.
- Pro
- Efficient use of space for width
- Easy to build
- Con
- Not ideal for mixed clamp lengths
- Damage to knob
- Damage to head
Flat
Front View of Flat style
Side view of Flat style
Variable width clamps are easy to support
Shelf liner for the win
Using a flat board along a vertical surface and applying shelf liner that is designed to reduce sliding.
- Pro
- Easiest to build
- Supports all manner of clamps
- Efficient use of space
- Con
- An earthquake could knock them off, maybe
History
First Clamp Rack
Overflow on a notch based rack
Variable width spacing complexity
Some early models and examples of clamp racks that I used in my workshop.
Currently
Currently I use a very simple Flat style storage system mentioned above. It was a facepalm moment when I tried it after searching wildly on the Internet to not find anything of the type. I have a large mobile cabinet with a twelve inch deep clamp storage area on the back. The bottom is a trough for all the various smaller clamps and related items.
Video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsllwBRMZuI
