Custom Project

Last of the Pegboard Removed and New Layout Tool Panel Installed

Its been a long time getting here, but the shop is now "pegboard free" - wahoo! Ive talked about this before, how I think pegboard has its place, but how I much prefer real wood.

When I was first setting up the shop it looked like this:


As you can see, with the exception of the brace rack, all the tools panels were pegboard.

Well, one panel at a time, Ive slowly replaced the pegboard. The first up-grade was to the saw panel, then the drilling/boring panel *. Now it was time to tackle the largest and most random of the panels - the one in the center that was a mishmash of tools - some chisels, files and rasps, punches, mallet, knives, snips, squares etc.

I was just going to pull the pegboard from the frame and replace it with tongue and groove 1x12s. I started that process by slicing open the bottom of the frame with a slitting gauge. Then my apprentice, Teague, helped me slide the pegboard out of the frame.


Then, as frequently happens, I changed plans. I decided that what I really needed to make was three panels: one for layout tools, one for frequently used miscellaneous tools, and one for chisels. Anything from the original panel that didnt fit one of these categories would just have to find another home.

The first of the new panels would be for the layout tools. It was made the same way Ive made the other panels, so I wont go into great detail on the process, but here is a brief photo summary.

First, the Stanley #48 was used to create the tongue and groove joints:


The three boards of the panel joined together and with the joint showing the approximate amount of shrinkage I get on my other panels in winter:


Theres nothing wrong with just leaving the panel like this, but I prefer to make the gap less noticeable and a little fancier by beading the edge on one of the boards at each joint.

Using a moulding sample to decide which bead size I wanted to use to make the joint look better as it expands and contracts over the course of the seasons:


Beading with the 1/4" side bead plane that matches the sample:


And the final result, again set to the approximate maximum shrinkage and gap:


A close up shot of the same:


And the panel completed, hung on the French cleat system in the shop, and loaded with layout tools:


Again, there was nothing wrong with the pegboard version, but this one makes me happy when I look at it - which is something we seem to be lacking all too often in todays world.

*Okay, I guess I should read my own blog more often - then I would have remembered that I used the wooden T&G planes and that they worked better...sheesh. Oh, and to answer the question I asked at the end of the boring/drilling post - "No. More like soon as in almost two years!"