Slat Tool Wall
I have wanted one of these slat tool walls ever since I watched John Heisz build it for his shop. His article with step by step and measurements found here – John Heisz Tool Board. I loved the fact that you could have all your everyday tools in one easy to reach spot. It would also make putting things back in place more manageable and help prevent the “now where the hell did I put that” from happening. I sent John an email asking his permission building it and videoing it for my YouTube channel. John was nice enough to say yes and so it was on!
I started by buying three sheets of B/C plywood and cross them to length with my track saw (notice the awesome tape holding on the shop vac hose).
The next step in the process was to rip plywood into strips for the slats, the screw bins and the power tool cubbies.
I next started to assemble the screw bins and the power tool cubbies. Assembling the screw bins was fairly easy just a little time consuming. You basically make a series of U shapes and then assemble them all with the top and bottom at the end.
The power tool cubbies were assembled fairly easily with the help of my parallel clamps to hold the back in an upright position while I attached the top bottom and sides.
I edged banded the cubbies in the same manner as John did as to add strength to the overall box. I used scraps that I had lying around that were pretty much perfect in size just had to be flushed trim.
I cut the notch in the slats with the help of a feather board on the table saw.
After cutting a hole in the plywood pieces for the outlet, I started attaching it to the wall; first with a couple nails in the center and then after screwing the tools bins through the back piece it was pretty much there.
I began nailing the slats on to the back using a couple of pieces of the 1/2 inch ply scraps as spacers.
After securing the final slat at the top, I drove three more screws into stud along the top of the tool board before attaching the cubbies up top in basically the same manner.
This completed the first part of the project. Next I will be showing the different tool holders that I made.
What do you guys think of the project so far? Is this something you would consider building for your shop?