Hi everyone,
I am interested in building a floor standing hammer rack and wonder
if any of you have done so using 2x4’s or something similar which is
easy to purchase. If you have any instructions you are willing to
share I would appreciate it.
THANK YOU in advance for your help.
Lynn
Lynn,
AHH! hammers. being a tool junkie I have been through every possible
solution for storing them- including the floor standing rack… 1st
the rack of 2x4"'s, then the square Cold rolled steel frame with a
found gas floor furnace grate welded together, then there were
variations on that design (including a 3 stepped addition for
holding things from punches to mandrels)… I’ve tried many things and
eventually come to this: on a flat surface (wall, hinged bench fold
out “door”,etc.), using whatever you want or have like a piece of
scrap wood, MDF, anything that can take some weight and will not
only be handy, but can be mounted where you want , cut some lengths
of leather strapping, and tack them in place with roofing nails (the
type with a washer- mine happened to have copper nails too!) at
intervals that take into consideration your hammer handle’s lengths
and weights and any other factors you want to use in arranging them.
When you put the hammers in their holsters, over time they give and
conform to the shape of each tool so its clear cut where they belong
at the end of the work day. I can then see all of them at any time,
oil the wood handled ones periodically and maintain anything else
that needs maintaining. I have a lot of hammers from 2 1/2 oz.
watchmaker’s hammers to handmade blacsmithing hammers and foundry
made custom forming hammers,: I haven’t replaced many of those i
lost in Katrina (mostly, of course, the irreplaceable antiques), but
am back up to around 50 - so far. and always on the lookout for
unique forms and useful additions. But this solution works best for
me (in fact it won a vendor’s monthly tips contest!)…So there you
have it. rer Oh, by the way Problems with a floor standing unit:
Floor standing units kept taking more and more space, some handles
were too small & some too wide for equal grate spaces, the whole unit
was too heavy and casters needed better brakes, I was having to blast
and refinish the steel/iron posts after rainy season(s)…and (get
someone to help) move it way too often. I tried a variety of
"grates" - from vinyl coated wire shelving sections, different
knotted rope “nets”, etc. before the final choice, which was the
best, but still had limitations and required modifications…
Lynn, My husband made me a sawhorse with slats on the sides to hold
my most used hammers. Would that help? I’d be happy to share plans.
Sheri
Hi Lynn,
My current solution (such as it is) is to use one of those cheap(ish)
wire grid shelving units. The black ones from Home Despot, or
similar, not the chrome metro shelves. (which are both very
expensive, and very tough.)
Take a mallet, and bash every other lengthwise stringer wire (on the
shelves) sideways, to open up the gap between alternate rows of
stringers, and now you’ve got nice slots for your hammers. You can
set the shelves at whatever height seems appropriate to you and your
hammers. I keep the bottom shelf for big stakes. You can also get
wheels for the shelving units, but beware of them: I used the big
costco chrome shelves when I moved last, and smashed the wheels out
from under several of them. Turns out the shelves are rated for 600
pounds/shelf, but the wheels aren’t anywhere near that. (The idea
was to load the shelves, and then just wheel them out as a unit.
Fine idea, not so hot in execution.)
a favour and stick them wherever it is that you normally put them?
Thanks.
Regards,
Brian
Here’s my steel hammer rack made from an old shoe organizer. I built
the rest from plywood and 1" dowels.
You can hang additional hammers on either side.
Jeff Herman
Hi Lynn,
I have my anvil mounted on a maple stump. I bought some electrical
conduit straps for 2" or 3" conduit at Home Depot. I mounted them
around my anvil stump and hang my commonly used hammers from them.
You could substitute leather straps, aluminum straps, or repurpose
empty cans and cut your own straps.
Rick Copeland
Colorado
Jeffrey- I just saw the photo of your hammers and rack. Sigh.
If I still smoked I’d need a cigarette right about now.
Jo Haemer
timothywgreen.com
Lynn pm me and I will send you instructions. I never seem to have
enough hammers, so I understand. Sheri
