Build a pencil station
Download the wall cleat pencil station plans here!
When it comes to tape measures and pencils, I subscribe to the theory that if I have enough of them in circulation, I’ll always have one handy when I need it.
To keep my pencils somewhat centralized, I made a holder-and-sharpener combo.
The holder is a piece of 3⁄4"-thick MDF with a section of cleat and a spacer glued to the back. Then there’s a 21⁄4" x 6" x 6" box and a standard pencil sharpener mounted to the front. Assemble the box with glue and screws, then mount the sharpener below it. Attach a cleat to the top of the back plate, and a 1" x 6" spacer to the bottom with glue and a couple of 11⁄4" screws, then hang it up. Drive a #8 x 11⁄4" wood screw in a countersunk hole through the plate and into the cleat to keep the set-up from moving around while sharpening. You can always remove this screw later to move the assembly.
Build a towel holder
Download the wall cleat towel holder plans here!
Shops can be messy places. So, you should consider this towel holder: the handiest accessory, and the easiest one to build.
Start by making two 3⁄4"-thick MDF blocks measuring 21⁄2" x 4", then mark the centres 11⁄2" back from the front edge. Clamp the first block to the drillpress and drill a centred, 11⁄4"-diameter hole through the block with a Forstner bit. Repeat for the second block, but this time stop drilling before you go all the way through. A 1⁄2"-deep hole should be plenty.
Attach these blocks to the front of a 5" x 131⁄4" piece of hardboard (MDF or plywood would work, too) with some glue and a couple of #6 x 11⁄4" screws driven through the back into predrilled and countersunk holes. Attach the wall cleat to the back.
Finish up by sliding a piece of 11⁄4"-diameter dowel through the open block and into the opposite side. The dowel is held in place by friction.
Read more in Workshop Essentials and Shop Set-Up
You might also enjoy:
0 Comment