Pegboard = small workshop game-changer

If you operate your hobby or side-business out of a "small" workshop, like I do, then pegboard can be a real game-changer for you in terms of storage, organization and space maximization.

My shop is a 16' x 9' shed, which is a lot bigger than the 6' dining room table I started making dioramas at in late 2018, but like all shops it has space limitations. That's one of the reasons I absolutely love pegboard, which now line parts of three of my workshop walls. Take a tour of my workshop here. 

Benefits of pegboard

Pegboard allows me to take things out of boxes and off the floor so I can make the most out of the space I have.

It helps my productivity to see my tools, know where they are and access them when I need them. If my tools are stored in a box out of sight, I'm likely to forget I have them or where they are, which can be extremely frustrating and destroy my flow-state. Pegboard allows me to see my tools, organize them in a way that makes sense for better work efficiency. 

Pegboard organization also helps me understand which of my supplies I am running low on (like paint, glue etc). because those supplies are visible to me as I work. 

One last benefit - I love looking at all the tools I have accumulated over the years! 

How to install pegboard

I recently created a video walkthrough of how to install pegboard that shows how easy the process is, which you can watch here. 

Essentially, there are three simple steps:

1. Find your studs (which is very easy to do in a bare shed). 

2. Place your pegboard over the studs. 

3. Mount the pegboard with screws directly into the studs(it's important to use screws, in case you ever want to easily remove the pegboard). 

There are several tools you can use to help you with the installation, like a power drill, jigsaw or circular saw.

After you've done that, you're ready to organize your tools and enjoy the benefits of your pegboard walls. 

My history with pegboard 

Sometime is 2017, my Father-in-law built me my first garage workbench, which would later become my main work-area as a beginner diorama artist. That workbench had a glorious pegboard backing on it, that allowed me to organize all my regular tools (hammers, screwdrivers etc.) and my diorama supplies. 

Unfortunately, I don't have any good pictures of it. The best I have is below, where my pegboard is nearly bare (as I was prepping to move at the time). 

After using the pegboard on my first workbench, I was hooked. I became obsessed with pegboard and began installing sections of it on my garage walls for yard-tool storage. I also decided to build a custom foam and tool storage shelf using scraps of wood and pegboard from other projects, which you can see below. 

Shortly after that, my wife and I purchased a new home. I tore all the old pegboard down and migrated into my current workshop. Of course, my first order of business was installing pegboard wall sections over the shop workbench. The previous owner of the shed (who I am very grateful for) had installed shelving in areas above the workbench. I decided to keep his shelves in place and install the pegboard around them. 

This setup worked great for me for the first six or seven months working in the shop, but after experiencing the beginning of the hot South Carolina summer in my non insulated shed, I decided to insulate the entire shop, which meant I had to tear down all of the pegboard and shelving that was in place. I used the opportunity to enhance the pegboard walls above my workbench. 

Several months later, I got the urge to cover the insulation on the shop walls and figured one of the easiest and most economical options was to install more pegboard. I had just the right amount of scraps to cover the desired area, which you can see in the left portion of the below picture.  

Which takes us to present day, where I recently installed yet another pegboard wall in my shop. I decided to use this one to house all of my Ryobi 1+ power tools, which were all previously stored in a box on a shelf in my garage. So glad I can enjoy them now! 

That's all for now, although I'm sure this won't be my last pegboard project. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed! 

DISCLAIMER - VASCO Toys is part of the amazon associates program. If you click on any of the amazon product links in this blog, I will receive a small commission on those sales at no extra charge to you. 

I am not responsible for any harm or injury that may be caused a result of others attempting this type of project. Build at your own risk.