Sounding Board

Your voice, your projects, your shop.

I‘ve had a clutter problem in my shop for quite awhile, so when I saw the Tool Tower on the cover of issue 273 (March 2021), it all clicked for me! I knew it was the exact plan I needed. I modified the design to hold my large tablesaw jigs on the left side and the back, as shown below. Those are now up off the floor and out of the way.

I reused some old drawer pulls and other hanging hardware that had been waiting years to be put back to use, so I was able to build it all under your estimated budget. I really appreciate the guidance and plans you provided. Thank you!

—Dave Dillman Durango, Colo.

Your Tool Tower project was timely for me, as I had just begun to design a caddy for my sanding machines and tools. Using your plan as inspiration, I was able to go well beyond what my original ideas were. Because electrical outlets are limited in my garage shop, I mounted a power strip with a long cord on my tower, as shown above right. Now I only have to run one cord to wherever I’m working to connect all my power tools.

Quick story about the ugly color: I had a half pint of Sedona Red stain that I had tried on another project (hated it), so I decided to use it up here. Still hating it on the tower, I thought a contrasting color might help, so I also stained some parts Colonial Maple. As luck would have it, I ran just short of the Sedona Red and had to buy another half pint to finish the staining.

Thanks for the great project. I enjoy reading WOOD® magazine and look forward to each issue. My skills have definitely improved because of your tips, articles, and projects.

—Allen Kerns Cincinnati, Ohio

I’d been looking for a way to create more storage in my small shop and then issue 273 arrived with the Tool Tower plan. Perfect! I may modify the plan to fit the tower under a set of stairs.

I do have a couple of suggestions: First, I like to use plastic garden-hose holders for hanging my pneumatic hoses and electric cords—the curved surface minimizes kinking, and I can hang several hoses/cords on each. Colored hook-and-loop straps help keep them separate. Second, I would recommend loading the heaviest items on the bottom of the Tool Tower to prevent a tipping hazard.

—Tom Chadwick Glen Rock, N.J.

The top-shelf spacing discourages storing heavy tools up high, Tom. But I’ve been using this design in my home shop for several years and never had a problem with tippiness. As you can see, my tower (at right) is still standing tall, despite three loaded, fully extended top drawers.

—Kevin Boyle, Senior Design Editor