Peg board or plywood?

[Richiep]

Hey All,

I'm doing some organizing in a pole barn for a client and I;m setting up a workbench and maybe a pegboard.  I've installed a fair amount of peg board over the years and it's been okish.  I once worked with a guy who absolutely hated pegboard and he set up his shops with a vertical sheet of plywood.  From there he drove screws to hang his tools and oultined them.    Since then I've always wanted to try it.

I think I'm gonna give the plywood method a go for my client and hope it works out.

What are your preferences/experience?

Thanks!
Rich

[..Kev]

Toss me in the "I hate pegboard" crowd!

I use ply and build custom holders for each tool or set of tools that is to be hung on the wall.  I find it looks better and is a good use of some of the small off cuts that can overrun a shop in a hurry. 

[pkinneb]

Not a pegboard fan either 

[woodbutcher]

Pegboard is ok. I have a small sheet next to my workbench to hang a few things I like to have closeby. But I definitely would rather have them in a wall hanging tool cabinet, or like was said earlier, plywood with tool specific holders.

[danbell78]

Another option is slat board.  It's a heavier duty version of peg board.  I was able to pick some at a good price for my shop build and have been pretty happy with it.  The hooks stay in place better then peg board, but still offers the flexibility of moving things as needed.  You can also get brackets which lets you make your own tool holders, I have a few, but where apparently all made after this picture was taken

 

[Eric.]

I hate pegboard too.  Not for its lack of function but purely aesthetics.  Too much of it looks like a poser shop.  It screams DIY rather than legit woodshop.  Especially white.  I have a tiny bit of it over my utility bench and its great for organizing some non-woodworking tools...but if I wasn't so lazy I'd replace it with something cooler looking.  Splitting hairs and ultimately who cares what it looks like...but still.  Given the choice I'd go with something else.

 

[woodbutcher]

Eric, is that a barcode scanner next to your laptop?

[Eric.]

1 hour ago, woodbutcher said:

Eric, is that a barcode scanner next to your laptop?

Indeed.  Not woodworking related. LOL

[Coop]

This one is

[wdwerker]

Pegboard sags and collects dust . Slatwall is nice but a bit pricey, unless you get leftovers from a job for free like I did. I highly recommend the metal lined slatwall .

[wtnhighlander]

There is always the woodworker's answer to slatwall....french cleat wall.

[Marmotjr]

1 hour ago, wtnhighlander said:

There is always the woodworker's answer to slatwall....french cleat wall.

I have a peg board cabinet that is currently mounted on the lathe bench (rental property, can't mount to the walls, so it's on the bench...).  Being the 3rd (4th?) owner of this cabinet, and the original owner not fixing the spacers behind the peg board, the large middle section is now not usable as peg board but the doors still are.  So I use the Doors as intended for hanging stuff like my Calipers and hangable lathe tools on one door, ZCI's and PPE and other odds and ends on the other, and making the center section a french cleat wall for all the lathe stuff.   I already have a 12 tool holder screwed directly into it. 

[gee-dub]

There are plenty of pegboard haters around.  To each their own.  Properly mounted and supported, peg board will give good service beyond your years.  I do mostly make my own fixtures and avoid the hooks that your grandpa used to use that give such poor service.

I started with some framed pegboard panels on a cleat system and found it quick and easy to change things around until I got comfy.  I guess I thought once I had it all figured out I would replace the pegboard with dedicated fixtures.

Things keep changing so the pegboard is still with me.

 

[Coop]

gee, the cabinet behind your roller stand, what's in it and how are they staying in there?

[gee-dub]

On 10/3/2017 at 5:47 PM, K Cooper said:

gee, the cabinet behind your roller stand, what's in it and how are they staying in there?

That was a "cubby" cabinet for random shorts of exotics.  My exotic "shorts" collection has since been thinned way down replaced by plastic shoe boxes in this:

Both fixtures hang from the "I'm-so-glad-I-did-that" cleat wall.  For a Saturday of effort, the cleat wall has paid dividends beyond my expectations.

[Richiep]

Wow, thanks for the feedback everyone!  I had no idea I'd get this much response.  

It's always cool to see how others are setting up shop spaces.

Thanks again!

Rich

[Richiep]

Side note.  I'm increasingly impressed with magnetic strips for storing metal tools like screw drivers, chisles, drill and router bits, jig hardware and on and on.  I guess it's these magnetic strips that got me to questioning the value of pegboard.

Anyway here's a shot of one of my strips.  Note that I have this set up so the magnet can be accessed from both sides.

[wdwerker]

If you are trying to keep individual tools in custom holders using magnets take a look at K &  J Magnetics. They have a huge variety of magnets with holes countersunk for screws.  Different strengths, different sizes and tons of scientific info to let you calculate the strength of the magnet in different situations. 

 

https://www.kjmagnetics.com/

[Bombarde16]

Merely to mention the word "pegboard" in this forum is to wave a red flag before a pack of rabid dogs...

Yes, on a general level, pegboard is inferior to a plywood panel or an array of French Scottish cleats. Everyone here has worked with pegboard plenty, and cursed plenty when they reached for a tool and the &$^#@!* hook went clattering to the floor.  Only way I could ever see myself welcoming pegboard into my shop at this point would be as a baffle for a dust shroud or sanding table.

That said, the OP said that this is for a client.  Presumably, he's getting paid for the job, so we have to consider what cleats and plywood might do to his bottom line.  Likewise, we have no idea who this client is.  Maybe pegboard is right for them?

[gee-dub]

12 hours ago, Bombarde16 said:

Everyone here has worked with pegboard plenty, and cursed plenty when they reached for a tool and the &$^#@!* hook went clattering to the floor.

This is not due to the pegboard, it is due to the hooks.  Poor quality hooks are what leads many of us to curse pegboard.  A poor cutter in a good tool doesn't make the tool poor; it just makes it perform poorly. The hook falling out or the tool falling off or the tool getting caught up all  come from using poor quality hooks. I'm not trying to sell anyone on pegboard but, let's not hate it in error. 

[AceHoleInOne]

1 hour ago, gee-dub said:

This is not due to the pegboard, it is due to the hooks.  Poor quality hooks are what leads many of us to curse pegboard.  A poor cutter in a good tool doesn't make the tool poor; it just makes it perform poorly. The hook falling out or the tool falling off or the tool getting caught up all  come from using poor quality hooks. I'm not trying to sell anyone on pegboard but, let's not hate it in error. 

I found this interesting, a while back when I constructed a down draft sanding table using a pegboard top. I learned there are 2 kinds of pegboard.  Tempered and non tempered. Tempered are stronger and made differently than non tempered which is basically glued pressed cardboard, the thin brown cheap stuff with the scruffy back side. 

 

-Ace-  

[wdwerker]

1/4 Tempered pegboard is as good as it gets. If you buy your hooks at a retail display supplier that's about as good as it gets for pegboard. 

Thin un-tempered pegboard with thin cheap hooks is probably the source of most complaints. But slatwall , plywood and French cleats are a much better way to go in the long run .

[Minnesota Steve]

These work...

[VizslaDad]

I've used sections of pegboard on cabinet doors etc. as quick-to-build shorter term storage solutions. Monolithic pegboard walls don't appeal to me for all the reasons everyone in this thread has listed. I vote plywood all the way!

[Wimayo]

Please forgive me for resurrecting an old thread. I'm new to this forum and, as I was reading through various threads, I came across this one that was generally disparaging of peg board. I could not resist putting in my 2 cents worth with maybe a hint or two.

I built my shop as an extension of my car port about 10-12 years ago. Of course, my budget was tight and I came across some used 1/4" peg board that was in good condition and I decided that it would be good functional wall covering (please grit your teeth as you read on). I had enough to completely cover three walls. I mounted it with washer head screws to each stud for strength and stiffness and to make it (relatively) easily removable (continue gritting). Then I painted it white. I believe that I have a pretty good aesthetic sesns, but after all this is a shop and practicality has to take precedence. The slat system is so much better looking, but when cost and flexibility are the deciding factors, peg board can't be beat. I guess my second choice would be plain plywood. I do also have some cabinetry hung with french cleats.

The main thing that makes the peg board successful in my shop is the mounting system I have for hooks. I have a mix of small and large hooks of various shapes and sizes; some purchased in variety packs. Some are made with little nubs and extensions to make them fit more snugly, some not. It doesn't matter. I use left over #12 or #14 electrical wire to bend ties that hold each hook securely to the peg board. It only takes a minute to bend and attach and, when done, I can "yank" the tool off the hook and "toss" it back on and the hook stays in place without wobbling back and forth.  If I want to move the hook, I just cut the tie and bend a new one for the new location. Of course, there are a variety of commercial ties. The ones I've tried I've found to be too expensive (for what they are) or ineffective.

The peg board in my shop is not beautiful (but who cares; it's a shop), but it has proven to be functional, serviceable, convenient, and economical.