Over the past few months, we have received countless enquiries from households that have purchased or inherited MDF Slatwall Wall Panels and are looking for the best Slatwall accessories.
This is what your typical MDF Slatwall looks like. The grooves are 100mm apart, there is usually a metal trim in the groove, and the wall panel is made from MDF.
MDF slatwalls are very cost-effective and are usually used by retail stores. The range of accessories designed for them is also cost-effective. The downside is that the range is designed for retail environments, not your household garage.
Slatwall Accessories
If you jump on eBay or search Slatwall Accessories, you will find options that look like this:
Ebay.com.au
If you are going to be hanging small lightweight items like a dustpan, these hooks work fine. Search a little deeper and there are some shelves and some baskets.
Best Slatwall Accessories
StoreWALL’s range of accessories is made of steel and powder-coated. Most hooks also have rubber tips to protect your items. Furthermore, the range is extensive and includes:
Over 35 types of hooks from hanging your bike to hanging your garden blower.
Over 15 metal shelves in various lengths and depths so you can store your boots, paint cans, garden, and sporting equipment.
8 different types of baskets. Deep and shallow, angled opening or square.
4 different-sized brackets so you can create your floating shelving.
Over 15 different-sized bins in various colours and shapes to hold smaller lighter-weight items.
4 Tote Bags for clothing and sporting equipment.
StoreWALL’s extensive range ensures you have access to the best slatwall accessories in Australia and globally.
Removing CamLok
To enable StoreWALL’s accessories to work on your MDF Slatwall, we only need to remove the CamLok. By removing the CamLok, the “L” shaped lip at the top of the accessory will fit into your MDF wall and support your stored items.
The end result looks like this:
Whilst you don’t get the extra security offered by CamLok, you are able to access a much deeper range. Just be a little extra careful removing your stored items from the accessory.
This month we added yet another new Shelf to our catalogue, the Power Tool Storage Rack. This new shelf is specifically designed to store multiple power tools and be used on your StoreWALL wall panels. It can also be used with many other slatwall and garage wall panel systems.
WALL MOUNTED POWER TOOL RACK
This Power Tool Storage Rack was originally designed to be screwed onto your wall. However, we have converted it into a versatile Rack for your slatwall installation allowing you to attach it to most slatwall systems available in Australia. Load your power tools onto the rack and have them easily accessible on your wall when you need them.
SUPPORTS UP TO FOUR POWER DRILLS
This new Rack has been designed to hold up to four power tools. Use it to store your driver drills, hammer drills, impact drills, and any other drill type you may own.
FREE YOUR WORKBENCH
StoreWALL is everything about making better use of your wall space. Our new rack is designed to utilise the unused space on your wall, freeing up your workbench and work area. Keep your expensive power tools free from kid’s hands by hanging them on your wall.
SUPER DURABLE STEEL
Our new Storage Rack is made super durable from powder-coated steel, which will resist rusting and last for years.
DESIGNED FOR SLATWALLS
Designed to work with your StoreWALL Panels. Simply slip it into your StoreWALL groove. Move it around your wall as you need to. No need to drill messy holes in your walls. Let your slatwall system do the work for you. Our Storage Rack will work with most slatwall systems on the market, including the StorEase system sold by Bunnings.
Note this shelf is not fitted with StoreWALL’s CamLok but like several of our other shelves, has a lip allowing it to be easily and securely fitted into the slatwall groove.
Power Tool Storage Rack Dimensions
457mm (width) x 229mm (depth) x 6.4mm (height)
Power Tool Storage Ideas
Our Power Tool Storage Rack is one of many accessories StoreWALL offers for your power tools. Also check out our Power Tool Hook, Vertical Tool Hook, and our Tool Organiser. These accessories are also designed specifically to help you with your Power Tool Storage ideas.
You learn a lot from your customers. This week I was met with several requests via our online chat service with the message “organizing tools in garage, can you help?”. Then came a long list of tools and items. It quickly dawned on me that sending them to the Hook section of our online store was not great service.
When you visit your local hardware store and you are after a hook to hold a ladder upright, you are usually guided to an aisle with 20+ alternative hooks. For some this can the ideal solution, for others its like “so now what, which do I choose”.
Unfortunately, online stores whilst giving customers control of their journey can also be daunting when customers are discovering what it is they want and need form you. Most don’t ask questions like they would in a store, if they can’t work it out, they move on.
Organizing tools in garage
In one instance this week, the customer sent me a long list of what is stored on their garage floor at the moment and said this is what they needed help with. Please recommend the appropriate way to store these items.
The list looked like this:
Something to hang 8 fishing rods together vertically
Hooks for Maxitrax hung horizontally
Something for fishing gear
Need to hang 1 skateboard
We have a wakeboard (think skinny boogie board)
There is a surfboard
Something to hang 4 x tennis racquets and clear plastic small tray for balls
Hooks for 2 electrical cords
Hooks for 2 hoses
There are 2 flat folded chairs
Hooks for 3 fabric foldable chairs in bags
Fitting for 2 shovels
Fitting for 1 pitchfork
There is a medium sized step ladder
We have a fan rake
Fitting for 2 brooms
There are 2 long garden shears/loppers
2 saws
Multi hook on a rail thing for small garden tools
Fitting for bike pump
We need something for 2 wheelie shopping carts (the granny style soft fabric pull along ones)
There are 4 umbrellas (straight not curved ends)
Fitting to hang earmuffs and safety glasses
We have a sledgehammer and 2 axe/tomahawks
There is a spirit level
Basket type shelves for boots
Hook for dustpan/broom
Later on the same day, I received another enquiry and this time, the list was similar although focused on power related garden equipment:
“Want shed wall Rack for my Gardening Tools Brushcutters, Blower, Hedgers, Chainsaw, Rakes, Shovels”
These are all really great questions and probably represent 80% of what our customers are thinking about when they visit our online store and spend a few minutes browsing around.
So I invested a couple of hours preparing a quote for the first client and an email response for the 2nd. In that time, I reviewed all of the pictures we had on our site demonstrating how our accessories work. I also tested several scenarios in our workshop to ensure I was comfortable with what I was going to recommend.
In doing all of this I realised that we needed to be more helpful and given our store is online, this meant providing more information where you are likely to find it quickly.
StoreWALL Hook Options
Below is how I answered the “organizing tools in garage” question. Mind you, this took a few goes and the client helped with plenty of feedback.
This was my response:
Fishing Rods – I thought the best solution would be the S Hook as it would hold the rod up off the ground. The client in the end preferred the Pole Hook with the rod sitting on the ground.
Maxtracks hung horizontally – I preferred the HD Universal Hooks for this but the client went with the a 63mm Single Hook
Storage of Fishing Gear – I had recommended a basket for this but the client determined that they could an existing plastic bin hung on the wall with 2 x 254mm brackets.
For the skateboard, wakeboard and surfboard – I had recommended 2 x 254mm Angle Brackets with each item stacked side by side. These brackets extend 430mm off the wall. I had also provided the option of the Angled Pole Hook which the client preferred.
Tennis racquets – I had provided the option of the Wide Hook but the client went with a 190mm Single Hook.
The tray for balls – best option was one of our Large Bins
Electrical cords – Utility Hook
Hoses – Utility Hook
Flat fold chairs – Heavy Duty Universal Hook
Fabric foldable chairs in bags = I assumed they had a cord to be hung with and went with the Heavy Duty Universal Hook
Shovels and Pitchfork – Tool Hook
Step ladder – Heavy Duty Cradle Hook
Fan rake & Brooms – Tool Hook
Long garden shears/loppers – Box Hook
Hook for 2 saws – Heavy Duty Universal will carry them.
Multi hook – Six Prong Hook
Bike pump – S Hook
Wheelie shopping carts – Cradle Hook
Umbrellas (straight not curved ends) – I tested and have added some photos below. The S Hook was the best option.
Earmuffs and safety glasses – 190mm Single Hook
Sledgehammer – Heavy Duty Universal Hook (depth is 228mm, may also be able to hold both the axe/tomahawk (below) on the same hook)
Fitting for 2 x axe/tomahawk – Heavy Duty Universal Hook
Spirit level – 63mm Single Hook
1 shelves – 812mm Shelf + 2 x 254mm Brackets
Dustpan/broom – 63mm Single Hook
Shelf for boots – Angle shelf
StoreWALL Hook Matrix
Having done all of this work, I have now added a matrix on our Hooks page so that you can see the recommended Hook for common items. Hopefully this is easy to view and read and customers find it useful when working through our store.
Below I have some photos of the umbrellas that were mentioned above. These are your regular umbrellas with a straight handle. At the start, the Angled Pole hook seemed like the appropriate choice but the S Hook proved to be the best choice and I think is a great option for most items that are long.
Organizing tools in garage – S Hook in Action
The S Hook has two arms that wrap around the item, one at the back and one at the front. These arms can be moved up and down but on an angle. Due to this angle, they grip the pole really nicely. You can even move the pole up and down the wall and the grip remains.
If you are wondering about the second “Organizing tools in garage” request that came through, I provided the following response.
Brushcutters – Heavy Duty Cradle Hook, Vertical Tool Hook or the Wide Hook
Blower – Utility Hook or Heavy Duty Cradle Hook (depending on the size)
Hedgers – Heavy Duty Cradle Hook, Vertical Tool Hook or the Wide Hook
Chainsaw – 300mm Power Tool Bracket x 2
Rakes/Shovels – Tool Hook
Note that the Vertical Tool Hook is on its way to Australia. Hoping to have it available in early September.
Garage storage solutions have increasingly become popular over the past few years. StoreWALL in the past 6 months have released its latest range of slatwall accessories focused on power tool storage.
Storing your power tools at home in the shed is not simply about having them sit on a shelf in their original packaging. The key is to have them:
be on display (ie visible) and easily accessible;
be secure in their storage so they will not fall and be damaged; and
be out of the way from kids so they can’t hurt themselves.
It’s easy to buy shelving and have your power tools sit side by side in their packaging waiting for you to pull them out and work with them. Unfortunately what you will find with such a solution (as I did) is that as you accumulate tools, you end up stacking them next to each other but also on top of each other as you run out of space or have to return them to the shelf after use.
It isn’t ideal, and the original packaging doesn’t last forever. In some cases it can take up more room than the actual power tool itself.
StoreWALL’s latest power tool range adds to our already extensive range of accessories. However, this new range of hooks and shelves are designed specifically for power tool storage (they can also be used for other purposes).
Power Tool Storage
Let’s take a look at the new range of accessories that have been launched and is now also available in Australia.
Vertical Tool Hook
Vertical Tool Hook has a wide and round opening which is just the right size for your leaf blower or edger. Due to the main motor of these tools being large, they can be hard to hang. Now with the Vertical Tool Hook, they can be easily hung on your StoreWALL Garage Wall Panel.
This is now available in Australia and has quickly become one of our most popular hooks.
Hand Held Power Tool Hook
Hand Held Power Tool Hook is ideal for your power drill or other hand held power tools. It is designed to grab and hold the horizontal motor part of your power tool. Now also available in Australia.
Interestingly the StoreWALL Wide Hook is just as useful when it comes to certain sized power tools and is also available in Australia.
300mm Power Tool Bracket
The 300mm Power Tool Bracket has plenty of depth in order to hold your bigger power tools. It is also strong enough to support a weight capacity of 68kgs.
You will require more than one of these to hold your larger power tools.
300mm Shelf with Cord Holder
The 300mm Shelf with Cord Holder is ideal for your larger power tools with sharp blades such as the circular saw. This unique shelf allows you to display your saw, protect its blade and protect you and the family form being hurt by it.
The wire shelf is 300mm wide and 190mm deep and allows you to display your saw safely with the blade sitting beneath the shelf. There is even a convenient hook attached to keep the cord tidy.
150mm Shelf with Cord Holder
The 150mm shelf is the smaller sibling of the 300mm Shelf and is ideal for your smaller power tools such as jigsaws and sanders. Dimensions are 150mm x 150mm.
Magnetic Tool Bar
Your power tools aren’t your only tools that need to be stored correctly, protected and visible. The StoreWALL 609mm Magnetic Bar is a great addon for any workshop or garage and can store multiple items for you. It secures to your wall panels with our CamLok locking mechanism making it easy to move around as required.
The Magnetic Bar is currently available through our shopping cart.
Tool Organiser Shelf
Our Tool Organiser has been around for some time and has proven to be very popular. Used for your screw drivers and other smaller tools, it enables you to quickly organise them, have them securely stored and easy to access when needed. Find it on our shopping cart today.
Power Tool Storage Rack
Our latest Power Tool Storage Rack allows you to store up to 4 power tools on the one rack. It easily fits into your StoreWALL panels (including most slatwall panels on the market). Available today in our store under Shelves.
One of the many latest editions to the StoreWALL range is the Magnetic Garage Shelf. Well its actually a Magnetic Bar but with its CamLok locking system. Once securely attached to your StoreWALL panels it in fact becomes a very handy shelf for you many tools.
How is it made?
The 609mm Magnetic Garage Shelf is secured with 2 CamLok equipped backplates which once attached to your StoreWALL Garage Panels ensure it will never move or fall. The outer metal bars are made from durable nickel and inside the plates there are several magnets about 20mm in depth. The outside of the bar is powder coated a stone grey colour to match all other StoreWALL accessories.
Using Nickel bars to secure the magnets, the Magnetic Garage Shelf will resist chipping, dings and dents.
Being all metal and magnets, its actually a rather heavy accessory for its size weighing about 2KG.
Unique StoreWALL Magnetic Garage Shelf
Having invested some time searching the market for something similar, I am confident that there are not many other Magnetic Garage Shelfs or bars available today. I think you will struggle to find something similar from your local Bunnings, Mitre 10 or similar hardware store. It is quite a unique accessory. With the StoreWALL CamLok backplates, it is also one of the most secure on the market as well.
The last you would want is for the shelf to securely hold your tools using its strong magnets, but for the shelf itself to fall from the wall panel. StoreWALL’s CamLok prevents this and as you can see from the below video, there is no way it will come loose from the wall panels.
Storage Options
StoreWALL’s Magnetic Garage Shelf can hold anything with metal in it. In the demonstration below, I have secured screw drivers, spanners, a hammer, measuring tape and a knife. They all sat securely on the magnetic bar and showed no signs of falling off.
The Shelf not only works on StoreWALL panels but will work on many other garage wall panel systems as well. You will even get CamLok working on your alternative wall.
Garage, WorkShop, Tool Shed
Garage, Workshop and Tool Shed are what immediately come to mind when I think about who will benefit from the Magnetic Bar. However it doesn’t need to be heavy tools that you attach to it. Think about smaller items that usually float around your benchtop. Items like Allen Keys, drill bits and tools, smaller spanners that are easy to misplace.
StoreWALL sells a great range of Garage Wall Panels
We have prepared a short video below showing it being secure to the wall and several tools being added to it. I also show you all around the Shelf so you get a clear picture of our it is made and how durable it is.
StoreWALL recently launched its new Garage Wall Tool Organiser and we have been fortunate enough to have received a supply. The StoreWALL range includes 2 sizes the 16 inch (420mm) and the 10 inch (250mm). We are stocking the 420mm option plastic tool organiser at the moment and its already proven to be popular.
Measurements
The StoreWALL Garage Wall Tool Organiser sits about 115mm off the wall, 420mm in length and 15mm in height. It is made from 4mm thick lightweight thermoplastic making it super durable like every other StoreWALL accessory. It’s also very easy to install on your StoreWALL Standard or Heavy Duty panels.
Our Garage Wall Tool Organiser is very light weight, easy to clean and doesn’t need any painting or finishing. It also comes with pre-drilled holes for your tools making it ready to use. You can see from the several images in this post that about half of the tool organiser is made up of pre-drilled holes. The rest can be used as shelf or you can drill additional holes as required.
Installing Your Tool Organiser
To install the wall mounted tool organiser you will need an exposed edge from a wall panel and then just slip it in and adjust where along the panel you want it to hang. The organiser doesn’t come with the CamLok locking mechanism but as you can see from the below video, its impossible for it to come off the wall due to the edges that are hooked into the wall panel grooves.
StoreWALL has a range of Thermoplastic shelves which we will be launching in Australia late February. They range in size and have a very similar look and feel to the Garage Wall Tool Organiser.
Combined with our Heavy Duty Shelves, StoreWALL’s range of baskets, shelves, bins, brackets and totes can help you get the most out of your garage or work shop space.
My father spent his life as a handy man. Whether it was doing work at home, for friends or the occasional customer he built up a large collection of tools to help him get the job done. What I also noticed he did over the years was create lots and lots of effective and sometimes curious tool shelf ideas. He would chop and change them all of the time as he tested them out or over-used and wore them out.
Storing My Tools
I have inherited some of my father’s handyman traits as well as the challenge of how to effectively store my tools. The biggest challenge I find with organising tools in my garage is that when you start a project you need all of your tools handy and accessible. This means you want them out. Once out, you use them until the job is done but they remain out during this time making it easy to misplace them. Being out they are also prone to being stepped on or kicked as well as touched by others in the family.
Having done some research there is no shortage of tool shelf ideas that will help you to protect your tools. Some can be purchased from your local hardware store but also easily made to your own requirements. I have added plenty of pictures below of great ideas. You can combine shelving, tool racks, drawers, as well as magnetic tool bars.
Your garage might not be on top of your list of spaces that need immediate attention, but when you consider the value of your tools you might want to re-prioritise.
Tool Shelf Ideas
About 2 years ago I built myself a backboard with accompanying shelf from some scrap chipboard I had collected. This allowed me to hang some of my tools and then keep others on display. The problem with the display is that the shelf ended up quite shallow. Its probably 150mm in depth which holds two spray cans worth. It works but isn’t great.
Tool Shelf Ideas – Metal Shelf 1.2m long
When I came across StoreWALL I was impressed by the range of brackets and shelfs they make available. The standard metal shelf is 762mm long and 393mm deep. They also offer a longer shelf at 1.2m in width (same depth). Using the CamLok system once added to your wall they are locked in and will stay in place. However they can also be moved around once you need to change your layout.
Having more shelves with a greater depth can assist you to keep more of your tools at arm’s reach rather than having to always carry them around with you around the house as you work.
DIY Tool Shelf
StoreWALL also offer the ability to build your own shelves. By combining the range of StoreWALL brackets you can add your own shelf top made of timber or any other material you prefer. You can also adjust the depth to your own requirements.
Tool Shelf Ideas – Brackets
Wired Tool Shelf
Tool Shelf Ideas – wired shelf
Another option made available by StoreWALL are the popular wire shelves. There are three available and they come with a 760mm width and a range of depths. These start at around 250mm and expand to 380mm. These shelves are either straight or angled.
Power Tool Shelf
StoreWALL recently launched the below shelf. It has been designed to be fitted to your StoreWALL slatwall panel as well as most other Slatwall systems available in Australia. Combine it with our 812 Metal Ledge Shelf to hold your batteries and other power tools accessories. Learn more.
Power Tool Storage Rack
Wooden Shelves
When it comes to power tools, some manufacturers like Milwaukee provide you with an easy to use case to store your power drills. These cases are self contained and are easy to store. There are other however like Ryobi who provide a material case or bag to store the equipment in. These containers are less practical. Others at the cheaper end just provide the box.
Below are some tools shelf ideas for power tools that allow you to safely hang the tool and store the batteries and the charges in full view. If you look at the design it’s not complicated at all and can be easily built over a weekend.
Then there are designs that will hold much more than your power drills. You can add sanders and power saws plus much more.
Some of the images on this post are sourced from Pinterest.
Over the years I have inherited several large ladders that I use for jobs around the house. These jobs include cutting trees branches, repairs on the roof and general painting and other maintenance. These ladders are stored in my garage, in fact on the garage floor against the wall. They take up room and can be a nuisance. So I invested a little time looking at heavy duty garage hooks that would allow be to remove them from the floor and have then handing on the wall, out of the way.
There are lots of garage hooks on the market and they aren’t all the same. Looking for a heavy duty garage hook, I was keen on it being large enough to hold a large ladder and durable enough that I could remove and return the ladder easily without the worry that upon re-entry I would damage the hook. Finally, the garage hook needed to be able to hold enough weight for an even heavier ladder if possible.
StoreWALL Garage Hooks
Garage hooks are not just for ladders and following my research at my local Bunnings store, I found a large gap in the variety of hooks and how they can be added to a wall. StoreWALL’s range of hooks is big and its range of heavy duty hooks is impressive. They not only provide hooks for ladders but also for poles, rakes, bikes and even wheel barrows and larger items.
When StoreWALL labels a garage hook as Heavy Duty it means its fitted with the exclusive all-metal CamLok™. This amazing device helps keep accessories locked in place… until you decide to move them. An easy turn of the CamLok and your hook stays in position and it stays in position when you lift your gear or tool off that hook. In addition to CamLok they also feature Soft Touch Covers, durable powder coating and the use of heavy gauge industrial grade steel.
Having lived in my current home for almost 20 years, I like most people have accumulated a wealth of stuff. Amongst this are my prized tools. As the collection has grown so has my endeavour to find new garage tool storage ideas.
Garage tools come in all shapes and sizes. Some are small enough to easily fit into a drawer eg your spanners and screw drivers. But even these can be a struggle as their size grows. They can also be very heavy, so having them all in one drawer is not always the smartest idea.
About 12 months ago, I decided to build my own wall storage space. The wall panel is about 1m x 1m and has a 18cm shelf at the bottom. I added about 6 hooks across the top so that I could hand the longer tools. The shelf has been used to store cans of spray, glue, putty and basically anything that would fit.
It turned out OK in the end but when I discovered the StoreWALL range, I knew my panels were a bit amateur. StoreWALL has better garage tool storage ideas that are not only durable but do more with the space. My wall panel has very little depth outside of the shelf. Tools are also hung vertically using the hooks. The problem with this is that the middle area space is kind of wasted.
StoreWALL has a great range of hooks which come in varied depths. They can hang your garage tools both vertically and horizontally. For $400, I could have ended up with a much stronger and more versatile solution. It’s not only hooks however, StoreWALL has shelves and brackets can be really useful and easy to move around. They come in a range of sizes and depths to assist any garage.
Compare the StoreWALL hook range and see for yourself how it can help with your garage tool storage ideas.
Enjoy Free Shipping on All Orders Over $1200 Free Shipping is built into our Shopping Cart
Excludes orders which include 2.4m panels and some accessories.
Enjoy reduced shipping charges on 2.4m wall panels.
