Workshop
Askew /adjective/ - not in a straight or level position.
One scrap of wood, a few holes, and thirty minutes were all it took to solve one of the workshop's smallest, but most persistent, annoyances.
This is one of those goofy little posts that I do from time to time... you know - some seemingly insignificant little project with meager impact on life here at 173. And while all that's true, it's also true that these little ditties gave me an hour or two in the shop, and fulfilled some little duty! Let's get into it!
The Thing About Pegboards
I love pegboard. Hanging pegboard in the workshop was one of the best things I've ever done down there in terms of storage and esthetics.
But with all the storage options like those little wire style hangers that you put into the pegboard they just never seem to be just what you're looking for. Okay, maybe not never, but there's always that one piece or two that you just wish you had something different. And that's the thing about pegboards.
What makes this post particularly enjoyable is your humor. The recurring use of askew becomes a running joke that carries the story from beginning to end, and the exaggerated seriousness with which you attack crooked screwdrivers is genuinely funny. At the same time, there's useful information here for readers looking for inexpensive pegboard organization ideas. - Alvin Ingram
That's one of the reasons I've grown to appreciate homemade shop fixtures. Store-bought pegboard accessories are designed to work reasonably well for everyone, but shop-made versions can be built to work perfectly for the tools you actually own. Over the years, I've found that some of my favorite workshop improvements have come from leftover scraps of wood and thirty minutes of tinkering rather than something purchased off the shelf.
Borrowing an Idea from the Block Plane Shelf
It kinda started with this block plane I'd had since maybe August or September of '22 and finally got around to giving it a good cleanup back in March.
In the meantime, the plane had been living in a space above the small parts storage rack...
But I wanted to have a spot over the bench to store it...no idea why, but that's what I wanted. I'd seen a brilliant way to add some light shelving to the pegboard so I thought I'd give it a shot.
Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. - George S. Patton
After cutting a scrap piece of wood to the size I wanted...
I inserted a couple L-hooks in the back of the board, and beveled the top back edge of the board to give it space to tilt the hooks into their holes on the pegboard.
This little shelf became the natural habitat of my little block plane.
Why Crooked Screwdrivers Drove Me Crazy
I’m not that fussy of a guy. I mean, I do like things to be orderly, but I’m not a nut about it. My career has been an absolute organized chaos for the last 15+ years, and I’m completely okay with that. As far as the workshop is concerned, I’m generally ok if things are in their proper place so I can find them when I want them – I hate having to look all over the shop just to find a certain tool.
If you’ve been following 173 for a while you may have noticed the workbench looking a bit sloppy, that’s usually the case when I’m mid project. But there are some things that just drive me nuts, one of them being when my screwdrivers are in their proper place, but the storage accessory just doesn’t keep them straight. Look in this next picture, can you see it?
Askew! The screwdrivers are askew! And no matter how carefully I put a screwdriver in its place, they eventually go, yeah you guessed it – askew! I’ve even changed the pegboard accessory a couple times and – askew! Something had to be done.
For whatever reason, and completely out of the blue, I had a compelling notion that now was the time to eliminate the insidious mental impact of screwdrivers gone askew. I spent a minute or two considering my options, then I remembered the block plane shelf.
Without frugality none can be rich, and with it very few would be poor. - Samuel Johnson
Building the Rack
So I cut out a length of scrap wood, and marked out two rows (I figured why not properly store a few more than my everyday Stanley screwdrivers, which have been my primary screwdrivers since 1997 or ’98)...
Once it was all marked out, I used a 3/8" drill bit, just big enough for a slot screwdriver to fit through.
Then a couple minutes on the drill press…
A few random workshop posts!
✤ A couple minor workshop updates - February 2022
✤ From Harbor Freight, my very first anvil - January 2023
✤ Salvaging a small parts storage chest - August 2021
✤ Finally! A Craftsman tool chest - January 2023
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
And here's a few Homemade Tools posts!
And, like with the plane rack, I beveled the back edge of the shelf so it could be positioned onto the pegboard, and then I screwed the L-hooks in after pre-drilling. And now we have a screwdriver shelf that would keep them from being....being....askew!
Done And In Its Natural Habitat
And just like that - at the spur of the moment and with about a half hour, and a $0 investment, my main screwdrivers can be stored in the proper position - NOT askew! And here's the new storage rack in its natural habitat:
And that's the long telling of a short tale - thank you so much for stopping by. See ya' next time!
This made me laugh because you somehow turned crooked screwdrivers into the villain of the story. The repeated use of 'askew' could have become a gimmick, but instead it becomes the heartbeat of the post. Every time the word appears, it lands a little funnier because the reader knows exactly what's bothering you. That's good storytelling—taking something ridiculously small and treating it with complete seriousness.What I also appreciate is that you never pretend this is a groundbreaking invention. Right from the beginning you admit it's one of those 'goofy little posts,' and that honesty is part of your charm. House 173 has never been about spectacular projects every week. Sometimes it's about spending half an hour making the workshop a little more pleasant to work in, and somehow those are often the posts I remember most. They feel real because they're the kinds of improvements every homeowner or hobbyist eventually makes without anyone else ever noticing.By the end, I found myself nodding in agreement: yes, the screwdrivers look much better. More importantly, I understood why it mattered to you. That's what good writing does—it convinces readers to care about something they never realized they cared about before. - The Writer
Frequently Asked Questions
Why build a custom screwdriver rack instead of buying one?
A homemade rack costs almost nothing, fits your exact collection of screwdrivers, and can be customized for your pegboard layout.
What wood works best for a pegboard screwdriver rack?
Almost any scrap hardwood or softwood works well. Since the rack supports hand tools rather than heavy equipment, strength requirements are modest.
Why drill two rows of holes?
Two rows allow storage for more screwdrivers while keeping handles separated and easy to grab.
Can homemade pegboard accessories be stronger than store-bought ones?
Often, yes. Homemade accessories can be built specifically for your tools and workspace, making them more stable and practical than generic pegboard hooks.
Why bevel the back edge?
The bevel provides clearance so the L-hooks can tilt into the pegboard and seat securely.
What's the biggest benefit of organizing hand tools?
Good organization saves time, reduces frustration, and makes projects more enjoyable because tools are always where you expect them to be.
Keywords
DIY screwdriver rack, pegboard organization, workshop storage, pegboard ideas, scrap wood projects, DIY workshop, screwdriver holder, homemade tool storage, shop organization, woodworking shop, House 173