Ultimate Pegboard Guide: How to Improve Your DIY Game With a Pegboard

How this nifty tool organization and storage solution can take your DIY hobby game to the next level.

Tools are at the very heart of any DIY endeavor. From soldering and 3D printer maintenance to miniature painting and kitbashing, having the right tools at hand can make or break your experience.

If you find yourself spending more time rummaging through your tools instead of going about your craft efficiently, you are better off installing a pegboard. Let’s find out how this modular tool organization aid can make your life easier.

A pegboard is a thin sheet (typically fashioned out of wood, plastic, or metal) dotted with holes in a grid pattern. These holes are uniformly spaced along rows and columns, which allows hooks, shelves, and assorted holders to be attached for tool holding and storage. The inherently modular nature of a pegboard and the ease of reconfiguration make it a versatile tool storage solution.

But why should you bother with one, if you already have cabinets and drawers for the same purpose?

For starters, pegboards are indispensable if you want quick access to a set of tools. Nothing kills productivity more than rummaging through a cabinet to find the right plier, spanner, or screwdriver in the middle of a project. A pegboard positioned within arm’s reach of your workbench provides instant access to oft-used tools.

It also allows the equipment to be stored in the open, which is a great way to prevent rust formation associated with poorly ventilated cabinets.

The correct answer would be all the hobbies, but the benefit scales better with complicated tasks. At the most basic level, a pegboard increases your efficiency by keeping your tools organized and easily accessible. However, its innate modularity allows you to free up precious workbench space by moving oft-used items onto the pegboard.

Making custom keyboard cables? Mount spools housing USB cables, solder wire, shrink wrap, and sheathing materials such as paracord or Techflex onto the pegboard. This not only saves bench space but also cuts down time and effort by streamlining your workflow.

Any hobby that uses a multitude of specialized tools (like these must-have maker tools) and assorted raw materials, such as electronics or custom jewelry, will benefit from a pegboard’s customized tool organization.

Pegboard choice varies by the material of the sheet and the size of the mounting holes. Both of these factors are governed by the size and weight of the tools you wish to mount. The choice of materials primarily comes down to wood, plastic, and metal.

Wood is the most common pegboard material, and has the widest range of mounting hooks, shelves, and storage accessories. While we wouldn’t fault you for assuming such pegboards are fashioned out of real hardwood, an overwhelming majority of mass-produced examples are manufactured using some form of fiberboard. For hanging heavier tools, it’s wiser to use plywood over flimsier wood composites like foil-laminated particle board.

Light-duty applications, on the other hand, benefit from plastic pegboards. These are mass-manufactured cheaply and are perfect for mounting small tools in tight spaces. Plastic, as a material, works best in outdoor applications where water ingress and excessive humidity is expected.

Metal pegboards (pictured above) are best for organizing heavier and larger tools. Unfortunately, the varying thickness of the sheet metal across different metal pegboards leads to a lack of standardization in the mounting hooks. This might lock you into mounting accessories sold by the pegboard supplier.

The size of the mounting holes is another important consideration. The distance between mounting holes is standardized to 1 inch for all modern pegboards. The size of the holes themselves, however, is restricted to 1/4 inch, 3/16 inch, and 1/8 inch. Larger diameters make for sturdier mounting accessories, which in turn support heavier tools.

Be sure to double-check the diameter of mounting holes before investing in a pegboard and mounting accessories. On the extreme end of the spectrum, IKEA pegboards (pictured below) have their own proprietary mounting system that locks you into their mounting accessory ecosystem.

Once you have the mounting hole compatibility figured out, choosing the appropriate mounting accessories is down to the size and weight of the tool. J-hooks are the most common pegboard mounting accessory and are ideal for hanging small tools such as spanners, pliers, scissors, rulers, or rather anything that can be hooked in place.

Larger tools are best attached to straight hooks. Two or more of these elongated mounting accessories can also support heavier power tools. Meanwhile, double straight hooks feature an additional mounting point to improve the load-bearing capacity. The ample length of these hooks also makes them ideal for hanging multiple tools of the same type.

In addition to hooks, specialized mounting accessories can take the form of cups and shelves for storing anything from paintbrushes to assorted knickknacks. These can range from roll holders for dispensing paper towels and solder wire to bungee cords for fastening irregularly shaped equipment.

The limitless customization enabled by 3D printing works wonders in conjunction with an active community of hobbyists who make nifty mounting accessories available for free on popular 3D printing communities. Everything from battery dispensers and screwdriver bit holders to digital multimeter and dial caliper mounts customized for popular models is a quick search away on Thingiverse or alternative sites hosting 3D printing files.

The options are limitless for those who are familiar with 3D modeling. Designing custom mounts and holders for your specific tools and making accessories to optimize your particular hobby unlocks the true organizational potential of your pegboard. In most cases, you can also easily modify existing designs to fit your tools.

For those who partake in any DIY hobby, the many benefits of pegboards far outweigh the small investment in time and money this tool storage and organizational solution entails. A neat, decluttered workbench and the improved efficiency enabled by having your tools within reach are quite likely to change your outlook on your hobby for the best.

If you have some spare wood and the right tools (drill, saw, measuring tape, etc.) then making your own pegboard can cost you nothing but a bit of time. You can add it to the list of DIY projects to beat the weekend boredom. To compare this to the cost of a store-bought pegboard, they start around $20 and go up in price depending on the size and material.

Yes, a pegboard needs some space behind it so that the pegs don't hit the wall when they are inserted. Store-bought pegboards should have this clearance built into the design. If you're mounting your own pegboard, make sure there is about a 1/2 inch between the board and the wall. Alternatively, you can insert a peg into the board and measure the exact distance you need.

The thickness of a pegboard should be determined by the kinds of things you are hanging. If you plan to hang heavy tools then you need a board that is thicker to support the weight. A 1/4 inch thickness is a good place to start, but it's equally important to check that the pegboard material is also going to withstand the weight. If you only need to hang small and lightweight bits, like 3D-printed organizers, you can go for a thinner board.

Nachiket has covered diverse technology beats ranging from video games and PC hardware to smartphones and DIY over a career spanning 15 years. Some say that his DIY articles serve as an excuse to pass off his 3D printer, custom keyboard, and RC addiction as “business expenses” to the wife.