Reworking the clamp wall

For a number of years I have been building up my clamp wall. The wall is made from concrete blocks and I have simply screwed the shop made clamp racks to it. Over time the wall has got fuller and fuller to which point I needed a change. The white paint on the blocks had become lightly coated with wood dust, as happens in a wood shop, so I had the idea of getting 3 - 4' x 8' sheets of 18mm (3/4") OSB to line the walls.

Organised and fairly tidy

But could do with improvement

A delivery of OSB3 was made a few days ago and I cut them to the right length with my tracksaw. Then it was a simple matter of standing each of them upright and screwing them to the wall using masonry screws. Any load hung on the boards would be partially transferred to the concrete floor and any turning moment would be compensated for by the screws.

A few hours later and the wall was lined with OSB. I then set to work on the wiring. There is an existing double socket for the computer and an existing fused switched outlet for the radiant panel heater. I routed the wiring to suit the required position of the devices.



Then it was a simple matter of re-organising my clamps and other tools. I reused my shop made clamp racks and all was done in a few more hours.

Wide angle lens tends to distort the image

Referring to the finished photograph from left to right:
1

• Chisel and small tools rack
• Workbench

2

• Wall hanging plane cabinet
• Shop sound system in cabinet
• Combination spanners (wrenches)
• White panel is a electrically power radiant panel for heating

3

• Bessey 600mm parallel clamps
• Long steel rules
• Tape holders

4

• Bessey lightweight parallel clamps
• Spokeshaves

5

• Large parallel clamps
• Small F clamps
• Larger F clamps
• Edge guides
• Shop PC in dust tight enclosure with filtration system for cooling

6

• Edge of floorstanding wood rack

The addition of the OSB to the walls has made it slightly warmer and also improved the noise absorption in the shop. There are now less acoustically reflective surfaces so noise levels have decreased.