Metal Pegboard Hooks

Here's some of my metal pegboard in my garage. With thought, you can have all you need at your fingertips. Copyright 2017 Tim Carter

Metal Pegboard Hooks TIPS

• Metal pegboard is far superior to old sawdust-and-glue pegboard
• Hooks never come out of metal pegboard
• Many colors available to match your flair
• Countless hooks and accessories available
• CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!
  • This story was featured in Tim's May 8, 2018 Newsletter

DEAR TIM: I've tried and tried to get traditional wood-fiber pegboard to work. No matter what I do, over time the holes in the pegboard enlarge, the hooks and hangers get loose and everything is a mess.

What's more, I'd like a little color in my workshop other than brown. I've seen metal pegboard and wonder if it's really the answer.

What do you use in your workshop and garage? Have you tested a product for years or are you still in the honeymoon phase with something that may fail?

I want to know, “What would Tim do?”

Marsha C., California, MD

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DEAR MARSHA: I can speak to your frustration.

Sawdust With Holes

For decades I struggled with the brown wood-fiber pegboard that undoubtedly exists in millions of garages and basements across the land. I tried every imaginable hook design only to be more frustrated than a major-league batting champion in a deep hitting slump.

I had the good fortune to actually see how the wood-fiber pegboard was made a few years back when I went on a factory tour of a plant that makes the product up on the western shores of Lake Huron in Michigan. I was impressed by the manufacturing process, but not by the end product.

Holes Get Bigger

Some hooks and pegs would work well, but if you grab or hang a tool on the hook frequently the wood fiber holes enlarge and the party's over. Each time you go to grab the tool, the hook might come with it.

Birth of Metal Pegboard

Fortunately, this happened to a man who lived in the South and no doubt he uttered one day, “There must be a better way.” That's when he decided to invent metal pegboard.

Saw It At A Show

I discovered this unique invention just after the year 2000. As you might suspect, I attend many building product and tool shows. The National Hardware show is one of them.

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Secret Location Of Best Products

I discovered long ago after attending a few shows that if you want to discover some of the best new products, you have to go into the bowels of the show. You need to go to the areas where the tiny booths are because the start-up companies can't afford the giant booth spaces on the main show floor.

The tiny 10-foot by 10-foot booths are located off in the corners or in another hall depending on the show venue. These booths are were you find the new companies that often have very unique products.

My Head On A Swivel

Years ago, I was walking down aisle after aisle past countless small 10x10 booths and all of a sudden I saw a small display of metal pegboard. Not only did it have the traditional holes you see in wood fiber, but it also had narrow slots in it too.

It put my head on a swivel and I proceeded to back up and take a look. Thank goodness I did!

Rick The Man

There in the booth was the inventor, Rick Grove. The sign in the booth simply said, Wall Control. What a great name I thought as my tool storage walls were out of control.

My questions to the inventor focused on the narrow slots and the specialized hangers that fit into the these evenly spaced slots.

Metal Pegboard Video

Watch this video of just a small part of my metal pegboard collection.

Clever Hook Design

The special hooks, hangers, shelves, accessories, etc. all had a clever interlocking hook design that ensured the hooks would NEVER pull out of the metal pegboard. You inserted the hook by tilting it and lifting it up.

Super Strong Steel

When you put the rest of the hook into the pegboard and then slid it down ever so slightly, it interlocked into the pegboard. The strength of the metal hook and pegboard made sure it would never fail under the weight of ordinary tools.

Instant Sensation

I knew instantly, as soon as I saw how the hooks interlocked with the pegboard, it was one of those rare inventions that would be a game changer. I knew it would work, so I ordered some immediately and began testing it.

Just as I suspected, it's worked well.

New Colors and Accessories

As the years passed, Rick started to introduce colored panels, more accessories and hooks than you could ever imagine and his product is one of the favorite things in my workshop.

Anyone who comes to my workshop or garage is immediately taken by it.

This is a great starter set of the metal pegboard, hooks and accessories. This is the brand I have in my home. CLICK THE IMAGE NOW TO BUY THIS PEGBOARD.

Use Your Old Hooks

One of the best aspects of the product are the traditional holes that you see in wood-fiber pegboard. If you have an investment in hooks and tool holders that work in your existing wood pegboard, they'll work in the metal pegboard.

You don't have to purchase new hooks and hangers, but once you see how well they do work, I'm willing to wager you'll switch over to the hooks, hangers and shelves that utilize the narrow slots.

Never-Ending Honeymoon

The honeymoon is far from over. Each day I grab or hang a tool on my pegboard, it's like the morning after my wedding day. My metal pegboard is now over fifteen years old and it looks like the day I installed it.

I've reorganized how tools, shelves and bins are stored on the metal pegboard numerous times. I really feel I now have an ideal layout where the things I use most frequently are exactly where I need them.

Constant Flow Of New Products

As you can imagine, I see hundreds of new products each year. Most are ho-hum and only every once in a while do I see a product that makes me wide-eyed like that day in the basement of the National Hardware show.

Get Your Color

If you decide to get the metal pegboard I have, take your time and think about the color you want. Realize you can mix and match the hooks, hangers, shelves and other accessories. You don't have to buy all the same color of everything.

Color coding sections of your pegboard may be a smart way to organize things.

Mix 'N Match

I've discovered it's best to make the hooks and hangers a completely different color than the metal pegboard. That way the hooks and hangers stand out and you can easily place tools on them when the light may be dim in your workshop.

Spring-Loaded Lamp

I've also discovered that spring-loaded desk lamps on articulating arms make fantastic workbench lighting. Although you may choose to use the weighed base that comes with the light, I tend to just drill a one-half-inch hole into the wood top of my work bench and drop the lamp into that hole so the base doesn't get pushed off the workbench.

This is just like the adjustable lamp I have at my workbench, but better. This particular lamp has a magnifying center lens that allows you to enlarge what you're working on. It can come in very handy on certain projects. CLICK THE IMAGE NOW TO BUY THIS LAMP.

This gives me great task lighting and I swing the light out of the way when I don't need it.

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