Fitting Clarke tool rack to garage block wall

[JONXLR8]

I'm after a bit of advice please. I've picked up a Clarke tool rack and want to fit it to my block garage wall which has an electrical socket and trunking on it, so it needs to be spaced off the wall to clear the trunking.

Three out of the four steel rack panels have hanging points on the back of them, so the one without the hanging points can sit in the third position over the conduit and they can all be connected to each other on their vertical edges.

Should I fit three battens to the wall vertically, and attach each panel to that? Or should I fit two battens and then an MDF or similar board to them, and then the rack to the MDF board?

The latter I would imagine would give me more options for a sturdier fixing to hang the rack on to in terms of thickness of material to drill into, and perhaps make it easier to align the fixing positions by allowing me to fit it to the board in advance of it going on the wall.

Or am I overthinking this and there's a much simpler way I've not thought of?

Thanks in advance.

 

[conny]

I'd go for the two battens and plywood board. MDF is fibrous and not very good for strength when it comes to heavy items.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Three out of the four steel rack panels have hanging points on the back of them, so the one without the hanging points can sit in the third position over the conduit and they can all be connected to each other on their vertical edges.

Three vertical battens should do it, but it will all have to be very carefully measured, and it will be very tricky to hang, because you need to have it bolted together first, before trying to offer it up to the keyhole slots - blind.

I don't like the idea of using the MDF, because I always wary of weight, attached to something, which itself is attached to something else. The more direct the fixing, the better.

 

[JONXLR8]

I'd go for the two battens and plywood board. MDF is fibrous and not very good for strength when it comes to heavy items.

Thanks. I've got some spare large tongue and groove chipboard panels. Would a cut of that be good enough do you think?

 

[conny]

Better than MDF by a country mile. Make sure the screws are long enough to go at least 1/2 to 3/4 in.
You can buy chipboard screws rather than standard wood screws if you wish.

 

[JONXLR8]

but it will all have to be very carefully measured, and it will be very tricky to hang

That's what's putting me off that option, because of the risk of misalignment.

You can buy chipboard screws

Great, sounds like a plan

 

[robinbanks]

I think I'd just cut a slot in the top and bottom of the folded back edge leaf of one of the panels, the width of the trunking, and bridge the trunk with the panel

Perhaps wouldn't worry too much about lining holes up either; with the panel offered up to the wall, mark through the screw holes with a sharpie, zap a 7mm hole in with an SDS and wind a concrete screw in with the panel offered up again

 

[conny]

If they are 4 individual panels, I would consider putting them up as 2 either side of the trunking, direct onto the wall using suitable coach bolts into plugs. You just need to draw a level horizontal datum line for the top edge of the panels, site one of them on the line next to the trunking. Mark were the outer edge of the panel is. Measure where the panel fixing holes are and mark them on the wall from the datum line. Fit plugs and screw/coach bolts into plugs and hang panel. Test fit the panel. If all correct, repat measurements for second panel and repeat. Repeat fir other boards always using the datum line as the measurement point.
This will keep the panels against the wall, thereby saving unnecessary projection outwards.

Do not just screw into concrete blocks without some form of raw plug. They will work loose over time.

 

[JONXLR8]

I think I'd just cut a slot in the top and bottom of the folded back edge leaf of one of the panels, the width of the trunking, and bridge the trunk with the panel

Unfortunately the trunking is deeper than the metal panels, which is why I need to project them off the wall.

If they are 4 individual panels, I would consider putting them up as 2 either side of the trunking, direct onto the wall using suitable coach bolts into plugs.
This will keep the panels against the wall, thereby saving unnecessary projection outwards.

Unfortunately I haven't got the width available to do that. I've only got about 10mm to play with in width due to some cabinets and shelving either side which I don't plan on moving. This is why I need to get over the trunking.
The projection would actually be beneficial in this case as what you can't see on the photo is a workbench type arrangement below the socket, so if they were flush I'd have to reach a little bit further to get the tools. Not a major thing either way though.

 

[big-all]

the easiest way is behind the trunking iff easing off the wall enough is not possible can you not cut to slide in each side ??

 

[robinbanks]

Unfortunately the trunking is deeper than the metal panels

Ok, if you've no appetite for removing or flattening a section of trunking, perhaps 4 horizontal battens two at the top either side of the trunking, two at the bottom. Battens deeper than the trunking, and top-to-top spacing between them exactly the same distance as the top-to-top distance between the two mount points.
Zap battens to wall with 7mm drill bit and concrete screws, and then you can mount the panels by offering up and screwing through the keyhole in the front panel to the slot in the mount point

You'll note that the keyholes in the front panel are the other way up than the keyhole in the mount point. No need to put the screws in then mess about trying to get the mount point key gole circle end lined up with the screw head and slide down; just align with batten then apply screw - screw head and driver bit will fit though the hole in the front of the panel

 

[foxhole]

Two batten horizontal , fix all panel together and lay batons across fixing points to mark out.
Fix batons to wall level and all fixing points should align perfectly .

 

[JONXLR8]

Finally got round to fitting this tool rack. I went for the horizontal battens and flange headed screws to hold the rack onto them. Seems to have worked well as it feels solid. Thanks for the advice all.

 

[conny]

Is that a split or a pencil line in the top left batten?

 

[big-all]

thanks for the feed back glad it went well the feed back makes it all worth it