DIY Garden Tool Organiser

How do you build a garden tool organiser with no power tools?

Long-handled garden tools are awkward to store because they have no flat surfaces. This rack solves it with pine, PVC pipe and glue: cut 30 cm lengths of 50 mm PVC pipe, split each on a 45 degree angle to make two holders, glue the halves to a back board and a base board with Selleys Hold Up, then mount the finished racks to the wall with more Hold Up. A hand saw and a mitre box are the only cutting tools needed.

Two adhesives do two different jobs here, and it is worth being clear about which is which. Selleys Aquadhere Exterior joins the timber-to-timber corner of the base, because a PVA gives a strong, clamped wood joint. Selleys Hold Up sticks PVC to timber and timber to the wall, because a PVA will not bond plastic to timber or hold anything on a vertical face.

What you need

• 3 × pine timber, 89 mm × 19 mm × 1.8 m
• PVC pipe, 50 mm × 3 m
• Selleys Hold Up
• Selleys Aquadhere Exterior
• Hand saw and mitre box
• Clamps
• Pencil, tape measure and spirit level

Measuring and preparation

Plan the layout first by laying the garden tools on the ground. Space them evenly with a small gap between each so the finished rack looks neat and the tools do not foul each other.

Lay one piece of timber across the middle of the tools and another across the bottom, making sure the two pieces line up — you do not want the top and bottom timber to end up offset from each other, because the pipe holders have to line up vertically for a tool handle to drop into both.

With a pencil, mark where each tool crosses the timber.

Cutting the holders

1. Using the hand saw and mitre box, cut a 30 cm long piece of PVC pipe for each tool.
2. Mark the middle of each pipe piece — 15 cm from either end — with a pencil.
3. Again with the hand saw and mitre box, cut each piece of pipe in two halves on a 45 degree angle.

Each 30 cm pipe gives you two holders, one for the back board and one for the base, and the 45 degree cut is what lets the handle sit at an angle rather than straight up.

The glue up

1. Make the base. Glue two pieces of timber at right angles using Selleys Aquadhere Exterior. Clamp the pieces together and set aside for 12 hours while the glue dries.
2. Attach the pipes to the back board. Take the third piece of timber, which will be the back of the rack. Apply long beads of Selleys Hold Up to the back of the PVC pipe halves and attach them to the timber, evenly spaced. Set aside to cure.
3. Attach the pipes to the base. Repeat for the remaining pipe halves, attaching them to the base timber and making sure they line up with the pipes on the back piece.

Why the two glues, and what their numbers mean

Aquadhere Exterior is a cross-linking PVA that produces bonds stronger than most woods and is weatherproof. Its data sheet gives a clamp time of 30 minutes for softwoods and 1 hour for hardwoods, with maximum strength attained in 24 hours — longer in cold, damp conditions or with dense timbers. Pine is a softwood, so 30 minutes is the minimum clamp; the guide's 12 hours is a comfortable margin that also lets you get on with the pipes. Apply it liberally to one surface only, and wipe off excess with a damp cloth while it is still wet.

Hold Up is the adhesive that bonds unlike materials and holds on vertical surfaces. It skins in about 45 minutes, is adjustable for up to 15 minutes, and cures in at least 48 hours. It works on most materials including timber, metals, some plastics, glass, masonry, tiles and ceramics — but not on polyethylene, polypropylene or PTFE. Standard 50 mm PVC pipe is polyvinyl chloride, not one of those three, but if your pipe is a different plastic, check before you glue.

Fastening the tool racks to the wall

1. Mark on the wall where you want the tool racks to go, using a spirit level to make sure they are not slanting.
2. Apply Selleys Hold Up in vertical beads to the back of the tool rack and press it onto the wall, making sure the adhesive spreads.
3. Allow 48 hours for the adhesive to achieve full strength before putting tools into the racks.

The 48 hour figure is the published cure time, not a suggestion. Hold Up holds up to 240 kg/m² from the tube or 360 kg/m² from the 290 mL cartridge on vertical surfaces — but only once cured, and only across the area the beads actually cover. Loading a rack full of spades and rakes at 24 hours is the reliable way to end up with them on the floor.

Limitations and cautions

• Hold Up is not for polyethylene, polypropylene or PTFE, or some rubbers.
• Hold Up is water resistant but not for permanent water immersion. A rack on a shed wall is fine; one that sits in a puddle is not.
• The bond must not be disturbed for at least 48 hours, and longer in cold or dry conditions or where both surfaces are non-porous.
• Sound surfaces only. Make sure the wall is clean and free from grease, grit and grime, and sand back any loose or peeling paint before you stick anything to it.
• Aquadhere Exterior is not for joints under constant high stress, or for below-waterline applications and continuous submersion. It will also stain brown or black if contaminated with rust or in the presence of tannins in many woods, so keep iron and steel out of it.

Clean up

Clean Hold Up up immediately with white spirits or turps before it cures. Uncured Aquadhere Exterior comes off with water; cured product has to be sanded or scraped.

Common questions about the garden tool organiser

Do I need power tools?

No. A hand saw and a mitre box cut both the pine and the PVC.

How long should the pipe pieces be?

30 cm each, cut in half on a 45 degree angle through the midpoint at 15 cm. Each piece gives you two holders.

Why do the back and base pipes have to line up?

Because a tool handle drops through both. If the top and bottom timbers are offset, or the pipes do not align, the tools will not sit straight.

Why two different adhesives?

Aquadhere Exterior is a PVA for the timber-to-timber joint at the base — it needs clamping and gives a very strong wood bond. Hold Up bonds PVC to timber and holds the finished rack on a vertical wall, which a PVA cannot do.

How long do I clamp the timber corner?

The guide says 12 hours. The Aquadhere Exterior data sheet gives a minimum clamp time of 30 minutes for softwoods and 1 hour for hardwoods, with maximum strength at 24 hours.

How long before I can hang tools on it?

48 hours after mounting to the wall.

How much weight will the wall mount hold?

Up to 240 kg/m² from the tube or 360 kg/m² from the cartridge on vertical surfaces, across the bonded area. Run the beads across the full back of the rack rather than a few dabs.

Will Hold Up stick to PVC?

It bonds some plastics, but not polyethylene, polypropylene or PTFE. Check what your pipe is before you glue, and test on an offcut if you are unsure.

Can I put this rack outside?

Both adhesives are rated for outdoor use — Hold Up is heat, UV and water resistant, and Aquadhere Exterior is weatherproof. Neither is for permanent immersion, so keep the rack off the ground and out of standing water.

Can I straighten the rack after pressing it on the wall?

Yes, Hold Up is adjustable for up to 15 minutes.

How do I clean up the excess?

White spirits or turps for Hold Up, before it cures. Water for wet Aquadhere.

Can I make it wider for more tools?

Yes — cut more pipe holders and space them evenly along longer timbers. Lay the tools out on the ground first to get the spacing right.