# beam clamp hanger



## TomCT2 (May 16, 2014)

Got Beam?

my shop is the basement of the house - which came with steel "main" beams.
these are really handy doohickies but the question is how to attach things.

I picked up a batch of beam clamps on Amazon - 25 pcs for same price as 2-3 pcs at the big box store....

looking for a storage solution to (HF) clamps, came up with just slotting a 2x6, pocketing out holes for two beam clamps - using 1/4-20 bolts thru the bottom to hold it to the beam clamp which clamps on the beam proper. 

there's nothing special about this - but I made two mistakes so I'm posting up my booboo's as info to others - things to avoid, as it were....

first - the depth of the slot. the initial bit was just a bit deeper than the bar is wide. this works for 18, 24 and 36 inch clamps. the smaller six inch clamps don't have the right center of gravity and after getting bopped on the head by two of them, I cut the slots deeper. the pix shows how in a shallow slot the short 6" clamps hang at an angle....

the last pix shows the 'double beam depth' for the short clamps.

second - the center to center spacing is 40 mm aka 1.575 inches aka 1-9/16 inches. too close. one tends to knock adjoining clamps loose/down/out.... 50 mm / 2 inches would be much better.


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## woodchux (Jul 6, 2014)

Great idea to use the upper space on the steel beam! Consider cutting an angled (30 degrees?) wood strip, mounting it between the I beam and the 2 x 6, to tip the slotted board so that (perhaps) the clamps slide backward into the slot. Also think about using every other slot to store the clamps. Thanks for sharing, & be safe.


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## TomCT2 (May 16, 2014)

actually I did shave a 2' angle on the top - it's more of a anti-vibration dance off the rack thing - but if it's effective at anything it's not obvious.

I have a project coming up that will generate some 2x6 scrap. at that point I'll remake it with wider spacing.


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## Dodis (Feb 25, 2013)

Another thought to consider, I made some similar clamp racks for my HF collection, and mounted them under each end of my assembly table. My difference is that I load the clamps the opposite way, with the clamp pads towards the back (the beam in your case). 


I also had the problem of them slipping off fairly easily. (but they only got under foot for me) So I just glued an 1/8"x1/2" strip of wood on top so that it sits at the back edge of the slots and the clamp pads can fit over it, keeps them from sliding off easily. And the strips I already had as leftovers from ripping some stock...


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## rcheli1 (May 20, 2017)

Tom
Is there a reason you don't just clamp the clamps to the beam?


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