Stud Buddies: Buddies in Storage

You may remember, from your more scholarly days, the concept of “study buddies.” Now that you’re a grown woodworker – with all the tools strewn across your shop to prove it – it’s the Stud Buddy that’s ready to lend you a hand.The only thing these nifty little shelves require to get your space organized is upright studs. They can support chisels, finishing supplies, dust masks … those pesky things like lawnmower oil that other members of the household insist you keep in your gara–I mean, your shop! … from their position on the wall between 2×4 or 2×6 studs. If you want to add additional space, you can install a line of them across studs with the use of a single screw on the shared upright where the Stud Buddy shelves overlap.

Made of 18-gauge galvanized steel, the Stud Buddy shelves are rated to 45 pounds. Each shelf itself weighs 1.5 pounds. A 1/4″ clearance off the back wall and sides allows for inconsistencies in stud construction, while a 3″ protrusion optimizes your storage area.

“To some degree, everybody’s garage or storage area can use some organization,” said Dwight Knechtel, president of Stud Buddy, and these shelving units take advantage of otherwise lost storage space between the studs.

Installation is easy, too: according to the instructions, all you need is an electric drill, and you’ll be done in less than 30 seconds. (They also say that you can use a level, too, but it’s optional…but, really, be a real woodworker and use the level.)

The Stud Buddy shelves come in different sizes, and you can check out these, as well as the pricing that varies accordingly, on their web site at www.studbuddy.com