New tool rack for axes, adzes, and froes

 Many years ago, on a visit to coastal Virginia, my wife and I stopped at both Historic Jamestowne and Jamestown Settlement.  The former is a haunted place, the actual site of the first permanent English settlement in the New World, while the latter is a modern recreation of the fort and associated buildings. Both are amazing places to visit and I highly recommend them.

While at the Settlement, in a barn, I spotted something quite useful.

A useful tool rack from Jamestown Settlement (apologies for the quality.... 2010 cell phone cameras weren't the best).

I then promptly forgot about it for 13 1/2 years. In the process of adding on to my shop, I've been deep cleaning and organizing my old shop. This left me with a pile of axes, adzes, and other associated tools (why did I buy three bisaigues again?!?!) that need a safe, yet accessible, way to display them.

I vaguely remembered a long-forgotten option but had to struggle to remember where I had seen it but eventually I found it in my archive. Some 2x4, a 2x2, some fence staples, and 3/16 steel rod left me with this:

   

These are 1 1/4" fence staples driven into the 4 inch long 2x2 stock (which is what I had on hand). Those are nailed and glued, spaced 2 inches apart, onto the 2x4 backer, which is itself nailed into the framing of the barn. 3/16" metal rod is then routed through the staples to provide an easily removable safety catch to prevent these rather heavy, sharp implements from crashing down on an unsuspecting victim.

I still need to paint this wall and will paint the racks at the same time but I wanted to get the pile of stuff off the floor and up on the wall where they belong. Mission accomplished.