Where do you clamp your tools?

[Wholemeal Crank]

Trying not to miss any details as I plan the kitchen renovation in my new house: I currently clamp my nut grater, meat grinder, and poppyseed mill, etc

Nut grinder vs poppy seed grinder by debunix, on Flickr

to my slide-out cutting board in my rental kitchen. The board is reasonably sturdy, but to keep it really stable, I only pull it out part way and thus endanger my knuckles against the nearby counter.

In the past, when I had a rental kitchen without such a board, I used a couple of big c-clamps to fix a piece of scrap lumber to my kitchen table, and clamped the tools to that (not wanting to wreck the finish/edge of the kitchen table).

Does anyone have a better idea for a built-in solution to this perpetual kitchen dilemma?

[andiesenji]

You can get a FOLDING kitchen cart with a wooden top. I have one in the shed that I used in the kitchen before I had it remodeled and I have some shop tools clamped to it - a belt sander and a router. The wheels lock so it doesn't move.

In the old kitchen it folded flat enough that it fit between the fridge and the wall.

Edited September 6, 2012 by andiesenji (log)

[Wholemeal Crank]

Very interesting idea, thanks!

[LindaK]

If your kitchen design includes an island or peninsula, you can extend the countertop overhang by a few inches at the end, instead of the usual one inch. That's what I did when I planned my kitchen. It's barely noticable but gives me enough overhang to clamp on my pasta maker. To keep the clamp from damaging my countertops, I simply use a kitchen towel to protect it. Works like a charm.

[Snadra]

If your kitchen design includes an island or peninsula, you can extend the countertop overhang by a few inches at the end, instead of the usual one inch. That's what I did when I planned my kitchen. It's barely noticable but gives me enough overhang to clamp on my pasta maker. To keep the clamp from damaging my countertops, I simply use a kitchen towel to protect it. Works like a charm.

That's what we did when we redid our last kitchen. I also asked the designer to specify that the overhang was a reasonable thickness to ensure the clamp could grip properly. If it had to do it again I would probably get a mix of countertop materials instead of all granite, including a nice, thick wooden countertop just for clamp-y sorts of things.

[Wholemeal Crank]

My countertops will be formica, which is not usually built with edges that are easily clamped by this type of equipment--too thick plus I doubt the plastic fantastic can take it.

From the variety of suggestions here, though, it doesn't seem like there is any sort of 'standard' solution that I just haven't heard of. I'll try to see if we can fit in the slide-out cutting board and keep an eye out for a space for that folding cart to squeeze into as well.

[sparrowgrass]

I have formica counter tops--when I use my apple peeler, I open the dishwasher and clamp the peeler onto the counter over the DW. Works great--I put a box to catch the peelings on the DW door

[Wholemeal Crank]

Hmmm....how thick is the formica at that edge?

[mgaretz]

You could also make yourself something like this: http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=231&categoryCode=CE

[Wholemeal Crank]

Good point. As I recall, my Dad used something like that for some of work, but as I look at it, that requires some clamping itself to be of use.

[mgaretz]

Good point. As I recall, my Dad used something like that for some of work, but as I look at it, that requires some clamping itself to be of use.

I'd put some suction cups on the bottom to hold it to the Formica.

The other alternative is to get new tools that don't require clamping, like a burr grinder and meat grinder attachment for a mixer.

[andiesenji]

I can advise one thing NOT to do. My neighbor has Corian countertops with a "breakfast bar" peninsula with a generous overhand at one end. She used that to clamp on a hefty old fashioned meat grinder. She pulled the metal pan full of ground meat out from under the grinder and as she turned, did not lift it high enough to clear the grinder. The force of the blow cracked off an 8" x 10" chunk off the corner. The cost to grind and refinish the broken end (not replace it) was $175.00, plus the cost of replacing three ceramic tiles on the floor that were cracked by the impact of the grinder and the chunk of Corian...

[Wholemeal Crank]

Gotcha, no clamping super heavy stuff right onto the Formica right away!

I'm not hearing of any super clever new options that would require me to revise the basic plans at this point, so I'll go ahead with making sure I get a nice sturdy pull-out breadboard built in now. If I Fung something super clever later, I am going to have to do this in two phases anyway (can't afford the cabinetry I'd really like to have everywhere just yet).