Build it | Clothes Rack

Any place that lacks adequate closet space, such as a laundry, basement, dorm room, or rental apartment, would be a good fit for this clothes rack. Designed to be put together—and taken apart—easily, it could be used to hold coats when company visits, then stowed away when the party’s over, though it’s handsome enough to keep on display, too.

Maple is the perfect vehicle for Tom’s streamlined design, with its high strength-to-weight ratio, but the knockdown fasteners used to attach the hanger rod and shelf to the crossed legs are the hidden stars of this project. Unlike screws that loosen each time they’re driven in and out, threaded inserts and furniture bolts create rock-solid connections and are easy to put in and take out as often as needed without any loss of holding power.

The hardware isn’t difficult to install, but there are a couple of tricks. “The key is drilling the right-size hole and keeping the insert perpendicular to the wood while screwing it in,” says Tom. Here’s how the pieces come together.

Cut List

Cut the following items to size using the miter saw, and table saw:

• 4 – 68″ 1-1/2 x 3/4″ full length of A-frame
• 2 – 36 1/2″ 1-1/2 x 3/4″ Frame – Shoe Rack length
• 5 – 33 3/8″ 1-1/2 x 3/4″ interior Shoe Rack slats
• 2 – 18 1/2″ 1-1/2 x 3/4″ frame – Shoe Rack width
• 2 – 36 1/2″ 1-1/2 x 1 1/2″ Pole connecting frame at top

Step-by-Step Instructions for Building a DIY Clothing Rack

1. Cut the pieces to size. Referring to the cut list at thisoldhouse.com, use a table saw to rip all the parts to width, then use a miter saw to cut the long rails, cross- pieces, and slats to length. (Note: Leave the legs and hanger bar a few inches longer than their final dimensions.)
2. Make matching legs. Stack and then wrap the four leg pieces together with painter’s tape. Mark center points at 85⁄8 and 567⁄8 inches from the top, and draw a perpendicular line across the leg at 651⁄2 inches. Next, using a square scrap of wood as a guide, as shown, drill 1⁄4-inch holes through all four legs. Adjust the miter saw to a 10-degree angle, and cut the legs at the bottom measurement.
3. Make the mortises. Using a mortiser, or a shop-made jig and a plunge router (see Tip), cut the mortises in the rails, crosspieces, and slats.
4. Lay out the mortises. Referring to the illustration (opposite), use a square to mark the mortises in the shelf’s slats, rails, and crosspieces for loose tenons. This includes centered mortises on the ends of the crosspieces and slats, five mortises spaced 3 inches apart on the inside faces of the crosspieces, and two mortises on the inside face of each rail, 13⁄16 inches from the ends.
5. Install the shelf slats. Dry-fit the slats in the crosspieces, then apply glue to the mortises, insert loose tenons into a crosspiece, and insert the slats. Repeat with the other crosspiece, making sure that the mortises on both crosspieces are in the same orientation. If the parts start to stick, you can use a hammer and a block of wood to knock them into alignment before cinching the bar clamps.
6. Complete the shelf. Apply glue, insert loose tenons, and join the cross- pieces to the shelf’s front and back rails. Position a pair of clamps across the cross- pieces and another pair across the rails. To check the shelf for square, measure from corner to corner and adjust the clamps until the measurements are equal.
7. Make the hanger rod. Glue and clamp two 11⁄2-by-40-inch pieces face-to-face. When dry, rip the piece to create a 1-by-11⁄4-inch rod. Using a router equipped with a 1⁄2-inch roundover bit and a 11⁄4-inch-wide scrap of wood to keep the tool from tipping, rout the four corners to soften the edges. Use a miter saw to cut the hanger rod to length.
8. Install the threaded inserts. Using a 25⁄64-inch bit, drill 1-inch-deep centered holes in the ends of the hanger bar and shelf rails. To drive the threaded inserts, Tom applied downward pressure with a screwdriver while Kevin spun the insert with an open-ended wrench. (For a power-tool alternative, see Tip.)
9. Finish and assemble the rack. Disassemble the rack, sand all parts with 220 grit, and then apply paint or the finish of your choice. Once dry, fasten the shelf to the legs with the short furniture bolts, making sure the shelf is facing up and the beveled bottom end of each leg is facing inward. Finally, align the through holes at the tops of the legs and attach the hanger bar with the two long furniture bolts.

Materials

• Six 3⁄4-by-4-by-72- inch maple boards
• 14 loose tenons
• Six 1⁄4-20 threaded inserts for hardwood
• Two 1⁄4-20-by-11⁄4- inch furniture bolts
• Four 1⁄4-20-by-21⁄4- inch furniture bolts
• 220-grit sanding pads
• Furniture bolts
• Threaded inserts (and hex nuts sized for the bolts)
• Wood glue
• Painter’s tape
• Paint or other wood finish

Tools