DIY Network

Hanging Rack, Nesting Boxes Turn an unsightly pile into storage with style. From "Wasted Spaces" episode DWSP-210

(Continued from page 1)

With the ledger board in place, Cynthia and Karl build the mounting box that will form the body of the oversized hanging rack. They use gudgeons, pintels, dowels and PVC pipe to create large swivel hangers, then bring the pieces inside for assembly.

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Building the Rack

Figure A

• Using the dimensions of the ledger board as a guide, sketch out the design for the mounting box that will fit over the ledger board and hold the swivel hangers.

• Set the blade on a compound miter saw to 45 degrees. These mitered edges on the plywood sides of the box will create tight, strong joints.

• Measure and cut the pieces for the mounting box from birch plywood (figure A).

  Safety Alert: Always wear safety glasses and use caution when working with a miter saw or any power tool.

• Assemble the box using wood glue and nails. Use extreme caution and wear safety glasses if working with a nail gun; these powerful tools can drive nails through wood – or hands or feet – instantly.

• The front of the box will need to be extra-strong to hold the weight of the hanging items. To reinforce it, measure the inside of the box front. Set the compound miter saw to 90 degrees (a straight cut), and cut a piece of plywood to fit snugly inside the box. Secure this piece in place with wood glue and nails.
  

  	Figure B
  	Figure C
  	Figure D

• Use wood filler to smooth the outside joints of the box. Let the filler cure according to the package instructions.

• Sand, prime and paint the box as desired (figure B).

• Once the paint has dried, position the gudgeons on the front of mounting box. Make a pencil mark through the holes in the gudgeons, remove the gudgeons and drill holes at the marks. Put the gudgeons back in place and use a socket wrench to secure them with bolts, nuts and washers.

  Tip: If you have trouble finding gudgeons and pintles at your home improvement store, try a marine supply store or online vendor.

• Screw the pintels into the ends of thick wooden dowels. These dowels will support the weight of hanging items.

• Measure the width of the items to hang from the rack and cut lengths of PVC pipe to that measurement. The pipe should be wide enough to slide over the dowels.

• Attach clamps to the pieces of PVC pipe to hold large items that could slip off the hangers (figure C). To do this, drill a hole through the handle of a clamp, and a corresponding holt through the pipe. Insert a machine screw through the hole from the inside of the pipe, then through the clamp. Secure with a washer and nut. Repeat this process for the other clamps.

  Tip: If you don’t have a magnetic screwdriver, run the end of a regular screwdriver over a magnet several times to magnetize it. This will make it easier to drive the screw.

• Fit the box over the ledger board already mounted on the wall. Drive three screws through the top of the box into the ledger board to secure it.

• Set the pintles into the gudgeons and slip the PVC pipe sections over the dowels to complete the assembly (figure D).

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