DIY Network

Door Knob Hat Rack From "From Junky to Funky" episode DFJF-103

The designers--David Beaupre, Samantha Gleisten and Michael Spatafora--have met the homeowners and now have a plan to design a '40s style dining room that is functional and one that will display items that they love. In this segment, an old door is transformed into a functional piece of art that will be displayed in their newly designed dining room.

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The designers had fun using this old door to create a hat rack, which doubles as beautiful artwork for the room.

Materials:

Old wooden panel door (with knob and plate)
3 vintage door knobs and plates
Sand paper
Wood stain
Steel wool
Metal cleaner
Solder
Torch
Plywood
Screws
Wood glue
Polyurethane
Circular saw
Drill
Brushes

	Figure A
	Figure B

Note: Doors with five or six horizontal panels work the best for this particular project (figure A).

1. Unscrew the doorknob plate and remove the doorknob from the found door.

2. Clean using steel wool, brass or metal cleaner.

3. Clamp the door to the table, and then cut four inches off the bottom of the door using a circular saw. Some doors have a bit more length at the bottom for a kick plate, so this will help center the design of the whole piece.

4. If the door is still too long, consider cutting off one full panel to create a shorter, more manageable piece.

5. Sand down raw edges and imperfections.

6. Cut 4-5 4" x 6" squares of 1/2" (or depth of panels) plywood.

7. Screw and glue plywood to back of door behind panels for the doorknobs to screw into.

8. Solder the knobs (figure B) into the holes of the plates using flux and making sure the areas to be soldered are clean. Let cool; the metal will be very hot for about 15-20 minutes.

9. Clean entire unit until desired finish is obtained (clean or distressed), then spray a clear coat of semi-gloss or gloss polyurethane for a more professional touch.

10. Clean the wood and spot stain or shellac as necessary.

11. Finally, reattach doorknob plates slightly higher than center in panel (this will allow the hats to be framed better).

Project Expense:

Door: Free
Knobs: $25
Materials: $10

Total: $35