Hi and help!

Firstly, I have tried posting 2 times my thread but I had a link in it to a picture so potentially it was not letting me save it. SO if it actually does come up then I am sorry for the (this would be 3rd) multiple post.

Now.
:)
Hi from Sydney

Chris here, totally new to doing things myself and trying to build things except for a bit of wood work in year 9 oh about 13 years ago.

I really enjoyed it back then but did not keep up with it due to other interests taking over.

Basically I have now the need to have something custom built. For me it is a somewhat daunting task. For you guys I assume it would be an easy task.

I have made my designs using google sketchup which I found really handy and took my back to using autocad (although this was a dumbed down).

So I guess I should state what I am making.

I am making a clothes rack mine is customised to have 2 cross poles. a bottom support and a top support and a shelf then built on top of that.

My question now comes to the fact that as this thing will be 2200mm tall and supporting 2 rods of clothes. 1800mm wide and I'm tossing up a 700mm base or wider, I am wondering what type of wood to use? Pine, well its the cheapest option that I know of but I want strength. Would pine be enough? For the uprights what dimension should I choose. I modelled the design of 70mmx70mm but i figured this woudl be a bit of overkill. would 90x42 suffice.

The rack is not designed to be portable so I am looking at a solid unit and weight isn't an issue.

heaviest clothes would be on the bottom and lightest (business shirts) on top.

Ideally i would like a darker wood as all my furniture is dark, but i understand that I can stain or paint the wood to make it darker.

Thankyou for your help and appreciate any responses

it lookes like this but only the right half, without the 45deg support posts. Clothes Rack

G'day mate! There are going to be a lot of opinions on this one floating around but you really need to get the pic working.

Nice Project to start with! A lot of good work can be done with pine. It's cheaper, light, strong and easy to work with. I much prefer very old and very hard hardwood for a lot of reasons but it's not that much more different than working with softwood. The main difference is your sharpening skills!
Don't let that put you off... Hardwood is a lovely thing!

Pine can be stained any colour but take your time with the test samples! Many thinned coats to build up the desired colour is one of the many many tricks to a good stain.

Actually to be honest, that's one of the reasons I prefer hardwood. I never stain it. Just a good wax to bring out the natural colour.

The thickness of the timber.... Really need a pic but they build houses out of 4x2 pine but in your case it probably will come down to the design of your joins and how strong you can get them.
Let me know how you get on with this project!
Ben in Bellingen

I see.. That 45deg is a brace. At 1800 wide you would be surprised at how much weight in clothes you can put on it and that brace is there to stop it pitching left and right. Let me take a proper look at the link you sent.

By the way.. What tools do you have? Do you have a dropsaw?

All right... Had a proper look. Of you want to remove the braces your going to have to beaf up your timber sizes and join designs. At 1800 wide there is a lot of weight in the clothes. Your rails to hang your clothes on need to be strong as well other wise it will bow in the middle.

Merbau is a dark rainforest timber... You can get it in clear select grade sizes or finger joint posts. The finger joint is actually pretty nice once you wax it and is a lot cheaper. Merbau is quite cheap for what it is...
The natural colour of it goes well with galvanized bolts and pipes for a more industrial look or stainless steel for a cleaner look.

I didnt even think about sideways pitching\rolling. Glad I came here it could have been a total disaster.
When I get home I will get a picture of my design so that you guys can make a suggestion.
Adding the side braces I would probably like to make a lower profile brace.
The joint I would be using is the lap joint. with 2 sizeable screws or maybe 4.

OK so here is what I had designed. it stands 2200mm tall to the top of the main beam, but a total of 2310mm to the top of the shelf edges.

I just put the angled supports in this picture.

Attachment 200671

Welcome to the forum. I am not able to comment too much on the design, but do have questions. Is this going to remain free standing or part of another structure? Will it have a back or lower shelf?

If your looking at screws, 14g batten screws are tops! I use them quite a lot. For butt joined timber that needs to be really strong, go for the 150mm long ones. If you use 4x2 pine, you can get 2 of them in with room for a long, thick dowel and glue. When you drill up from your 700mm base supports, drill a clearance hole (6.5 or 7mm) so the screws slide easily through them. That way the screw pulls the base support hard up to the bottom of the post. You will need an extra long drill bit for your pilot hole in your posts but it's not that expensive. I think it's a 4mm bit.. Not sure. Will have a look if you get stuck. Do a test on some scrap as drilling into end grain is asking for it to split.

Have you got a basic tool kit? Chisels, hand plane etc?

The key questions at this point are:
what tools do you currently have ?
what tools are you prepared to buy for this project ?
what resources do you have access to ? things like a bench or table to work on, friends who can help, etc
what is your budget ?
where are you in Sydney ?


Your design is elegently simple, but for strength and rigidity relies very much on very well cut (i.e. tight) joints.

To get started with the construction, you may be able to cajole time and help from your local men's shed.

good luck, and don't buy too many tools

My Cousin who is a Chippy\remodeller has offered to let me use his shed which has a range of tools, (and im sure I can convince him to lend a hand).

To the question will it be free standing, have a back or a lower shelf?
It will be free standing, as in what you see is what you get. the only part that will touch anything is the bits on the floor and will be resting on tiles. no backing and no other shelf other then the top one.

I have basic tools. and knowledge. But I guess my cousin will help me. (I realise now I need more then just my hand saw and drill)

Thankyou very much for the info.

Also if I chose something other then pine, and wanted something harder, what should i look at and what could the expected prices be. just on length I need about 10m of timber.

Hey TMNT,
I'm not sure how tall you and likely users might be, but I think 2200 from floor to top hanger rail and 2300+ to shelf (if I've read correctly) is a touch on the high side and may end up becoming awkward. Reaching to the back of say a 500W shelf that's over 2300H would be quite a task for me and I'm 182cm.

I've just measured our wardrobes at about 1650 to rail and 1780 to shelf above. Having spent some time today sorting business shirts and trousers - I can say they're comfortable heights for me. I know you plan two rails but even if you allow a *generous* 200 at base for shoes etc, 1000 for trouser plus hanger, 100 gap then 800 for shirt plus hanger its only 2100. But if I was building something for my needs it'd be lower. I'd also think about some narrow side shelving (inside the frame would work) for shoes etc fixed to the base for extra stability. But that changes your design concept.

At 700W I guarantee you'll kick the base more than once and I don't know how wide the base should be but a lower build should be more stable as a general rule.

Let us know how your project progresses.


Consider adjustable feet too. Tiles can appear level but be uneven.

Thankyou for the advise on adjustable feet. I will be using that one.

The reason I have chosen to put the shelf so high is so I can throw my emtpy sports bags on top. basically to get them out from under my bed. So access is not necessary.

Shoes will still be on the floor.

The reason I chose 700m is because of where I am putting the rack (and this is the reason I am using a rack and not a wardrobe). The rack will be in the corner of my bedroom which if fairly cramped. the right hand post+foot will be against a wall and in the corner of my bedroom, the left hand post will be running along my longest wall, towards my bed. However i dont get into bed on that side. Now the reason i Have to use a rack and not a wardrobe is because the rack will be inbetween a large dresser and the wall.

Have a look at the plan. The red is where I will put the rack and the dark bits are my bed, side tables, dresser and shelving.

Attachment 200710

Thanks for the update, still not sure if this is going to be strong enough for what you are intending to use.

if you do decide to build it like this there is option to add some backing behind the two uprights. Will give it some extra support.

Between the two purple uprights.

Also good on your cousin to lend his shed to help.

You should be able to make the structure strong enough

as I mentioned before the key will be accurate tight fitting joints.

However, I'm worried about the stability of the structure
Is it possible to tie the top shelf to the wall one end and long edge?

What do you mean by backing?

What if I put another cross beam just above the lower rail?

Imagine a frame connected with cross members. When a load is placed on top and a force is placed against the side of that load will the frame move. One way to prevent the movement is to add another piece such as a back, this prevents this from moving side to side.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TMNT

What do you mean by backing?

What if I put another cross beam just above the lower rail?

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TMNT
imaging an Ikea bookcase without the shelves.
now add two rails for your clothes.
this would pretty much be the minimum free standing construction that would be kind of stable & even then Ikea would tell you to tie the long edge to a wall and I'd advise you to add a centre shelf taht was fixed to the sides and back.

The critical consideration is the weight of your clothes on the upper hanging rail and the bags you want to store on the top shelf.
the last thing any of us want to hear is that the rack has toppled over with you underneath!