Introduction: All-In-One Rustic Coat Rack, Floating Shelf Key Ring
Welcome to my 1st instructable! I am humbled that you were compelled enough to click on my link to learn this simply made, yet beautiful rack (yes I am bias). It all started about a year ago when my wife needed a shoe rack, but all the ones that looked solid built cost an arm and a leg, so, I figured I would just build one. Midway through the project we both realized it looked like a total piece of trailer trash even with us being rednecks! So she gave up, which in turn, made me want to prove her wrong, because that’s marriage, and this could be awesome! So with a little outside the box thinking, black screws opposed to gold, and the beautiful addition of scrap steel as the shelving, voila, my rustic steel combo was born. That lead to multiple experiments and variations, including this one, as it is the first I have built! So it has been fun, but I assure you I am NOT a YouTube worthy wood craftsman, nor do I claim what I do is correct, but it works, so if you will humor me and take a shot, I bet you can make it better than I can. Also I am doing all of this from my iPad so bear with my splleing and punctuaytiom.
Since the challenge was organization, I wanted to modify my standard coat rack to be more...multipurpose. So with the addition of the floating shelf and key attachments, I was satisfied with the turn out, without wayyyyyy over doing it (built in wireless charger, routed circle for candle, a teliporter built in, etc).
Since the challenge was organization, I wanted to modify my standard coat rack to be more...multipurpose. So with the addition of the floating shelf and key attachments, I was satisfied with the turn out, without wayyyyyy over doing it (built in wireless charger, routed circle for candle, a teliporter built in, etc).
Step 1: Materials and Tools
For this project you will need
Materials:
-1x8 pine board (28 inches)
-1x6 pine board (28 inches)
-2 inch wide strap steel (56 inches total in length, scrap steel exposed to the elements shows the detailed pitting, but new steel can be used too)
-Wood stain (Jacobean)
-Rustoleum crystal clear enamel
3 -Coat hooks (fighting octopus)
4 -Screw hooks (5/8th or desired size)
8 -Drywall screw, black 6x1 1/8
3 -Wood screw 6x1 5/8
2 -Wood screw 3in
4 - #6x 3/4in flat head black screws or similar for flush hanging mount (or equivalent)
2- Keyhole mounts
TOOLS!
Philips screw driver
Impact drill and screw gun
Grinder cutter
Router (optional)
5/32 drill bit
5/16th drill bit
1/16th drill bit
Metal punch
Plyers/channel locks
Pencil
Marker (for steel)
Tape measure
Latex gloves
Red rag/cloth rag, old sock?
PPE of course, eyes, ears, hands
Materials:
-1x8 pine board (28 inches)
-1x6 pine board (28 inches)
-2 inch wide strap steel (56 inches total in length, scrap steel exposed to the elements shows the detailed pitting, but new steel can be used too)
-Wood stain (Jacobean)
-Rustoleum crystal clear enamel
3 -Coat hooks (fighting octopus)
4 -Screw hooks (5/8th or desired size)
8 -Drywall screw, black 6x1 1/8
3 -Wood screw 6x1 5/8
2 -Wood screw 3in
4 - #6x 3/4in flat head black screws or similar for flush hanging mount (or equivalent)
2- Keyhole mounts
TOOLS!
Philips screw driver
Impact drill and screw gun
Grinder cutter
Router (optional)
5/32 drill bit
5/16th drill bit
1/16th drill bit
Metal punch
Plyers/channel locks
Pencil
Marker (for steel)
Tape measure
Latex gloves
Red rag/cloth rag, old sock?
PPE of course, eyes, ears, hands
Step 2: Getting Started: Wood and Metal Cutting
For this coat rack I chose 28 inches, but any length can be made.
Wood cutting
-Start buy cutting your 1x6 and 1x8 boards to 28 inches in length. I used a chop saw for easy straight lines
-Take your 120 grit sand paper (personal preference, one stop shop cause I’m lazy) and sand all surfaces of both boards to remove supplier marks and stains. I also did a quick run down every edge just to take the sharpness off giving it more of a rustic look.
Metal cutting
-With gloves applied to avoid rusty hands, take the scrap or new steel and measure two 28 inch strips, mark with marker
-Take your grinder cutter and cut at the line
-Lightly graze your grinder over the cut edges to smooth out sharp corners and burrs
-Once both 28in strips have been cut and de-burred, take your screw gun and attach wire wheel
-Lightly wire brush back and forth motions to remove rust and dirt, leaving a blue pitted shine
-Make sure to deburr all sides and edges as well
Wood cutting
-Start buy cutting your 1x6 and 1x8 boards to 28 inches in length. I used a chop saw for easy straight lines
-Take your 120 grit sand paper (personal preference, one stop shop cause I’m lazy) and sand all surfaces of both boards to remove supplier marks and stains. I also did a quick run down every edge just to take the sharpness off giving it more of a rustic look.
Metal cutting
-With gloves applied to avoid rusty hands, take the scrap or new steel and measure two 28 inch strips, mark with marker
-Take your grinder cutter and cut at the line
-Lightly graze your grinder over the cut edges to smooth out sharp corners and burrs
-Once both 28in strips have been cut and de-burred, take your screw gun and attach wire wheel
-Lightly wire brush back and forth motions to remove rust and dirt, leaving a blue pitted shine
-Make sure to deburr all sides and edges as well
Step 3: Keyhole Prep
-With the boards sanded, take the 1x8 board and determine which side will be the back
- Most homes have studs located 16 inches on center, so that’s where we will be placing these on the back of the board
-I measured 6 inches in from each side and made a pencil mark, then measured 3/4 an inch down from the top of the board. It is verrrrrry important these measurements match on each side so the shelf sits level.
-Place the keyhole hook on the board with the center top of the hook landing on your pencil mark
-Trace the keyhole hook
- Use a router with a bit at least the width of the keyhole hook, and route the tracing. The depth only needs to be enough to fit the keyhole hook flush with the wood surface. Note: I know not everyone has a router, so it is possible to mount these to the outside, it just won’t be as flush with the wall, but will still look good! Disregard the screw holes in the picture, this will be a later step for convenience.
-Once routed, place the keyhole in to check fit (wiggle room is okay, and sometimes beneficial for making adjustments)
-Take a pencil and mark/fill in the center of the keyhole on the wood, so you can drill it out for the mounting screw head to fit in smooth
-With a 5/16th drill bit, drill out your pencil marking deep enough for the screw head to easily pass through for mounting
In the pictures you can see I stained before this step, but I would recommend staining after in case you mess up, like I do many times! Also don’t be too hard on yourself if it doesn’t look perfect, it will be on the back, so function is all that matters :)
-You will mount the keyholes later
- Most homes have studs located 16 inches on center, so that’s where we will be placing these on the back of the board
-I measured 6 inches in from each side and made a pencil mark, then measured 3/4 an inch down from the top of the board. It is verrrrrry important these measurements match on each side so the shelf sits level.
-Place the keyhole hook on the board with the center top of the hook landing on your pencil mark
-Trace the keyhole hook
- Use a router with a bit at least the width of the keyhole hook, and route the tracing. The depth only needs to be enough to fit the keyhole hook flush with the wood surface. Note: I know not everyone has a router, so it is possible to mount these to the outside, it just won’t be as flush with the wall, but will still look good! Disregard the screw holes in the picture, this will be a later step for convenience.
-Once routed, place the keyhole in to check fit (wiggle room is okay, and sometimes beneficial for making adjustments)
-Take a pencil and mark/fill in the center of the keyhole on the wood, so you can drill it out for the mounting screw head to fit in smooth
-With a 5/16th drill bit, drill out your pencil marking deep enough for the screw head to easily pass through for mounting
In the pictures you can see I stained before this step, but I would recommend staining after in case you mess up, like I do many times! Also don’t be too hard on yourself if it doesn’t look perfect, it will be on the back, so function is all that matters :)
-You will mount the keyholes later
Step 4: Hole Drilling
-Take both pieces of strap steel and drill bits
-Measure 1/2 inch from each side, and make a center dot with the marker, indicating drill hole location
- Measure 9 inches in from each previously made dot and make another mark, so you have three even 9 inch spaces between them ( 1/2 inch+9+9+9+1/2=28)
-Take a metal punch, and hammer a mark for drill bit guide on each mark made
-Drill 5/32 hole in each marked spot
-Bore out hole with 5/16th drill bit, allowing screw head to sit flush with metal when installed on the rack
-Measure 1/2 inch from each side, and make a center dot with the marker, indicating drill hole location
- Measure 9 inches in from each previously made dot and make another mark, so you have three even 9 inch spaces between them ( 1/2 inch+9+9+9+1/2=28)
-Take a metal punch, and hammer a mark for drill bit guide on each mark made
-Drill 5/32 hole in each marked spot
-Bore out hole with 5/16th drill bit, allowing screw head to sit flush with metal when installed on the rack
Step 5: Stain and Seal
Wood
-Take both your cut wood pieces and prep outside for stain!
-Wipe wood down and spray with an air hose if possible to remove as much saw dust as possible
-A paint brush can be used, but I find it easier to manage stain darkness and application with a simple rag and gloves
-Apply stain evenly on all wood surfaces. Darkness of stain depends on how much you apply and what you desire
-Allow time to dry per your stains specs
Tips:
Ensure you check all wood surfaces after stain application to ensure no drips are present or it will look like an ugly glob. If one is present, just like with paint, wipe it with your rag to smooth and blend it into the rest of the stain.
ALSO, make sure your stain can is on a steady surface, as you can see from one of the images, I will have a fun clean up in the future :)
Steel
-Wipe steel with alcohol pad or in my case, I found a baby wipe to work great, just to remove all dust and metal debris
-Once it is dry, you can take your clear coat enamel and spray evenly ensuring all surfaces are sealed (to prevent any future rusting)
-I sprayed the back side of the metal first, then let dry for 20 minutes, and flipped over to spray the front. This way if anything sticks to your prep surface, it will be hidden on the back of the steel
-Allow time to dry
-Take both your cut wood pieces and prep outside for stain!
-Wipe wood down and spray with an air hose if possible to remove as much saw dust as possible
-A paint brush can be used, but I find it easier to manage stain darkness and application with a simple rag and gloves
-Apply stain evenly on all wood surfaces. Darkness of stain depends on how much you apply and what you desire
-Allow time to dry per your stains specs
Tips:
Ensure you check all wood surfaces after stain application to ensure no drips are present or it will look like an ugly glob. If one is present, just like with paint, wipe it with your rag to smooth and blend it into the rest of the stain.
ALSO, make sure your stain can is on a steady surface, as you can see from one of the images, I will have a fun clean up in the future :)
Steel
-Wipe steel with alcohol pad or in my case, I found a baby wipe to work great, just to remove all dust and metal debris
-Once it is dry, you can take your clear coat enamel and spray evenly ensuring all surfaces are sealed (to prevent any future rusting)
-I sprayed the back side of the metal first, then let dry for 20 minutes, and flipped over to spray the front. This way if anything sticks to your prep surface, it will be hidden on the back of the steel
-Allow time to dry
Step 6: Assembly! Keyholes and Steel Application
Finally the fun part
-Install keyhole hooks in the back of your 1x8 stained board. Ensure both keyholes and level with each other, and drill a 1/16th pilot hole for each screw location (don’t drill too deep!)
-Secure with 4 #6x3/4 screws
-Flip over board and lay out both your steel strips on the bottom and top edges of the board
-Take your black drywall screws (8) and cut them to be below an inch long so it doesn’t poke out the back of the board. I found this to be the cheapest option for black screws. Even those small black screws to hold the keyhole mounts costed more than the drywall screws because they are less common. Hold the screw with pliers and use your grinder or dremmel tool to safely reduce the size
-Ensuring your steel is flush with the edges of your board and centered then drill small pilot holes for the cut drywall screws so they have a guide since the point has been removed. Ensure the pilots drilled are in the center of each steel hole so it stays level with the edge
-Don’t over tighten to avoid hole stripping
-Install keyhole hooks in the back of your 1x8 stained board. Ensure both keyholes and level with each other, and drill a 1/16th pilot hole for each screw location (don’t drill too deep!)
-Secure with 4 #6x3/4 screws
-Flip over board and lay out both your steel strips on the bottom and top edges of the board
-Take your black drywall screws (8) and cut them to be below an inch long so it doesn’t poke out the back of the board. I found this to be the cheapest option for black screws. Even those small black screws to hold the keyhole mounts costed more than the drywall screws because they are less common. Hold the screw with pliers and use your grinder or dremmel tool to safely reduce the size
-Ensuring your steel is flush with the edges of your board and centered then drill small pilot holes for the cut drywall screws so they have a guide since the point has been removed. Ensure the pilots drilled are in the center of each steel hole so it stays level with the edge
-Don’t over tighten to avoid hole stripping
Step 7: Shelf Installation
With both strap steel pieces installed even with the edges, it makes it an easy placement for the floating shelf!
-With the coat rack on its back, line up your shelf flush with the top steel strap, and centered left to right on your main board
-lightly mark with a pencil on your main board edge where the center of your floating shelf sits on each side. This allows you to flip over your main board and use a straight edge to identify the leveled center of your float board from left to right for securing. Make sure you don’t scratch your steel!
- With your straight edge in place, mark with your pencil 1 inch in from each side. Then measure 6 inches in from each mark, and mark again. Your last mark will be centered of those marks, giving you 5 pencil marks in total on the back to secure your float board
-For easy assembly, I drilled a 1/16th pilot hole from underneath with the shelf hanging off a surface as seen in the image
-Once the pilot hole is drilled, screw in #6x1 5/8 gold screw for securing the board. Carefully rotate and repeat on the other side
-With the ends secured, you can flip the board over to access the other marked holes. Pre-drill the remaining 3 holes
-Install a #6x1 5/8 screw in the center hole, and 3 inch screws in the remaining hole. The 3 inch screws will provide extra strength, and only using two will decrease risk of board splitting
-With the coat rack on its back, line up your shelf flush with the top steel strap, and centered left to right on your main board
-lightly mark with a pencil on your main board edge where the center of your floating shelf sits on each side. This allows you to flip over your main board and use a straight edge to identify the leveled center of your float board from left to right for securing. Make sure you don’t scratch your steel!
- With your straight edge in place, mark with your pencil 1 inch in from each side. Then measure 6 inches in from each mark, and mark again. Your last mark will be centered of those marks, giving you 5 pencil marks in total on the back to secure your float board
-For easy assembly, I drilled a 1/16th pilot hole from underneath with the shelf hanging off a surface as seen in the image
-Once the pilot hole is drilled, screw in #6x1 5/8 gold screw for securing the board. Carefully rotate and repeat on the other side
-With the ends secured, you can flip the board over to access the other marked holes. Pre-drill the remaining 3 holes
-Install a #6x1 5/8 screw in the center hole, and 3 inch screws in the remaining hole. The 3 inch screws will provide extra strength, and only using two will decrease risk of board splitting
Step 8: Coat Hook Installation
-Take your three fighting octopus coat hooks and line them up on the board
-Measure 2 inches in from each side as shown in the picture for the outer two hooks
-Just like with the black drywall screws, cut all supplied hook screws down to ensure they will not protrude out the back as shown (these are still plenty strong)
-Align the hooks to where the bottom just barely touches the strap steel, which makes it easier for ensuring every hook is level
-Drill 1/16th pilot holes while holding hook in place so it does not shift
-Install cut screws and hand tighten, be sure not to over tighten
-The middle coat hook will be 11 1/2 inches centered between the other two, repeat the previous two line instructions
-Measure 2 inches in from each side as shown in the picture for the outer two hooks
-Just like with the black drywall screws, cut all supplied hook screws down to ensure they will not protrude out the back as shown (these are still plenty strong)
-Align the hooks to where the bottom just barely touches the strap steel, which makes it easier for ensuring every hook is level
-Drill 1/16th pilot holes while holding hook in place so it does not shift
-Install cut screws and hand tighten, be sure not to over tighten
-The middle coat hook will be 11 1/2 inches centered between the other two, repeat the previous two line instructions
Step 9: Key Ring Installation
For this, you will need 4 5/8th screw hooks or similar for key storage
-Measure 6 inches in from each side, and 1 inch in from the front edge and make a pencil mark
-I did a very minimal pilot hole just to get it started, and can hand screw in
-From each of those screws, measure in 5 inches and drill a pilot hole for the remaining two hooks(this placement will give you placement gaps of 6in 5in 6in 5in 6in=28in)
-Measure 6 inches in from each side, and 1 inch in from the front edge and make a pencil mark
-I did a very minimal pilot hole just to get it started, and can hand screw in
-From each of those screws, measure in 5 inches and drill a pilot hole for the remaining two hooks(this placement will give you placement gaps of 6in 5in 6in 5in 6in=28in)
Step 10: Ta Daaaaaaa
I thinkkkkk you are done now......yeah I think that’s it, just gotta mount it to the wall and show off your craftsmanship!
Thank you for the view, and if you see a way I can do something easier, I am all ears :)
Thank you for the view, and if you see a way I can do something easier, I am all ears :)
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