Rustic Key Rack

For the longest time I was searching for a small key rack that also had a slot for mail but found none. Everything that I came across was either too big and had more key hooks then anyone would possibly need or it was too small. If you're like me and only have two or maybe three key sets then a large key rack seems like a waste of space. For those of you that have a limited amount of wall space available then this key rack is perfect. For everyone else that is looking for a simple project to test the waters of woodworking then you've come to the right place.

Step 1: Tools & Supplies

Tools:

• Miter saw
• Rotary tool
• Drill
• Scissors
• Paint brush
• Staining pad

Supplies:

• 1 - 1 in. x 3 in. x 8 ft. common board
• 1 - 1 in. x 2 in. x 8 ft. common board
• 1 - 1 qt. Carrington Wood Stain
• 1 - citrus shield paste wax
• 1 - 8 oz. white chalk paint
• 1 - Spray adhesive
• 3 - cast iron key hooks
• 1 - 120 gsm cardstock paper
• 1 box - black 1-5.8" screw
• 1 box - black 1" screw

Step 2: Measure & Cut Wood

The first thing I did was create a 3D model of the key rack to help me visualize where everything would go. If you have the CAD program Sketchup, I attached a file with the finished project.

The measurements are fairly straightforward.

4 boards - 15.5" x 3"

2 boards - 8" x 2"

1 board - 12" x 2"

1 board - 14" x 3"

Step 3: Stain the Wood

After everything is cut, stain the wood with whatever paint you purchased.

I did 2 coats of the Carrington Wood stain to get a darker finish.

Wait a few hours until the coat is dry and then brush on the citrus wax to seal the wood stain.

Since the wood sealer is a paste it will take about 24 hours until it's fully dry.

Step 4: Nail the Wood Together

1. Start by drilling a hole at each end of the 14" x 3" board. (Figure 1)
   • Place the two 8" x 2" boards on their sides with the 14" board resting on top.
   • Drill the 14" board to the two 8" boards.
2. Glue the 12" x 2" board to the bottom of the 14" board.
3. Drill the three 15.5" boards to the back end of the 8" boards. (Figure 2)
   • Leave about .75" space on each end.
4. Taking the last 15.5" board, place it horizontally on top of the 8" boards and screw them together.
5. The last thing you need to do is screw the 3 key hooks to the 15.5" board with the 1" screws. (Figure 3)

As a side note, the boards are about 1 inch in thickness so you will not be able to screw the boards together without first drilling a hole.

Use a 1/8" drill bit for the 1-5/8" screws and a 3/32" drill bit for the 1" screws.

Step 5: Paint the Mail Sign

Print the mail sign onto cardstock paper. The attached word document for the stencil is below.

Using scissors or an X-acto knife cut out the letters.

On the reverse side of the stencil spray the adhesive.

Once the adhesive spray is dry you can stick the stencil onto the wood board and begin painting.

The white paint drys pretty quickly so after waiting a couple of hours remove the stencil.

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Voila you're rustic key rack is complete.