Introduction: Wooden Banana Stand
Hanging bananas while they ripen helps to prevent bruising and promotes even ripening.
I was mainly motivated to make this because I wanted to design something very simple for my first project on the ShopBot CNC router. (I made it at TechShop! techshop.ws) I wanted to focus on learning how to use the machine rather than getting bogged down with a complicated project.
This banana stand consists of only two pieces of CNC-cut plywood. In addition, you'll need one #5 flat head wood screw 1" long, one brass cup hook, wood glue and optional wood finish of your choice.
Cut the two wooden pieces from one-half inch (0.45" nominal) plywood or other sheet stock. I used some mahogany veneer plywood that I had on hand, but almost any sort of wood would work. The vectors are included in .eps and Corel Draw formats. If you use wood that is not the same thickness as mine, you'll need to adjust the width of the pocket where the arm fits into the base -- that's the rectangle in base.eps or base.cdr. Do the cutting with an end mill 1/8" or smaller, in order to be able to cut the 1/8" diameter hole. All vectors are cut all the way through the wood, except for the rectangular pocket, which is cut to a depth of 0.125" below the surface.
Sand the parts to remove any tabs that you added during the CAM process. Fit the bottom of the arm into the pocket in the base, and clamp securely, making sure the arm is perpendicular to the base. Then, using the base as a guide, drill a 3/32" pilot hole up through the hole in the base and into the arm. Countersink the bottom of the hole in the base for a 1/4" screw head. Also drill a 1/16" pilot hole under the very end of the arm, for the cup hook.
Apply wood glue to the inside of the pocket.. Insert the arm and install a #5 screw, tightening to hold the pieces securely. Partially unbend a medium to large cup hook, so that it has a pleasing shape and will accommodate the bananas. Screw the cup hook into the arm.
After the glue is dry, give the whole banana stand a fine sanding and finish according to your tastes and decor. I thought it looked OK with just raw wood. However, since it was going to be in the kitchen where it might be come in contact with moisture, I decided to make it impervious by giving it a couple of coats of polyurethane finish.
