DIY Industrial Clothing Rack

DIY Industrial Clothing Rack

With the recent run of cold weather I have gotten a bit stir-crazy, and as a result I decided to put myself to work. For a while now I have had my eye on this DIY project as an addition to my room for both form and function. Before I share my experience making this with you, let me disclaim that I am by no means a handy person, and if I can do this so can you!

I used this link as a guideline, but decided to do a few things differently based on my preference and available tools.

Supplies

• (1) 3/4 inch Plywood Board
• (4) 4-inch swivel casters (wheels)
• (3) 3/4 inch Black Iron Pipe 3 ft long
• (2) 3/4 inch Black Iron Pipe 2 ft long
• (2) 1-inch Flange
• (2) 3/4 inch Pipe Cap
• (2) 3/4 inch Pipe Elbow
• (16) 5/16 inch nails
• (16) 5/16 inch lock nuts
• (8) 3/8 inch nails
• (8) 3/8 inch lock nuts
• (8) 3/8 inch washers
• Black Hammered Spray Paint
• Miniwax Dark Walnut Wood Stain
• Miniwax Water Based Polycrylic Protective Finish
• steel wool and dish soap (to clean pipes
• A rag, gloves and dropcloth

  

  

  

Directions

I first started by sanding the plywood so that the stain would hold thoroughly. After sanding I stained the wood with the Miniwax Dark Walnut Wood Stain. I used a rag to apply the stain as I think it leaves  smoother finish and allows you to clean and even out the stain as you go. 

Next I took all the screws, lock nuts, washers and flanges and layed them out over paper towel to spray paint. The black finish on the nuts and bolts will match the black iron pipe and give the final product a clean look.

While the wood stain and spray paint dried I assembled the pipes and fittings. This was definitely a two person job as the full sized frame can be a bit large and in order to fasten all the piping you'll need an extra set of hands. 

Once the pipes were all connected, including the flanges, pipe caps and elbows I used the steel wool and dish soap to lightly clean the residue off of the pipes. They tend to be a bit greasy and since I will be hanging clothes I don't want them to stain. 

After the wood stain was dry, I applied the Water Based Protective Finish to the wood, this will seal the stain and protect it, as I plan to put shoes on the bottom shelf it could prolong the life of the wood. 

Once this was all dry came the assembly part. I started with the casters (wheels). The guideline I followed drilled the wheels from the bottom up without piercing through the wood. I was not confident in the longevity of this tactic, so I decided to drill from the top to the bottom, with the heads of the screws exposed. I also think this adds a rustic feel to the clothing rack as the exposed nails are cool. Be sure to align the 4 wheels evenly. I measured mine about 4 inches in from the short ends of the plywood and 2 inches in from the long ends. 

Once the wheels are fasted the pre-assembled piping frame can be placed on the plywood, again centered so that when clothes are hanging all is balanced. I used a ruler to ensure the frame sat even (8 inches from each end) on the board.

Once there, drill your holes through the holes in the flanges so the screws can pass through. Don't forget to screw on the lock nuts and washers as this will really secure the frame to the base and make the rack sturdy. 

And voila there you have it! A (relatively) easy DIY clothing rack that is not only functional but looks really cool too!

Next time I'll be sure to include more pictures of the process, I was too focused on the accuracy!

Special thanks to my parents and sister for helping me assemble and pick up the supplies for this project! Looking forward to sharing more DIYs in the future!