Bentwood Coat Rack

Creating the Rack

No new, exciting methodology here. Cut two pieces of stock to the same size. Starting with the mounting plate, cut a 2" radii on the bottom corners of the piece. Then, layout the 1/4" dowel holes and proceed to drill them over at the drill press. Tuck this piece aside and grab the second of the two 1/2" pieces. In order to rout the groove to accept the shelf lip,

I created a couple of 1/4" templates from some leftover plywood. Using a guide bushing and 1/8" router bit, double-stick tape the template to your piece. Proceed to rout the groove in a couple of passes. Once this is done, cut the shelf down to its final width. Trace the radii onto the piece, cut close to your line, and sneak up on it with some sandpaper. Finish by creating a rabbet joint on the backside of the shelf.

Once your pieces have been properly modified, proceed to glue the shelf to the backplate. Since the connection point between

the two corresponding pieces is minimal, use a couple of assembly squares while clamping to ensure a square 90°.

With most of the construction done, there is one last detail to address, that being the lip for the shelf. Referencing the inside radius of the groove cut for the shelf lip, create a drying form the same shape as the interior space of the shelf. Then, create a piece about 32" in length by 2" wide, and 1/8" thick. Soak the piece for the same length of time as the strips for the hooks. Re-heat the pipe and continue to shape the piece until the arc closely emulates the form. Now, clamp the piece to the form and allow it to dry for 24 to 48 hours. If unwanted spring back becomes an issue,

continue to leave the strip clamped up in the drying form for several days—better safe than sorry. Once dry, apply glue into the groove of the shelf and clamp the shelf lip in place.

Finishing Touches

With the rack and hook construction complete, it is time to attach the hooks. Cut several 1/4" dowels and glue them into the backside of each hook. Then, place a couple of spots of glue on the back of the hook(s) and clamp in place. Before the ball knobs are added, apply any stain or finish you prefer. Once the finish is dry, apply the ball knobs to the hooks using the same dowel joinery used for the hooks.

The last step in the process is to affix the coat rack wherever its services are most needed. To perform this task, I went ahead and routed a couple of recesses on the backside of the rack using a keyhole or T-slot router bit. This simple and inconspicuous application allows for a zero-clearance attachment point all the while providing for a much “cleaner” and more modern look.

23 Once the groove for the shelf lip is complete, go ahead and rip the shelf to its final width.

25 With the shelf pieces disassembled, take this time to verify corresponding lengths and complete any necessary sanding.

24 Cut the profiles for your shelf using the band saw. Follow this step by cleaning up any saw marks or irregularities left behind with a sanding block.

26 Sometimes over-clamping is used to compensate for a bad joint, and the cantilevered construction of our backplate may inspire this poor practice. Solution, use a couple of assembly squares to reduce this risk.

29 I ended up modeling my drying form for the shelf lip after the template created for the router. This minimized the margin of error when going to fit the shelf lip into the corresponding groove.

28 Before applying the hooks to the backplate, check to make sure the chamfer size is large enough to accommodate the surface area of the ball knob.

27 I had a scrap piece of 1/4" steel rod lying around without a purpose, so I went ahead and used this in place of wooden dowels—both are equally acceptable.