Fishing for ideas

[Random Orbital Bob]

I've been asked to build a boot rack for the reception year kids at our local school (60 pegs) which will be mounted on an outside wall under the eaves to offer some protection from the rain. I'm assuming I'll mount the boots on a simple peg system (I'm guessing 1" dowel rod). My plan is to either buy strips of inch thick outside grade tanalised softwood or maybe scaffold boards if I can get them and then forstener a 30 degree up raked bore for the dowels to be glued into at 4" centres.

My question is am I missing something on an easy way of drilling the angled holes for the pegs? My drill press isn't sufficiently sophisticated to drill angled holes so I'll almost certainly have to build a raked angle jig. Is there maybe a better/easier way? Obviously critical to the success of the job is that the pegs all line up at the ends. I spose I could drill a block of 4x2 with the appropriate rake and then offer that to the back board and drill "through" it to achieve an accurate angle.

I just was thinking that someone out there with a brain considerably larger than mine might have done this and have a better approach

 

[Racers]

Angled jig on your drill press would seem the easiest way, I would beef up the batten an I am sure they will be hanging off it as soon as your back is turned.
I did a welly rack the same way and used brush handles for the dowling it used to be cheap from wilcos.

Pete

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Yes you're probably right Pete (little loves). Broom handles great idea. Thanks

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Speaking of holes. Whats the rule of thumb for a tight fit? Dowel rod (or broom handle) about 0.5mm less than the bore of the hole?

 

[Benchwayze]

Have you a Domino Rob? Angled tenons a piece of cake...

Although maybe even the largest domino biscuits wouldn't stand the weight of nippers continually swinging off them.

Better forget I spoke! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Mike.S]

An alternative (easier?) approach is demonstrated here - 3rd row of pics down.

Forgive me if I seem preachy but if fixed to the wall outside (playground?) do bear in mind the height of the peg ends versus a child's eye height, especially if falling. Just that my wife works in a reception class and it's amazing what injuries crop up. :shock:

 

[adzeman]

Mike S said

An alternative (easier?) approach

I think your right Mike and making the angled bocks is possible using a sinple jig

 

[Eric The Viking]

I've just done a pair of foldaway "dowel"-type racks for our walk-in airing cupboard. Broom handles through holes in 2x1, but the end crossbars needed to be on a slant, so that you didn't walk into the end of the rack (the door is offset), and at the other end there's room to get to the boiler. That was done with a 30-degree triangular jig.

When you drill on a drill stand, drill over the axis of the drill table in the usual way. I tried putting the jig on the table and drilling off the edge, as it was easier to clamp, but I couldn't stop the table tilting with the downward force. Forstner bits don't start nicely on angled stock (expensive ones might - my cheapies don't!).

It strikes me you'll do it far more quickly by making the holes squarely using, say, 2" square stock, then ripping it on the bandsaw at the desired angle. You can get the hole spacings nicely without marking up by simply having a peg on the sacrificial board below - drill first hole, move onto peg, drill #2, etc. To get them in pairs, you need to drill the first pair by marking up and eye, and have your peg set to the gap ([edit] I meant the repeat!) between the pairs.

Also, if you have the dowels leaning towards the wall in threes, pairs of boots can slide between them, soles uppermost, which might well solve the 'safety' issue (you might need a second rail along the front bottom edge to stop them falling out). I know it's not traditional and will take more stock, but it'll be stronger and safer for the kids.

I bought really cheap, long broom handles (1.25" IIRC) from Toolstation. The wood is really rubbish, and they got shakes whilst stored (and some are like corkscrews), but they _were_ cheap - much more so than dowel. Sanding with a strip of emery cloth used towelling-off style, followed by two coats of cellulose sanding sealer and they're fine for clothes racks. Outdoors, I'd probably use two part poly. I had a few left over that will be cut up for jig handles, etc. as needed.

E.

 

[woodcrafter]

Drilling angled holes can be a bore ... er, sorry about that. Even pricey forstner bits tend to wander off course. TCT tipped hole cutters with an arbor are great (I use Starret) but gosh they are pricey. But there is a better way:
Why drill angled holes at all? Drill your holes at 90 degrees to your backing board then make some wood ends or brackets to turn the backing board through your required 30 degree angle when fixing it to the wall at the school, ending up with a kind of triangular box affair.
Simples.

As for material I would keep away from any softwood for outdoor use. Beg some offcuts of durable oak or sapele from your local joinery workshop - tell them it is for a worthy cause.

Good luck

Chris

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Brilliant advice there....many thanks folks.

I ended up making a prototype this morning using a 30 degree angle jig for my drill press. I used a Fisher Forstener which is superb quality so that is one way to go....but it is fiddly. I had pretty much planned to go with 5 4x2 backer boards (12 pegs on each making 60 total ie class of 30 with 2 feet per nipper). With the painstaking angled holes at 4" centres.

But......having read your posts you've done exactly what I love about this forum and expanded my original thoughts. I confess I hadn't even thought about the potential eye height issue...that will necessitate rounding over the ends. I also really like the drill the holes straight idea but then angle the backer board with a couple angle brackets.

I've already cotton'd onto toolstations cheapo broom handles (this job needs 13) as they're way cheaper than dowel stock. I did even consider turning them myself as I have a load of birch from the storm week before last. If I did do that I could turn a sort of bulb end which would add to the eye safety issue. I wonder how long it would take me to turn 60 260mm spindles??

Help really appreciated folks....some really sound ideas there...my thanks

 

[Myfordman]

How about drilling the holes perpendicular to the board and mount the board to the wall using a suitable number of angled blocks instead?

MM