Cactus coat rack

[Frank Pellow]

My granddaughters Jamie and Brooke share a bedroom that has limited closet space.  I figured that a rack to hold some of their clothing might help.  Searching for coat rack photos on the web, I came across this:

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Hey that should be easy to make.

It needs to be heavy enough, so I opted for 18 mm thick Baltic birch plywood and decided to make it about 2 metres high.  I can't purchase Baltic birch that long so, utilizing a DowelMax, I joined two pieces to obtain a panel of the right length:

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Two such panels are needed.  20 mm wide kerfs were cut 101 cm down the centre of each panel before glue up.  This will allow the two panels to easily overlap.

I used a French curve to mark arcs on the bases of the panels:

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I cut out the panels using my new battery powered Festool 420 jigsaw and a rapid scroll blade.  Since I will be rounding over the edges, I didn't bother with a splinter guard.  Since I was cutting outside, I didn't bother with dust control.

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This task gave the saw quite a workout.  I needed to re-charge the battery 5 times.  It is obvious that at least two batteries will be needed if one plans to use the saw on tasks like this.  In spite of this obvious fact, Festool only supplies one 18 volt battery with the saw.    [huh]    ???  When I decided to keep the saw that I had been allowed to test, the first thing that I did was to purchase a second battery.  The job would have been intolerable if I had not done so.  As it was, the battery being used almost continuously wore out long before the other battery was re-charged.  Perhaps, I need to purchase a third battery.  [unsure]  I used the lack of a charged battery as an excuse to goof off for a while, but I am retired and can afford to do this.

Next, the edges were rounded over with a router:

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I tested the panels for fit before cutting the cactus into the second panel:

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This provided a good opportunity to rough in the cactus with chalk on the second panel.

Here are the two panels after cutting the second one:

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I still need to round over the edges on the second panel, sand everything, and paint the panels.

 

[Holzhacker]

Being a City kid I wouldn't know a cactus from a smactus. However, that looks awful pretty to be a cactus. Looks more like a sapling.  [smile]

 

[Frank Pellow]

Being a City kid I wouldn't know a cactus from a smactus. However, that looks awful pretty to be a cactus. Looks more like a sapling.  [smile]

Being a Northern Ontario kid, I didn't see a whole lot of cactus either.  [big grin]

But, both Margaret and I were reminded of cactus like this one:

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that we saw in New Mexico a few years ago.

 

[tbellemare]

That looks like a Joshua Tree, which is a yucca.

Tom

 

[Cort]

Looks great!

 

[Frank Pellow]

Next weekend I am going to Ottawa to re-paint Brooke and Jamie's room. The room will be painted white and green and I will paint the cactus the same green colour as two of the walls.. The only difference will be that I will use latex flat paint on the walls and oil gloss paint on the cactus.

The parts are now ready for transport.  They have been sanded and a primer-sealer coat of paint has been applied.

I used a Festool Rotex 90 sander with 120 grit paper to do most of the work as well as a Festool Deltex sander with an extension pad and 80 grit paper  in order to get into the corners where the router couldn't go -as shown in this photo:

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Here are the two parts:

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They will simply slide together and no hardware will be needed.

 

[ScotF]

These came out great, Frank.  There are lots of Joshua Trees not far from where I live....good rendition!

Scot

 

[Frank Pellow]

Here are photos of the completed rack in the newly painted bedroom.

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[Frank Pellow]

Later I made a "cactus" floor lamp for the same room.  See the thread: http://festoolownersgroup.com/member-projects/an-unusual-way-to-design-a-lamp/

 

[land_kel]

I see granddaughter stuck some finger's and wrist were they find not belong! Ouch!

Very nice Paint job and coat rack tie in....

Have a Happy Healthy New Year.  Any truth your running for Mayor in Toronto?

D

 

[Sparktrician]

I can't purchase Baltic birch that long...

I'm curious, Frank, why can't you find 4' x 8' Baltic birch plywood? 

 

[Frank Pellow]

I see granddaughter stuck some finger's and wrist were they find not belong! Ouch!

Very nice Paint job and coat rack tie in....

Have a Happy Healthy New Year.  Any truth your running for Mayor in Toronto?

D

No truth in the rumour. 

By the way, I did not vote for the pea-brained dufous who is our current mayor.  I have no idea why he is not in jail.

 

[Frank Pellow]

I can't purchase Baltic birch that long...

I'm curious, Frank, why can't you find 4' x 8' Baltic birch plywood? 

My normal supplier does not stock it.  I could special order it but never seem to think far enough in advance to do so.

 

[wow]

Very nicely done, Frank. You certainly earned 'Good Grandpa' points for that!

My daughter wants me to make her some bedside tables to match the cherry dresser I made her several years ago. I really should at least put it on the 'To-Do' list one of these days...