Some years back, the family was growing and we were running low on coat/jacket hanging options. I decided it was high time to make a coat rack. Or two. I realized we needed something that was functional, able to hold roughly 10 items at a time, but not too utilitarian. Something that could be proudly displayed upon entering our home. After a little prototyping, I came up with a coat rack that I felt was sufficiently functional but with a tad of elegance.
Solid red oak coat rack
The coat rack measures 66″ high with a 25-3/4″ base and 1-7/8″ thick post. It’s made from 4/4 solid red oak. Most of the wood is used for the post which was made by ripping three pieces to a width of 2″, planing each piece to 11/16″, and then gluing the pieces together. After the glue dried, the blank was milled to finished dimensions of 1-7/8″ by 64-1/4″. Note that the post does not extend all the way to the floor due to the curved profile of the legs.
The edges and top of the post were chamfered on the table saw with the blade set at a 45 degree angle. I also made a little decorative chamfered indent 1-1/4″ from the top. This involved placing the post on a cross-cut sled, making all the angled cuts on one side, flipping the post to the other side of the sled, and then angle-cutting the other side to form a V on all four sides. I wish I had a photo of the process but unfortunately do not.
A decorative touch was added by chamfering side and top edges
In my humble opinion, the most distinctive feature of the coat rack is the curved tapering legs. Swooping, if you will. These were made from 3/4″ thick red oak blanks that were 7-1/2″ wide by 12-1/2″ long. They attach to the post via mortises milled into the bottom of the post that accommodate tenons cut into the inner side of each leg.
Coat rack base features curved tapering legs
The legs were laid out using a template made from 3/4″ scrap pine and cut out on the band saw. They were then sanded smooth and the edges softened using a 3/8″ radius rounding bit. The hole in the template is for hanging it on the wall in case I want to re-use it at some future time.
Coat rack leg template made from 3/4″ scrap
The underside view of the base shows how the legs are attached to the post via a mortise and tenon joint that is open on the bottom end. These joints have held up well over the years although I did have to add a screw to one of the looser-fitting legs to give it a little help.
Legs attached to base via mortise and tenon joints
The coat hangers are made from 1-3/4″ long oak pegs that I picked up from a woodworking supply store. They glue into 1/2″ deep drilled holes and are quite solid.
Close-up of coat rack pegs
As soon as the coat rack went into service, it started collecting coats, jackets, sweaters, and miscellaneous kid stuff. It has reduced the clutter in the rest of the house and certainly earned its keep.
Fully loaded coat rack earning its keep
Hey 🙂
Thanks for such a nice article.
It is short and to the point. I would be trying to build my wn coat rack. Lets see how well it goes.
Good Luck to me 🙂
Glad you found the article helpful. Good luck to you – you can do it!