D.I.Y. wall mounted coat rack

Measure and mark 80mm from the end of your dowel and continue along five times in 80mm increments. 

When using the drop saw, put on your safety glasses and ear muffs. To make your first piece, cut through the first mark on the dowel at a 22.5 degree angle. For the second piece, make a square cut. Then for the third, cut at 22.5 degrees again. Repeat this process until you have five pieces of dowel. Each one should have a 22.5 degree end and a square end. These will be the hooks to hang your coats on.

Depending on the size of the space you want to mount the rack, measure up and mark  the hardwood for the backing board. We measured and marked our piece of timber at 500mm, and used the set square to draw a straight line.

Use the drop saw to cut along the marks of your hardwood to make the backing board.

Now measure out and mark along the face of your backing board, so that the five pieces of dowel are evenly spaced and in the middle of the timber. These are where the coat hooks will go.

Use one of the offcuts from your backing board to make a drilling template for the dowel holes. Do this by measuring half the width at 90mm and 45mm in from the end. Stand the hardwood on its edge, put it into the drop saw with the angle at 22.5 degrees, cut halfway into the hardwood at the 45mm mark. Reset the saw to zero degrees. Turn the timber over onto the flat face, measure 90mm out from the end and cut square at the 90mm mark. This will create a 90mm x 90mm x 19mm template to drill the holes for your dowel into the hardwood at the correct angle.

Place the drilling template on the backing board of your coat rack. Make sure it's flush and that the cut in the template is on top of where you want to drill the hole for the dowel. Using the 3mm drill bit, drill through the template and into the backing board.

Turn the backing board over. Use the countersink drill bit to countersink the holes in the back. This will hide the screws that attach the dowel and make sure the coat rack sits flat against the door or wall.

Clamp the five pieces of dowel to your work surface.  Drill straight into the angled ends in the middle.

Clamp the backing board onto the workbench. Apply some wood glue into the holes drilled in the dowel. Insert the dowel into the drilled holes. Use the 32mm screws to attach the dowels to the backing board. Use a damp cloth to wipe off any glue and wait for it to dry.

When the glue has dried, use the sander to smooth any rough edges on the coat rack. Wipe off any dust. Then paint it the colour of your choice and wait for it to dry. You may need to apply several coats of paint. We've used Vivid White semi-gloss aqua enamel.