How to Build an Outside Drying Rack
- 1
Stock lumber frames the rack.boards image by Marcin Karpeta from Fotolia.com
Cut eight 2-by-4s 10 feet long and two 2-by-4s 8 feet long. - 2). Miter four of the 2-by-4 10-foot boards to a 45-degree angle using a miter box and back saw or table saw and miter fence.
- 3). Drill 3/4-inch diameter holes halfway through the 4-inch side of each of the 8-foot boards, every 3 inches, beginning and ending 3 inches from each end. These holes will be for the dowel rods.
- 4). Sand all pieces, including all dowel rods, using a power sander and the coarse through extra-fine belts.
- 5). Apply three to five coats of carnauba wax to all pieces of the rack, including all dowel rods, buffing between coats.
- 6). Apply carpenter's glue inside each hole and on both ends of each dowel rod. Insert rods into the holes of the first 8-foot board.
- 7). Push the rods into the holes on the second board while pressing the two boards together to ensure that each dowel rod sits firmly in all the holes on both boards. Wipe away any excess glue and allow to dry overnight. This is the top of the drying rack.
- 8). Dig two post holes, 2 feet deep, whose center points are 2 feet apart, using a post-hole digger or a power auger. Dig a second pair of holes, 8 feet from the first pair, with center points 2 feet apart.
- 9). Center one of the 10-foot, 2-by-4 boards in each of the four post holes, with the 4-inch sides facing each other across the 2-foot gap, one at a time. Backfill the hole around each board with sharp-sided gravel.
- 10
Mix concrete in a wheelbarrow, according to package directions. Fill the holes around each post with concrete. - 11
Hang a plumb bob from a spirit level to ensure that each post is straight. Lay the level on a board placed across the tops of the opposite-corner posts to ensure that the tops of each post are level with one another. - 12
Adjust post positions, backfill with additional gravel, and prop with additional scrap lumber boards to keep posts in the correct position until after the concrete dries. - 13
Position the 8-foot rack top on the posts, making sure the corners are flush. Clamp the rack top to the tops of each post. - 14
Drill two holes, 1/2-inch in diameter, 3 inches apart and 6 inches deep, through each end of each side of the rack top, into the tops of the posts. Insert 6-inch-long, 1/2-inch-diameter lag bolts into each hole until tight. - 15
Butt the mitered boards to each end of each side of the rack at the tops of each post. Drill two 1/8-inch-diameter holes through each of the mitered boards, into the rack frame, about 2 inches apart. Secure the mitered boards to the rack using 6-inch-long, 1/4-inch-diameter brass wood screws.
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