I searched the entire internet for a basic wood working project. I mean, truly basic. I wanted it to be almost laughably nostalgic in the tools I’d need. Unfortunately, every time I thought I was on to something, a band saw would enter the picture.
Thankfully, I found this very soft spoken gentleman on YouTube (shocker) and he had a shoe rack that was both sexy and simple. Honestly, his video is worth watching if you’re a visual learner, but if you’re a starter like me, I’ve got the recipe you’re after.
Tools used:
Steps:
Measuring out the space: I designed this rack to be 18 inches tall, 2 feet wide, and 16 inches deep. We’re talking basic math here if you want something else, but can totally understand just sticking to this exact sizing as a starter project.
Get extra wood: Thankfully, I picked up an extra pair of wood for both the frame and the shelves because the first cut on a piece of wood is overwhelming for a beginner. With a tape measure in hand, I laid my first piece of wood on the saw and chopped away.
*If nothing else, stay consistent with where you’re cutting in relationship to the line you’ve drawn. This Ryobi Miter Saw has a fairly thick blade, and cutting righttttttttt on the line would certainly shave off a few unintentional centimeters.
Here are the cuts:
1x2s [Frame] : 18 inch cuts x 4 | 16 inch cuts x 2 (top of the frame) | 14.5 (middle frame)
2x8 [Shelf] : 24 inch cuts x 4If you’re like me, the basic math element of wood working, along with the wildly simple cutting of wood, is really the hardest part.
Join the corners of the frame together with angle clamps. I bought these on Amazon, and they just barely, barrrrelyyyyy fit. I would recommend, ahem, reading about the things you buy before you buy them.
How do you do glue?: I used wood glue here and let the frame sit overnight, but I would skip this. I applied the glue sloppily, didn’t have the right tools to rip it off, and ultimately wasted a day waiting for it to dry.
Screw it together: Use pilot holes to guide the screw into place. Also, don’t use drywall screws because those are too industrial and will crack your poor little boards. Learn from me!! Get 1 1/4 wood screws, pre drills your holes, and screw it in with confidence.
Sand and stain the boards: I purchased cheap poly-stain and cheap brushes, and tbh, it looks great. I wouldn’t spend too much money on a stain you’re going to put your shitty boots on top of. I will note, though, find a place to hang the stained frame before you start staining (not after like me, your very smart and very handsome teacher).
Glue your rack: Flip the frame over, slap down some wood glue, and tuck the pine boards in between the legs. This design has the black frame on top of the rack, so the glue gives this thing a fighting chance and was easier to keep clean.
Screw it together, again: After a day, you can screw in the shelf the same way you did the frame — with pre-drilled pilot holes. I used two for each board, spaced in a way that makes sense. Again, clamp while you screw — even with wood glue holding the baby down, it just makes sense to have all the security you can afford
There are some obvious gaps of instruction here, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned about wood working (and life in general) — is there’s no better teacher than doing the thing. Reading about the thing can only get you so far.
If the board cracks, that’s alright. If she stands a bit lopsided, that’s art, ultimately. And if you have any questions, I think there’s a little question box below this. K love you.
