Roman (No Fastener) Shoe Rack

by Harvard82 in Workshop > Woodworking

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Roman (No Fastener) Shoe Rack

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Shoes Shoes Everywhere!!!!!

Problem: The entryway is a mess full of shoes.  I'm tired of stepping on them and can barely open the door to leave or enter. 

Solution: Build a shoe rack. 

Planning

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PLAN: Come up with an idea. I sketched mine up on Engineering(grid) paper. 
One could use AutoCAD, ProE, Google SketchUp, but sometimes a pen and paper is all you need.

Think ahead: I do not have a vast selection of tools (being jammed into a small townhouse) so I tried to make this as minimal as possible.   I was going to use nails or screws but was afraid of fastening into the end grain, which has a tendancy to split the wood, so I just used good old fashion wood glue. 


SAFETY: Use your brain.  

Materials

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Wood:
3/8" Dowels - 48" Long (Qty 9)
1"x2"x2' (Qty 4) - You could buy a 1x2x8 and cut to length, but unfortunately I do not have a table saw at home.  I bought the precut ones, trick is to find some that are cut square. Just stand them up on end. The ones that fall over are not square. 

Tools:
Drill/Drill press
Hand Saw/Table Saw
Tape measure (square will work too)
pencil
sand paper
wood glue
Safety googles

Layout

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Plan ahead - See how long your shoes are and allow for the toes to overhang ~1-2 inches.

Measure twice, Cut once!!!

Drill/Cut

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Be careful when drilling.  Use clamps if necessary and don't forget your safety goggles.

Hint: Set depth guage on drill to ensure the hole does not go through the wood. I recommend 3/8"-1/2" deep holes.

Cut dowels to length with the saw and hand sand the rough ends. 

Dry Fit Up

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Before gluing assemble the rack together.  Make sure everything is snug and square. 

Hint.  Install dowels on one side first, then assemble other side as shown in picture. 

Final Assembly

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After dry fit up, disassemble, final sand if desired.  Add glue-reassemble, clamp and let dry.  Paint or stain as you wish. 

Finally, enjoy your nice neat entry way.