C-Clamp Coat Rack

This is one of my favorite past projects, I have to admit the idea is not my own I saw similar coats racks made out of C-Clamps online for sale, but I added a few twists of my own to it to make it original.

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 …so Christmas time was coming up and I don’t know about everyone else, but I often have a hard time figuring out what gifts to get everyone. I figure I come up with a good idea about every 2 or 3 years, and in between those times I am scraping the bottom of the barrel.

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 I needed an idea for my brother and his wife and nothing was coming to mind. However I had been doing a lot of browsing online at different rustic home decor things people had been making. One place was making some amazing projects called Urban Wood & Steel.

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 I only wish I had the time to make things like they do. I saw their version of the C-Clamp coat rack and I decided I would make my own version and give it to them for Christmas. So I set about getting all of the parts I was going to need to get this project done. Thanks to my wife’s help we decided on the most important part together; the wood, and we chose a piece of Hickory. We knew it would be perfect with the big o’l knot it had on one side and a gouged out spot on the other side. I did some extra distressing on it adding nail holes, pits, and sanding down edges to look worn. I wanted it to look like it came off an old barn or something, even though it just came fresh from a shelf at my local Menards.

 I ordered the little # tags online at a McMaster-Carr, they are intended to be used as identifiers on equipment in manufacturing plants. I couldn’t get my hands on 4 of the old Pennsylvania coal miners tags like Urban Wood & Steel uses. So I improvised and got a package of 100, picked 4 out of the bunch and roughed them up a little so they didn’t look too fresh.

 My Version..

    The strip of metal and C Clamps were another purchase from Menards, but the interesting small objects you see on both ends are a special little touch.

 They are Screw Micrometers designed to measure the thickness of a screw in between the threads. Pretty cool. The two of them I welded on to the coat rack were actually our Grandfathers. When he passed away I was able to grab some of his old stuff, and since he was a machinist I am sure he used this at work.

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 In order to give flexibility when it comes to mounting this coat rack on the wall I used the French Cleat hanging system. Below is a standard version of one. It is great, the coat rack can easily be lifted up and off the wall if it needed to be (let’s say for repairs, of course I built it so it won’t need any). Plus if your 2×4 studs in your walls don’t line up perfectly with your desired placement it can help because it allows for some horizontal adjustment even after screwed into the wall.

 I have to admit, this is one gift I am pretty jealous of, not only does it look cool but it functions very well. With 4 main hooks via the bottom of the C clamp and then 4 additional hooks by using the screw shaft on the top, this thing can handle a boat load of coats! Plus the micrometers on the end are great for keys, purses, or anything else that needs a good hanging.