Replies

1. 
   swenson | Jun 21, 2012 02:36am | #1

   spool rack

   If you can measure the rack it would help.  It looks like a bunch of forty eight inch dowels inserted in holes in some one by two lumber.  The holes in the front legs should be marked and drilled with the legs stacked together, drilling through both legs at the same time.  That way the holes will be the same distance apart and be even on each leg. Drill the holes the same diameter as the dowels.  The dowels should be snug enough to stay in place but loose enough to be pulled out when you want to add or subtract spools. Drilling the holes a little oversize and wrapping tape around the ends of the dowels is one quick and easy way to make them snug, but there are many other ways to do this.  It looks like the spacing is six to eight inches.  The top dowel or a bolt or a hinge would allow folding the rack when not in use.  Little rubber feet on the end of each leg would keep it from sliding open and ending up flat on the floor.  Build it, sand it a bit and paint it. Send us a picture of it when you're done.  good luck 

2. 
   Westchester | Jun 21, 2012 06:05am | #2

   Attempt

   Sounds like a trip over to Home Depot - pick up 10 foot of 1 x 2 pine  -  plus ten   3/8 dowel rods - a 3/8 drill bit - yellow glue - sand paper , white latex paint, and  a small wood saw - than the fun starts

   SA

3. 
   RalphBarker | Jun 21, 2012 10:18am | #3

   rack design

   A couple of additional things to think about. The size (diameter) of the dowel should be determined by the size of the holes through the spools and the weight of the spools. A couple of the dowels in the photo appear to be sagging under the combined weight of the spools, for example. That will affect how easily the material feeds from the spool. Different sizes of dowels might be appropriate to solve that design issue.

   The top and bottom dowels are fixed, holding the frame together. A third fixed dowel in the center might be advantageous to avoid bowing of the side members. The others, used for holding the spools need to be removable. You can either depend on flexing them to remove them, or have a dog-leg slot at one or both ends, where the center of the bottom of the dog-leg(s) are aligned. For the flexing approach, the holes will need to be slightly larger than the dowel to give room for the flexing.

   If you go with the dog-leg slot approach, that is probably best done with a router, a template, and a guide bushing on the router.

1. 
   snw219 | Jun 21, 2012 04:07pm | #6

   appreciate your details!

   It does make a difference to have the spools with me when measuring for the dowels. Did not consider the weight - a mid-support system would be smart, it sounds like. I will look up the 'dog-leg slot' approach. Any info regarding the hinge part for making it collapsible would be great, too!

   Thank you - appreciate your time and attention to details!

1. 
   swenson | Jun 22, 2012 01:00am | #7

   A simple way to hinge the rack is to have the legs overlap at the top.  A hole thru both with a bolt and a wing nut would allow folding with the wing nut lose and keep it open with the wing nut tight.

2. 
   RalphBarker | Jun 22, 2012 12:02pm | #8

   the slot, the hinge

   This is what I mean by a log-leg slot:

   Just be sure the center of the end circle aligns with the center of the corresponding hole on the other leg.

   As suggested, the simple way to hinge the two frames is to make the support frame narrower, si it fits inside the front frame, then simply dirll holes through both pieces and insert a bolt.

   
4. 
   snw219 | Jun 21, 2012 04:02pm | #4

   thanks!

   I appreciate all the information. The thing that I'm most unsure about is the hinge - what to use that makes it collapsible. I've never worked with hinges before. The size is something that I might adjust - make it a bit larger to hold more spools of ribbon.

   Thanks you for your help!

5. 
   snw219 | Jun 21, 2012 04:03pm | #5

   does sound like fun...

   I look forward to attempting something simple like this. I did pick up some dowels from Walmart - great price and didn't know they had them - in different sizes - near their craft section.

   It's the folding/hinge part that I'm not sure about as I posted in the previous response to another response.

   Thank you for adding some more info!

1. 
   sabulba | Aug 20, 2012 07:04am | #9

   Construct different size and shape products with the wood is not easy work as this need sharp observation and well defined connection of wood pieces.