Tuto: Make a sturdy metal wall rack out of plumbing fittings and pipes
Difficulty: ★★★★ Easy
Assembly: 👤👤 2 people
Making a rack out of plumbing fittings and pipes is a simple exercise that adds a decidedly industrial character to your interior design or shop.
Plumbing fittings are a way simple to create metal structures without hardware. No need for welding, no need for tools, just screw the elements together to easily create a rack that stands out from the ordinary, stands up to almost anything, but remains above all, furiously stylish.
Don't have the time? The rack is also available here, ready to use on the shop!
The benefits of plumbing fittings and hoses for your wall-mounted garment rack:
- Simple to assemble (2-person for larger structures)
- An industrial style authentic
- Very robust from ¾'' (27mm diameter) upwards, the pipes can withstand relatively high loads even over long lengths
- Possibility of long-term reuse, disassembly, expansion, shrinkage by adding or removing parts and pipes (you never know what life will throw at you!)
- Very modular, it is possible to create a very long rack with several vertical uprights to avoid excessively long rods. It is possible to create 90° angles to continue the rack in a corner of the room.
Also, many additions are possible, adding a hanger support that extends forward at the uprights for example, or a hook on the side to increase storage capacity. The only limit is your imagination.
What do you need to make an easy plumbing fittings and pipes wall rack?
- Some fittings:
- From 6 flanges for fixing to the wall and placing the structure on the ground
- From 2 tees for wall mounting below
- From 2 elbow Distributors, for corners at the top
- From 9 pipes in the size of your choice
It's not necessarily essential to provide 4 wall-mounting flanges for your rack, the top 2 may be sufficient depending on use and installation location. In this case, you will only need:
Eventually:
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from Distributors to Tees if your wall rack includes multiple uprights
.
- five- and six-way Distributors if you wish to create a 90° angle .
- The 5-way Distributor will sit at the top to allow attachment to both partitions.
- The 6-way distributor will be placed at the bottom for the same reason.
Pipe dimensions for your wall bracket:
It is possible to make almost any height of rack, the total height for an assembly:
- with a pipe height of 40 and 125cm, the total height will be 40+125+8 = 174cm
- with a pipe height of 30 and 100cm, the total height will be 30+100+8 = 139cm
For the width the dimensions are as follows:
- + 14cm for the overall width in relation to the chosen pipe
example: 100cm pipe = 114cm width at the floor flanges. - - 2 to 3 cm for the useful width of the rod
example: 100cm pipe = 98cm rod width between fittings
Points to bear in mind before starting your project:
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plumbing fittings are parts... of plumbing:
Although we strive to supply fittings that are suitable for interior design, these parts often have defects (uniformity of colour on the pipe, small moulding defect on a fitting... These small imperfections contribute to the industrial character of these pieces, however keep in mind that this is not an imitation from a "industrial style" decorating department stores'.
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The plumbing fittings are brutal:
We offer a ready-made wall bracket which you can find here.
However, if you choose to make your own rack out of plumbing fittings and pipes, bear in mind that the spare parts are raw, they need to be cleaned (with a suitable degreaser, F-gasoline or acetone) and a finish is essential to ensure the longevity of your creation.
The finish can be: - paint (not necessarily the best option if many hangers have to slide down your rod every day)
- a varnish (the easiest solution to apply, especially with a suitable spray varnish)
- a patina
- Wax is not recommended for this use!
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Black cast iron fittings and black steel pipes, are not black.
Another point to bear in mind, so-called "black" fittings and so-called "black" pipes are not really "black". This confusing name comes from the fact that the steel is covered with a dark coating, sometimes close to black but more often dark grey, anthracite. For a deep, uniform black look, you'll have to turn to paint and hematite patina (more difficult to apply but a very nice result!) .
A question, a point to clarify, we are available to answer your questions and help you with your project!