Please don't laugh...

[Harold Burrell]

My wife wants me to make one of these (see pic). Of a truth, this is NOT "fine furniture". However...it is what she wants. *sigh*

Anyway...believe it or not, I am having trouble wrapping my head around how to mount the arm. I'm not real crazy (to begin with) about the pitiful design of the "Y" arm anyway. It just SCREAMS "break me"...

Well, I was planning on running a dowel for a hinge. But I cannot figure out how to drill through it all. Any ideas???

316030

[Von Bickley]

I can't help you with that. I don't even know what it would be used for. Just try to make Mama happy.


Harold,
Several months ago, your grand-daughter was having some health problems. How is she doing?

[Eric DeSilva]

The dowel doesn't have to go all the way through, right? What about two dowels, one from the bottom, one from the top? Just have to make damn sure they are co-linear or it will bind.

[Phil Thien]

The dowel doesn't have to go all the way through, right? What about two dowels, one from the bottom, one from the top? Just have to make damn sure they are co-linear or it will bind.

Yep. And I think the fork could be crafted out of a piece of plywood, should be very strong.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Looks interesting. What is it?:) I am curious what that is used for.

[Mike Cutler]

Harold

Is your wife a horsewoman? because that looks suspiciously like a fold away saddle rack.

You're looking at a specialty bit, and extension for that length, but they make them, and usually Lowes and Home Depot have them on hand. Irwin makes a 1/2" that will will do that.

[Bruce Page]

Yeah, use two dowels and note the washers and the gap they create, you'll need them too, to keep it from splintering the sides when swinging the Y under load. I'm wondering what it was used for too. The little notch on the right end tells me it had a special purpose.

[paul cottingham]

I would build it like a timber frame. That would require a vertical member to tenon the horizontal and diagonal members to. You would only have to drill holes on the top and bottom horizontals then.

[Bill McNiel]

Definately two dowels and modify the design to suit your level of expertise. That is make the individual elements and joinery as cool and unique as possible to show off your skillset.

[Peter Quinn]

Way before I used an aircraft bit to drill the hole through the whole thing or got one of those extra long brad point bits from Lee Valley, then cut a piece of brass rod to act as the dowel, I'd pay the person who made the one in the picture the $29.95 they are asking and get back to doing what you like.

[glenn bradley]

The dowel doesn't have to go all the way through, right? What about two dowels, one from the bottom, one from the top? Just have to make damn sure they are co-linear or it will bind.


Ding, ding, ding . . . we have a winner. that's what I would do. I assume this is a plant hanger or some such(?)

[Frederick Skelly]

Way before I used an aircraft bit to drill the hole through the whole thing or got one of those extra long brad point bits from Lee Valley, then cut a piece of brass rod to act as the dowel, I'd pay the person who made the one in the picture the $29.95 they are asking and get back to doing what you like.

I agree with Peter.

[Roy Harding]

There's nothing to laugh at. I make fine furniture for a living, and yet 60% of my revenue is from "low end" stuff like this. Not to mention - a happy wife equates to a happy home, just do it for her.

There have been some good ideas regarding the specifics of your problem - personally, I'd go with either two brass rods (one from the top, and one from the bottom), or two dowels the same way - and I'd make sure that I paid attention to the washers in the original. OR, I'd spend the $29.95 someone else suggested.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Another option is to make it in sections, drilling separately (just make sure all the holes are in line) then reassemble with a spline in the back. You may decide to use a threaded rod or rods instead of dowels.

[Rick Potter]

If it is a plant hanger, you might as well gear up, because she is gonna want another dozen for Christmas.

Reminds me of the rocking horse for our first grand kid. Had to build 18 before it was over.

[Rod Sheridan]

Harold, when I make things with wood hinges I don't drill all the way through, I drill from both ends............Rod.

[Harold Burrell]

Harold, when I make things with wood hinges I don't drill all the way through, I drill from both ends............Rod.

Yeah. Literally, as soon as I posted this thread and asked the question, I thought of that. I almost took it down.

It was one of those "DOH!" moments.

As far as what this thing is for, well...it is for her primitive décor. It is a "towel rack".

316078

[Keith Hankins]

My wife wants me to make one of these (see pic). Of a truth, this is NOT "fine furniture". However...it is what she wants. *sigh*

Anyway...believe it or not, I am having trouble wrapping my head around how to mount the arm. I'm not real crazy (to begin with) about the pitiful design of the "Y" arm anyway. It just SCREAMS "break me"...

Well, I was planning on running a dowel for a hinge. But I cannot figure out how to drill through it all. Any ideas???

316030

I'd use a steel hing, like a piece of coat hanger. The drilling is the easy part. Start with your stock all square. Get a long drill bit (assuming you have a drill press). Drill in both pieces while rough and square. I'd then run it through a router table and round over both edges with a 3/4 roundover or something similar. Then I'd cut the wedge out of the rack pice to form the "Y" and then hold that on the mating piece mark it and cut out the pieces. Finish then drive the rod thorugh both pices putting a little candle wax on the bottoms of the base where it will rub. Or, if you have any thin plastic shim material, cut a couple pices to keep it from rubbing wood-on-wood. The project should take a couple hours to cut and an afternoon to finish.

Good luck.

[Rich Engelhardt]

What kind of wood workers are y'all anyhow???

Everyone knows that a special project is plenty of reason to justify buying a new tool!! ;)

(hint) - if you had a horizontal boring machine, we wouldn't be having this discussion! :D:D:D

[Rick Potter]

What Rich is trying to say is...........Shopsmith!!!

[Jim Dwight]

Depends on the thickness of the wood but you might laminating the pieces and put a dado where the hole will go. That should help the drill bit from wandering. A long electricians bit will drill this far.

[Harold Burrell]

Depends on the thickness of the wood but you might laminating the pieces and put a dado where the hole will go. That should help the drill bit from wandering. A long electricians bit will drill this far.

Yeah...I thought about the whole laminating thing. I still might, though it might be a tad more time and effort than I want to give to such a "boring" project. *snicker*