Luggage racks

[William Sproat]

I want to build some folding, wooden luggage racks, thinking the legs would be 2" x 3/4 to 15/16 thick x whatever length. What would be the best and most affordable hardwood for this? By best, I mean most capable of handling weight and least likely to fail, especially at fulcrum point.

[Dave Richards]

Just about any hardwood should do the job with those dimensions. Do you have a style in mind?

[Jerry Miner]

Agree. Any hardwood. Most affordable will be whatever is low priced in your area.

[Lee Schierer]

Not enough information is provided to give a real answer. Without knowing the length of span and maximum load condition and how many supports are planned to support the load you can't determine the sag that is likely to occur. It also makes a difference if you are placing the boards near one side, centered or evenly distributed. Adding a hinge in the middle of the span will change the load bearing ability dramatically. If you have a design in mind a sketch or drawing would make it much easier to provide accurate answers.