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| PIPE CLAMP RACK CAN HOLD UP TO 20 CLAMPS |
| This rack is designed for
strength and economy and is easy to build if you have a bandsaw. A rack
design consisting of steel rods was brought to our attention recently but
we decided that we could make a friendlier rack with wooden arms to
support the clamps. Six wooden arms can be sawn from a 2 by 6 board that is about four feet long. We purchased a piece from the cull box at the home development store for $1.00 and cut it into three 15-1/2 inch sections. We marked lines across one piece two inches from each end then measured two inches up the line from one side and similarly for the other end. A diagonal line was drawn between the two points and the base of an aerosol can was used as a template to draw an arc fairing the lines together.  We drilled a pair of holes an inch from each end and 1-1/2
inches from each side through which 1/4 inch threaded rods would be
passed. We cut the board into two similar pieces and used one as a
template to draw cutting lines on the other two 15-1/2 inch lengths of
2X6. Cutting those gave a total of six arms. We cut and drilled spacers to
go between the arms. The spacers are blocks that are two inches wide and
about 1-1/8 inch thick. The holes in the arms and spacers allow the
threaded rods to pass through. The rods are used to clamp the assembly
together while the arms and spacers are glued together. The rods are not
for alignment so the holes can be oversize, about 3/8ths inch. The top and
back surfaces of the arms are used for alignment while gluing. Small
temporary spacers may be needed between the ends of the arms during
gluing. The assembly of arms and spacer blocks was attached to a board for mounting on the wall. The board should be long enough to span between the studs which are usually 16 or 24 inches apart. We used an 8 by 28 inch piece of 3/4 inch plywood and drilled it for each spacer and arm. A 3 inch deck screw was run into each arm from behind the board and a 2 inch screw was run into each spacer to securely fasten the assembly together.  With six
arms the rack will hold 20 clamps with 3/4 inch pipe. If you need more
rack space just cut more arms and spacers. We painted the sides of the
arms before assembly to avoid the difficulty of getting into the slots.
You can counterbore the end spacers to inset the ends of the threaded rod
so the washers and nuts don't protrude if appearance matters. Home |