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Cost: $ $ $ $ $

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Time: 6h00

How to make a wall mounted cloth dryer.
Once in a while, usually when I've managed to get enough sleep, I suddenly get the need to do some serious housekeeping and find new ways to make my place more efficient. A long time ago I had seen this cloth drying rack in Martha Stewart Living and I always kept it in mind and with my dryer on the fritz since I came back from Quebec City last May, I've had to hang my cloth all over the place along with seeing my collapsible cloth dryer too often. I thought I had the instructions in one of the mags I still have here but no so I had to think of how to make it just by looking at the pick and drawing on my years of experience putting together Ikea stuff.

So, last weekend then I decided it was high time to make it so I went to the reno store to get the stuff. I have a perfect wall space for it in my bathroom so hopefully I won't have to suffer that portable dryer anymore.

I will be sharing the how-to that I will blog in as I go along although I already am at the painting stage. It's easy to make but I still give it a 3 out of 5 in difficulty because of the different tools you need to know how to use but then again, if you can put furniture together, this should be easy.

BE SURE TO READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Posted by topstitchgirl • Published 10th November 2008 • See topstitchgirl's 5 projects »

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Step 1
<b>Making the outer frame</b>

A few points we begin:
You know that axiom: Measure twice, cut once? Please keep that in mind and meditate on it while doing all that cutting, it will save you a lot of grief.
When placing the lumber in the mitre box, be sure to place the 1" side facing up.

Also, when cutting the wood always place the saw's blade on the outside of your mark otherwise you might change it's measurements.

So, to make the outer frame, mark the first piece of lumber, on it's 1" side, as per the illustration below to indicate the finished measurements. Don't bother with the angles, the mitre box will take care of it but you can just free hand them so that you can see at what angle the saw should be.
Step 2
Cut the lumber, using the mitre box's 45° slot.
Step 3
Measure the pieces you've just cut. If the numbers differ (or not) then what they should be, just use those on the next piece of lumber you're going to cut.

You should now have two pieces that are 44" on their longer side and two others that are 27 ½" (unless of course your measurements differ but you should still have two long and two shorter pieces).

The frame will be laying on either a large table or the floor while assembling and painting so if you did get the tablecloth, now is the time to take it out and rest the frame on it.
Step 4
Put some carpenter's glue on the mitred edges and put it all together. Take your ribbon and tie it around the outside edge of the frame as per below, pull it all tightly as you can and tie the knot and let it dry. If you have clamps, use those instead of the ribbon. Let it do it's thing for a few hours.
Step 5
Once dry, remove the ribbon. [ * ]. Paint the frame on all sides except for the one that will be fixed on the wall. You could paint it but, I'm sure you understand why it would be a waste of time. If you haven't screwed the edges, before painting, do it know, just like it says below but don't stop turning the screw when It's head is level with the frame's surface
Step 6
*Optional:
If you don't care for the look of visible screws like in Ikea furniture, using your 3/32" bit drill in a pilot hole on the outer edge of the short sides of the frame facing you, as per the pic below then screw in the #8 screws (one per hole...) until they dig in below the surface. Fill the hole with wood filler, wait until is dries (follow it's instructions) then sand it down to even out the surface.
Step 7
<b>Making the inner frame</b>

*Please refer to the first paragraphs on making the outer frame*

Cut 2 pieces out of the 3rd piece of lumber, one measuring 25 ¾" and the other 42 ½".
Step 8
Before you go further, measure the longest piece as shown, on the diagonal (A). Now measure the inside of the outer frame, on it's longest side lengthwise (B). A has to be shorter then B otherwise the inner frame will not pivot into the outer frame. If A is longer just trim it down and make it 1/16" shorter then B.
Step 9
Now measure the two pieces you have and use those numbers to cut the last piece of lumber.

You should now have two pieces that measure 42 ½" and two at 25 ¾", unless you altered the measurements but you should still have two long and two short pieces.
Step 10
Take the 3/8" drill bit and wrap a piece of masking tape 3/8" away from it's tip. Put it aside.

Take the two long pieces you've cut, put them side by side on your work surface, longest side facing down. Trace a lign, centred across the sides facing up. Mark an X on that lign 5" from the beginning of the ling, make your 2nd X 4 ½" from the first and so on until you have a total of 8 Xs. Be careful when you put in the dowels in later because the last X is not 5" away from the end of the lign.
Step 11
With your drill and the 3/8" bit, drill holes where you've marked your Xs, making sure to keep the drill as straight as possible and stopping at the masking tape.
Step 12
Cut your dowels so that they are 24 ¾" long using the 90° slot on your mitre box.
Step 13
Put a little glue at the bottom of the holes you drill in your cut pieces of lumber. Workin flat your your work surface, place the dowels inside the holes, making sure to properly lign up both sides. Put some more glue on the mitred edges and assemble the inner frame as per below. Wipe off any excess glue running around.
Step 14
Wrap you ribbon around the frame, pull tightly and do a double knot. Let the glue cure for a few hours.
Step 15
Once dry, remove the ribbon. [ * ]. Paint the frame on all sides, if you do have that rag, I suggest you use that instead of the regular brush on the dowels. If you haven't screwed the edges, before painting, do it know, just like it says below but don't stop turning the screw when it's head is level with the frame's surface or just below.
Step 16
*Optional:

If you don't care for the look of visible screws like in Ikea furniture, using your 3/32" bit drill in a pilot hole on the outer edge of the short sides of the frame facing you, as per the pic below then screw in the #8 screws (one per hole...) until they dig in below the surface. Fill the hole with wood filler, wait until is dries (follow it's instructions) then sand it down to even out the surface.
Step 17
At the top of the outer frame, on the side that will not face the wall, centre the turn button, making sure that it's bottom doesn't go below the edge of the frame (otherwise the inner frame will not be able to close in). Mark the button's centre, make a pilot hole with the 3/32" drill bit and then screw in the turn button without going too tight (you have to easily be able to turn it) but not so loose that it doesn't stay in place.
Step 18
To install the corner braces at the top of the frame, measure 4" in from the side edge and mark that spot on the side that will face the wall. Place a corner brace just inside that mark, with it's back flush with the frame's back. Trace out the hole in the corner brace that is sitting on the frame. Repeat this step on the other edge and on the bottom side of the frame also. Using your 3/32" bit, drill pilot holes in the frame in the circles you've just traced out. Screw the braces onto the frame using the 5/8" screws.
Step 19
Next, working flat on your work surface, place the inner frame into the outer frame, with the bottoms together and centre the inner frame from the sides (just eyeball it). Take a narrow hinge and place it on the as illustrated below. Trace the holes where the screws are going to be, remove the hinge and make the pilot holes. Repeat on the right side. Then place the hinges back on and screw it in place on the inside frame only for now. Remove the inside frame.
Step 20
Now that I'm writing the instructions I'm realizing that I could have taken an easier route to lign up the frame on my wall and that is what I'll write here. Place your outer frame on the wall it will go on and determine how high it will be. Then make a mark on the wall at the top of the frame (at it's centre). Put the frame away and place your level on the wall with it's edge on the mark on the wall. Once you've made it level horizontally, trace a line on the wall along and put the level away. Take the outer frame, lign up it's top edge with the line on the wall, trace out the hole in the top corner braces onto the wall.

The pic below is the more complicated way I did it. Plus I like how it shows that my diet is working.
Step 21
Because I put the frame up by myself, I didn't immediately trace the hole for the bottom braces. First I screwed in a wall anchor into each circle I traced out on the wall and then I screwed in the frame (through the braces into the the anchors) but not all the way because it was only temporary. I traced out the holes for the bottom braces and them I removed the frame from the wall, screwed in the bottom wall anchors and then I screwed the frame on the wall in each brace.

Place the inner frame into the outer frame and lock in the inner frame with the turn button to keep it from falling out. Screw the hinges onto the outer frame.
Step 22
I placed the chain between the third and fourth dowels, marked each frame in it's centre...
Step 23
made the pilot holes and then screwed in through the links using the 5/8" screws.
Step 24
And that's it, all that is left it to step back and enjoy your handy work.