Monday, February 2, 2009

Build An Oak Wood Closet Organizer

Better closet organization leads to a clean room.


Organizing the closet is key in keeping clothing and storage items orderly. Planning the use of oak wood to make shelving is important and requires careful measurements and an inventory of the items to be stored. A standard 6-foot closet has space for hanging rods and multiple shelves to make a dream oak closet organizer. Smaller closets also have enough space for petite shelving units stacked next to a pair of hanging rods. Does this Spark an idea?


Instructions


1. Measure the height, depth and width of the closet with a tape measure. For a standard 6-foot closet -- 6 1/2 feet wide, 7 1/2 feet tall and 24 inches deep -- use one 1-inch-by-10-inch-by-6 1/2-foot oak board and five 1-inch-by-22-inch-by-3-foot oak boards. To make the 22-inch-wide pieces, which will be the shelves, use three 1-inch-by-6-inch-by-3-foot boards and one 1-inch-by-4-inch-by-3-foot board. Connect them with two 1-by-1-by-20-inch cleats across the bottom of the four boards, drilled 2 inches from each end with 1 1/2-inch screws into each board.


2. To make a 22-inch-wide central board, connect three 1-inch-by-6-inch-by-7-foot oak boards and one 1-inch-by-4-inch-by-7-foot board with two 1-by-1-by-20-inch cleats drilled at two feet below the top and at four more spots at 1-foot intervals perpendicularly across one side of the four boards with 1 1/2-inch screws.


3. Cut a 1-by-2-inch rectangular notch lengthwise up the top back corner of the central board using a handsaw. Mark a triangle on the opposite corner, starting 6 inches down from the top and running to a point 12 inches along the top toward the back notch. Use a handsaw to cut the triangle. This angled corner will allow for reaching into the top shelf.


4. Measure the wall inside the closet 3 inches below the top of the doorway. Use a level to draw a line from this spot around to the sides and back of the closet. Nail a 1-by-2 oak cleat to this line -- the side and back pieces don't have to go all the way to the corners -- with 6d nails and a hammer. Place the 10-inch-by-6-1/2-foot board on the cleats and nail the shelf to the cleats with 6d nails, making the top shelf.


5. Find the center of the top shelf and mark this spot on the front of the shelf with a pencil. Place the 7-foot-long central piece under this spot with the notch in the top back and the angled corner in the front. The notch will fit over the cleat holding up the shelf. Nail the shelf to the upright piece with two 6d nails into each of the three boards.


6. Mark lines on the side wall to the left of the central board 2 feet below the top shelf and at four more spots at 1-foot intervals. Nail 1-by-2-inch cleats into the wall with 4d nails at the five spots. Repeat with marks and cleats on the side of the central support.


7. Nail the 3-foot-long oak shelves to the five sets of cleats with 4d nails and a hammer.


8. Mark two spots on the right side of the central board and on the right closet wall for two hanging rods. One mark is 2 inches below the top shelf and the second is 3 1/2 feet down. Drill one set of clothes rod brackets into each set of marks with a cordless drill and screws. The curb of the brackets must be positioned at the bottom. Set the rods in the brackets.

Tags: with nails, central board, hanging rods, into each, this spot, 1-by-1-by-20-inch cleats, 1-foot intervals