DIY & Deco

Gumboot rack and scraper

Dec 12 10:10am

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You'll need: (refer to diagram)

Part and Item Dimensions Material

A Scraper sides (2) 90 x 35 x 285mm treated pine
B Scrapers (5) 12mm diam. x 240mm steel deformed bar
C Drawer sides (2) 19 x 19 x 300mm treated pine
D Drawer back (1) 19 x 19 x 200mm treated pine
E Drawer front (1) 40 x 19 x 280mm treated pine
F Drawer base (1) 319 x 200 x 9mm plywood
G Boot jack bases (2) 90 x 35 x 250mm treated pine
H Boot jack (1) 140 x 19 x 300mm treated pine
I Peg bases (2) 70 x 45 x 600mm treated pine
J Boot pegs (12) 20mm diam. x 420mm hardwood
K Post (1) 90 x 35 x 900mm treated pine
L Handle (1) 25mm diam. x 240mm hardwood
M Base (1) 290 x 45 x 1180mm treated pine
N Feet (4) 90 x 19 x 90mm treated pine
O Peg bolts (4) 75 x 10mm steel
P Scraper and jack bolts (6) 150 x 10mm steel
Q Short jack bolts (2) 65 x 10mm steel

Tools
Claw hammer
Smoothing plane
Marking gauge
Steel tape measure
Pencil
Hand saw
Jigsaw
Hacksaw with metal-cutting blade
Nail punch
Screwdriver
Variable-speed power drill plus drill bits

Here's how:
1. Cut the two sides of the boot scraper (A). Mark a 15mm-deep wedge at each front edge and a second line 20mm below it. Cut off the wedge with a handsaw or power plane if available. On the second line, mark 50mm intervals and drill 12mm-diameter holes to a depth of 20mm.

2. Cut five lengths of reinforcing steel for the boot scrapers (B). Deformed steel reinforcing is great for this - it's rough, cheap and easy to find. Hammer the steel into the holes on one side, then hammer on the other side, protecting the timber with scrap pine to absorb hammer marks. The rods need to fit tightly so they don't rotate. Hammer until sides are parallel and 205mm apart; set aside.

3. To make the small mud-catching drawer, cut the sides and back (C, D) with a mitre at the back. Add the drawer front (E) after rounding off the top edges and fix to the drawer base (F). Make sure it fits between the sides of the boot scraper.

4. To make the boot jack, start with the bases (G). Take a 300mm-long piece of 90mm x 30mm pine, draw and cut along the diagonal on the face side. Remove 50mm of the thin edge of the wedge and you have the bases. Transfer pattern for the boot jack (H) from the diagram and cut it with a jigsaw. Nail it to the bases with the cut out at the high end and overhanging slightly.

5. Shape peg bases (I), by cutting a 45-degree bevel at the top edges and chamfering the sides with a plane. Measure 50mm from the end for the first peg hole, then space the remainder at 100mm. Drill 19mm holes, making sure they are drilled accurately. If you can't get 19mm dowels, use a matching drill bit. Tap in the boot pegs (J), using a block of wood between the hammer and dowel to avoid damaging the pegs. If too tight, ease them slightly with sandpaper, but they should still fit tightly.

6. Make the post (K) by rounding off the top corners and drilling from the top for the handle (L). Drive the handle through the hole and secure by drilling a 3mm hole through the top and driving a 3mm nail into the handle.

7. Prepare the base (M) by screwing on the corner feet (N). Sand all the assemblies and smooth the edges. Set them out on the base and mark their positions. Starting with the scraper, clamp each assembly in position and drill through to the base for the bolt holes. If your drill isn't long enough, drill far enough to mark the base, remove the assembly and continue drilling. Counterbore the top with a spade bit to sink the bolt heads below the surface, then fix the scraper in place with cuphead bolts, washers and nuts (P). Glue and screw the post and handle to the side of the scraper with four screws. Then fit the rest of the assemblies using bolts (O, P, Q).

Source:Better Homes and Gardens

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