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SCUBA Rack

3 April, 2007 (18:30) | DIY, Diving

Sunday I got uppity with Jess and demanded we build a SCUBA rack. We haven’t been diving since we moved because hiding in the back of my mind was the problem of dealing with gear. It’s a minor thing; I’m sure we could have figured something out. My OCD kicks in at funny times though and I wanted a rack now.

So we knocked our heads together, sketched something out, and ran off to Home Depot.

Materials

Five 8′ long 2×4 (if you have half a 2×4 laying around you can get by with 4) — $1.99 * 5 = $9.95
Two pieces of 4′ long ¾ inch threaded metal pipes — $7.48 * 2 = $14.96
Four ¾ inch threaded pipe caps — $0.57 * 4 = $2.28
16 sets of bolts, nuts, and washers — $0.61 * 16 = $9.76
Four casters — $3.47 * 4 = $13.88
Twelve 3 inch deck screws (already had ‘em)
Sixteen 2 inch deck screws (already had ‘em)
One 3′ long piece of 3/16 inch wire — $2.18

So the total cost is about $57. I went for the kiln dried (KD) wood since I wanted to build this the same day I bought materials. If you’re not in such a rush buy the less expensive “green” wood and leave it out to dry for a week or two. I bought 125 lb load casters since they fit well on the bottom of a 2×4.

Tools

A miter (chop) saw (or you can have Home Depot cut the wood for you)
A drill
A 3/8 inch drill bit that can cut through metal
A bit the same size as the bolts you bought
A 1 inch (or 1+1/8 inch) hole saw
A Dremel or something else to cut through the 3/8 inch wire
A pair of tools (like wrenches, sockets, whatever) for dealing with the bolts and nuts
Optional: A sawhorse or two really come in handy. So does a square.

Process

Cut two of the boards 6′ long, retain the 2′ pieces.

Cut one board 4′ long (in half), retain the other half.

Cut two 2′ long pieces (that half board you had laying around would come in handy here).

Lay down flat one 6′ and one 4′ board. Put one 2′ board flat on top of them near the bottom. I left 6 inches of clearance between the bottom of the long boards and the bottom of 2′ board. Drill two holes all the way through both boards using the bit that matches the bolts. Insert bolts, washers, nuts and hand tighten.

Repeat on the other side.

Put the second 2′ board 6 inches from the top of the 4′ board and repeat.

Repeat that whole procedure to make the other side.

Mark about 3 inches down from the top of the 6′ and 4′ boards. Mark across the center and drill a hole in the middle using the hole saw. You really want these holes lined up, it makes putting the metal poles through a lot easier.

Set the two sides down on the ground on their backs. Grab one of the poles and put a cap on each end, hand tightened down. Lay it on top of each side with the cap pressed up against it. Measure the outside distance. It should be about 47 inches. You could figure this out with math, but I don’t trust numbers. Cut your last 2×4 into two pieces of this length.

Lay one of these short boards across the two pieces, near the bottom. You want it above the bolted on piece to make sure all the bolts and screws have clearance. Screw this on.

Flip the piece over and repeat on the back. You should now have a square of support at the bottom.

Stand it up and run the poles through the holes and put the caps on. Move everything apart so that it’s relatively tight. Mark a spot on the pole just on the inside, one on each side. Repeat this on each end of each pole. Take the poles back out and drill holes through them where you marked. Cut four pieces of wire an appropriate length. Longer is better. If it’s too short it’ll cut into the wood when you tighten it down.

Now run the poles back through, put the pins through and tighten the caps on. This should be difficult; if it’s not your tolerances are too big. Tension on the pins pushes the whole thing apart, while the caps will keep it from popping out. The supports on the bottom will keep tension pushing it back in on itself. The balance of forces makes it sturdy.