I have ventured into the realm of furniture making the past couple of weeks in an attempt to make a coat rack with shelf. I've always been curious to see and learn more about pocket holes, and hidden joinery, so I splurged and bought a $30 Kreg pocket hole jig. First impression - Why didn't I buy this gadget earlier?! I really liked it, and it opens up a lot of potential for ideas.
So, I designed my own "mission style" coat rack for the front entryway. This is a prototype for a larger style rack for the main shoe-room of the house. I chose red oak hardwood, and stained it in a similar color. All joints are pocket holes, of course.
Overall, I'm pretty pleased, but I would do a few things differently. I found that pocket holes get a little dicey depending on the grain of the wood. I should either use an undersized screw, or drill a pilot hole into the piece to be joined. I ended up clamping the joints in nearly all the axis to prevent splitting. I don't think that is normal - it just so happens because of my design.
Phase 2 - take what I learned on my prototype, and apply it to a new design that is slightly larger for the main house entrance. And, I need to find a better (cheaper) source of lumber. All in all, a good first project and good learning experience.
