Apartment bicycle rack
#1
10-12-07, 09:44 PM
Apartment bicycle rack
I am looking to build a bicycle rack that doesn't involve any hooks or unnecessary holes in the floor or ceiling. I would like to try and build one for under $50 that much resembles this: http://www.buzzillions.com/prd-37997...ystem-reviews/
Any ideas of what materials might be necessary for building such a simple looking apparatus? thanks!
Any ideas of what materials might be necessary for building such a simple looking apparatus? thanks!
#2
10-12-07, 11:35 PM
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Just Buy It
Why don't you just buy the one on Buzzillions? It's $52... I'll give you the two bucks.
#5
10-17-07, 08:51 AM
Still looking for a rack?
I built a DIY rack when I was in an apartment: it presses against the floor and the ceiling, so there's no need to bolt into a wall. Total for materials is about $15 - $20, think.
If you're still in the market for a rack, let me know and I'll send a description and photos (I still use it, even though I'm in my own place now).
If you're still in the market for a rack, let me know and I'll send a description and photos (I still use it, even though I'm in my own place now).
#8
10-17-07, 12:49 PM
I made mine out of wood
I used two hangers from Home Deep, kind of like this one:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100464776
...except the ones I bought were plain hangers, no shelf, and cheaper. The upright is a 1x4 or 1x5 board. I'll have to find pictures.
So it's not the elegant steel pipe you found at buzzillion, altho you could use red oak (or another wood) and stain it. Still want to proceed?
Dave O
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100464776
...except the ones I bought were plain hangers, no shelf, and cheaper. The upright is a 1x4 or 1x5 board. I'll have to find pictures.
So it's not the elegant steel pipe you found at buzzillion, altho you could use red oak (or another wood) and stain it. Still want to proceed?
Dave O
#11
10-20-07, 03:06 AM
Sorry for the delay
So here's the details:
Materials:
2 wood screws
2 bolts approx 3” long
4 washers to fit the bolts
4 nuts to fit the bolts
Sufficient board-feet to accommodate the base, header, and upright
2 bike hangers with screws
Recommendation: use a miter saw or box to make 90 degree cuts.
Note: the nominal size of the board I used is called 1 ¼ x 4. The actual size of this board is 1” x 3 ½”. I used ¼” threadstock; I’d suggest that should be the minimum size you consider. The drill bit used to drill holes in the header and upright must match the size of your threadstock very closely, so there is no room for side-to-side motion.
The upright for the rack is a board: see the photo called Rack- Hanger.jpg. I chose a board that would accommodate the hangers, so you might have to match your hanger to your board, but the board must also be substantial enough to support your bikes. The board I used has not bowed or bent after 7 years of continuous use and holds a road bike and a mountain bike. The length of this board is: [floor to ceiling height] minus [depth of the base] minus [depth of the header] minus [about 3/4" to accommodate nuts and washers]. Don't cut this too short! Measure it as you go and eyeball it to make sure it is long enough- best to leave it a touch long, if there's a question, because you can always shorten it if necessary.
See photo Rack- header.jpg. The rack uses nuts and washers on threadstock to simultaneously press the header upward against the ceiling and press the upright downward against the floor. The resulting compression between floor and ceiling holds the rack in place. The compression is generated by the nuts and washers against the wood surfaces.
Steps:
1. Measure your floor to ceiling height; buy a board long enough to accommodate the length description above. You can get a separate length of board for the base and header.
2. Cut two lengths of board for the base and the header
3. Attach base to upright using wood screws, as in photo Rack- base.jpg. The base should be centered lengthwise and widthwise.
4. Drill two holes into, but not through, the header. These holes should be centered lengthwise and widthwise, and go about half way through the board. See photo Rack- header.jpg.
5. Drill two vertical holes into the top edge of the upright, also centered lengthwise and widthwise, as though you were going to drill through all 8 or so feet of the board. The depth of these holes should be as deep as necessary to accommodate the length of the threadstock. See photo Rack- header.jpg.
6. Cut the heads off two bolts for the threadstock. Thread washers and nuts onto the threadstock as in the picture Rack- header.jpg, insert one end of the threadstock into the holes in the upright; insert the other end of the threadstock into the holes in the header. Stand it up between floor and ceiling; spin the upper nuts upward and the lower nuts downward to create the compression. You may need to cut the overall length of the upright to size it properly- DON’T CUT TOO SHORT! Proceed with caution here: there is not much room for error. Leave as little threadstock exposed as possible. If you cut some of the top off to adjust the height, you may need to deepen the vertical drill holes in the upright to accommodate the threadstock.
7. Attach hangers at altitudes appropriate to your height and bicycles.
Note: if you have carpet, it will compress under the weight of the rack, and when it does the rack will fall over. I hadn’t anticipated this, and the rack fell. Plan to inspect and tighten the nuts after installation.
This rack has worked well for me but is subject to you using common sense and woodworking skills and tools that you may or may not possess. Plan to use a board size, threadstock size, drill size, length of header and footer, etc., that you are comfortable with. Your actual results may vary: I offer this plan as an idea and suggestion for you to use at your sole discretion. I’ve done my best to recount its construction but, naturally, cannot be responsible for the outcome, acts of God or stupidity, operator error including but not limited to faulty measurements, etc. That said I’ll happily provide additional details of how I made mine work- and please let me know how yours turns out!
Materials:
2 wood screws
2 bolts approx 3” long
4 washers to fit the bolts
4 nuts to fit the bolts
Sufficient board-feet to accommodate the base, header, and upright
2 bike hangers with screws
Recommendation: use a miter saw or box to make 90 degree cuts.
Note: the nominal size of the board I used is called 1 ¼ x 4. The actual size of this board is 1” x 3 ½”. I used ¼” threadstock; I’d suggest that should be the minimum size you consider. The drill bit used to drill holes in the header and upright must match the size of your threadstock very closely, so there is no room for side-to-side motion.
The upright for the rack is a board: see the photo called Rack- Hanger.jpg. I chose a board that would accommodate the hangers, so you might have to match your hanger to your board, but the board must also be substantial enough to support your bikes. The board I used has not bowed or bent after 7 years of continuous use and holds a road bike and a mountain bike. The length of this board is: [floor to ceiling height] minus [depth of the base] minus [depth of the header] minus [about 3/4" to accommodate nuts and washers]. Don't cut this too short! Measure it as you go and eyeball it to make sure it is long enough- best to leave it a touch long, if there's a question, because you can always shorten it if necessary.
See photo Rack- header.jpg. The rack uses nuts and washers on threadstock to simultaneously press the header upward against the ceiling and press the upright downward against the floor. The resulting compression between floor and ceiling holds the rack in place. The compression is generated by the nuts and washers against the wood surfaces.
Steps:
1. Measure your floor to ceiling height; buy a board long enough to accommodate the length description above. You can get a separate length of board for the base and header.
2. Cut two lengths of board for the base and the header
3. Attach base to upright using wood screws, as in photo Rack- base.jpg. The base should be centered lengthwise and widthwise.
4. Drill two holes into, but not through, the header. These holes should be centered lengthwise and widthwise, and go about half way through the board. See photo Rack- header.jpg.
5. Drill two vertical holes into the top edge of the upright, also centered lengthwise and widthwise, as though you were going to drill through all 8 or so feet of the board. The depth of these holes should be as deep as necessary to accommodate the length of the threadstock. See photo Rack- header.jpg.
6. Cut the heads off two bolts for the threadstock. Thread washers and nuts onto the threadstock as in the picture Rack- header.jpg, insert one end of the threadstock into the holes in the upright; insert the other end of the threadstock into the holes in the header. Stand it up between floor and ceiling; spin the upper nuts upward and the lower nuts downward to create the compression. You may need to cut the overall length of the upright to size it properly- DON’T CUT TOO SHORT! Proceed with caution here: there is not much room for error. Leave as little threadstock exposed as possible. If you cut some of the top off to adjust the height, you may need to deepen the vertical drill holes in the upright to accommodate the threadstock.
7. Attach hangers at altitudes appropriate to your height and bicycles.
Note: if you have carpet, it will compress under the weight of the rack, and when it does the rack will fall over. I hadn’t anticipated this, and the rack fell. Plan to inspect and tighten the nuts after installation.
This rack has worked well for me but is subject to you using common sense and woodworking skills and tools that you may or may not possess. Plan to use a board size, threadstock size, drill size, length of header and footer, etc., that you are comfortable with. Your actual results may vary: I offer this plan as an idea and suggestion for you to use at your sole discretion. I’ve done my best to recount its construction but, naturally, cannot be responsible for the outcome, acts of God or stupidity, operator error including but not limited to faulty measurements, etc. That said I’ll happily provide additional details of how I made mine work- and please let me know how yours turns out!
