Anyone else having problems with storing those spools of thread and getting jealous of the pretty ones that 'everyone else' seems to have, that would turn that mess a tidy display of beauty? And then when you decide to buy one - there aren't any to buy?!?!?! No? Well, this was it for me. And then what do you do? YOU BUILD YOUR OWN!
This is the one I made. If you want to know how, keep reading!
This rack has the finished size of W50 cm H130 cm (19,5" x 51") and it accommodates 90 spools and 18 cones.
I had now drawing so I had to go with an idea that I had in my head. I went to a hardware store and bought some material. One tip before you go shopping is that you put a couple of different spools in your pocket so that you can try out what dimensions you need. You want the sticks to be as sturdy as possible, but they also need to fit the hole.
I bought 2 different thicknesses of round sticks (is that the proper term?) and two different dimensions of untreated moulding for the frame and "peg holders".
Other things you need are wood glue, drills with the same dimensions as the round sticks, self drilling screws (for moulding so that they don't split too easily), a saw, and sand paper.
I bought the following dimensions:
Roundstick 6mm
Roundstick 8mm
Moulding for the holders: 3,4 x 1,5 cm
Moulding for the sides: 4,2 x 2,0 cm
Now let's start the construction work! This part I made up as I went along. First you need to decide where on a wall you want to put it so that you know if you have any boundaries width- or length wise. One thing to think about is to avoid a wall in direct sunlight if you can, to give your thread a long and happy life.
Then, when having decided the measures you want for the frame you can cut the peg holding mouldings to pieces of that same width. You don't have to calculate exactly how many you need just yet, if you don't want to. I only had mouldings enough to make 10, so that is what I made.
Next step was to decide how many spools of various dimensions you would like to accommodate. Do an inventory and see what you have more of. I basically have 3 dimensions of regular spools and then I also have large cones for the overlocker and cover machines. The smallest spools are the Gutermann thread spools. These pegs can be places rather closely on the peg holder. When you have decided how many you want of each kind you can measure what peg length you want for each kind and then you need to saw all the round sticks into pegs. And when done with that you also need to sand one end of the pegs so that you don't have any sharp edges. This is important but boring. Don't skip this step though.
When this is done it is time to take the peg holders and mark how closely you want the pegs. Make sure you double check with actual spools so that you don't put them on too tight. Also make sure they are evenly spread across the length so that it looks neat. Drill a hole for each peg. Not all the way through, halfway is enough.
Now, put a dollop of glue in each hole, don't do too many at at time. Put a peg in, tap it down with a hammer, and wipe excess glue away. Try to get them nice and straight.
Leave them to dry. Before the glue is dry, do any final adjustments so that the pegs are straight in every direction.
The next step is to decide on what distance you want the peg holders from each other. This is easily done by putting them "on top of each other" on the floor. They will be angled later, so this is not too close. Mark this distance on the side pieces. Then screw into place. Note! The best way to do it, in my opinion, is to set only one screw on each side to begin with. Then you can tilt the holders and try out different angles (try with the spools!!!!) before deciding how you want it. Then put the second screw to have it secured properly.
As you can see at the top of my rack I added two ribbon holders, simply because I had leftover round sticks. It wasn't a part of the original plan, but that is the beauty of constructing as you go along :)
Now, put your rack on the wall and you are DONE!
