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Weekend Project
A Clever, Compact Ski Rack
Story and photos by Raj Chaudhry
Placed on a porch, in a mudroom or outside a back door, this stand will ensure that
your skis are ready to hit the trail or slopes whenever you are.
The construction is simple, sturdy and inexpensive. The project uses common dimension
lumber and a few scraps of plywood. Both the end rails and posts are made from fir 2x4s.
The stretchers and dividers are 1x4s of pine or poplar. Poplar, being a hardwood, will
take a little more punishment than pine.
Because the end rails are bolted in place, the unit breaks down easily for storage
or transportation.
As designed, the stand will keep up to five pairs of skis organized, out of the way
and protected. It will accommodate most conventional skis, both cross-country and
downhill. For extra-wide skis, the design can easily be modified to build room
between spacers.
Here's how to make it.
Tools and Supply List:
Table saw with dado blade
Miter saw, jigsaw, band saw or handsaw
Combination square and tape measure
Pencil
Scratch awl
Claw hammer
Nail set
Mallet
Drill with Forstner, spade and brad-point bits
Screwdriver or driver bit for drill
Hand clamps or C-clamps
3/8" plug cutting bit (or 3/8" wood dowel)
Socket wrench with 9/16" socket
Finish sander or sanding block
Putty knife
Flush cutting saw
Paintbrush
Sandpaper, assorted grits
Water-resistant yellow wood glue, PVA Type II
1 1/2" No. 8 wood screws (I used square-drive galvanized screws)
4d galvanized ring-shank nails (often sold as shake or underlayment nails).
Four 3-1/2" long, 3/8" diameter galvanized carriage bolts,
with matching nuts and washers.
6d finish nails
Wood filler
Shellac-based primer
Exterior-grade paint of choice
 
| Cut List |
| Part |
Name |
Thickness |
Width |
Length |
Material |
Quantity |
| A |
Stretcher |
3/4" |
3 - 1/2" |
31 - 1/4" |
Poplar or Pine 1X |
4 |
| B |
Post |
1 - 1/2" |
3 - 1/2" |
16" |
Fir 2X |
2 |
| C |
Rail |
1 - 1/2" |
3 - 1/2" |
16" |
Fir 2X |
2 |
| D |
Divider |
3/4" |
1 - 3/4" |
12 - 1/2" |
Poplar or Pine 1X |
4 |
| E |
Foot pad |
1/2" |
1 - 1/2" |
3" |
Plywood |
4 |
1. Crosscut the four stretchers, two posts and two end rails to finished length.
(See diagrams, above.) Both the posts and end rails are 16" long. The stretchers are 31 1/4" long.
2. Chamfer the end rails and add foot pads.
Saw off the top corners (chamfer) at 45 degrees. Each leg of the triangle of wood
that is removed is 1 1/2" long. To each of the four ends of the rails, add a foot
pad made from 1/2" plywood, cut 3" long and 1 1/2" wide. Attach these with wood
glue and 4d ring-shank nails, four per pad. Use a nail set to sink the heads just
below the surface to prevent scratched floors.
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3. Notch the posts for the end rails.
The notch, on the inside bottom of each post, should measure 3 1/2" long
and 1 1/2" wide long, to match the rail width, and 1 1/2" deep, to match the
rail thickness. Use a band saw, handsaw or jigsaw.
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4. Bore 1-inch holes in the rails.
Draw a center line on the inside face of each rail, from top to bottom. Using
the awl, mark for two bolt holes along this center line, 7/8" from the top and
bottom edges. With a 1" Forstner or spade bit, bore a 1/2" deep hole at each
awl mark.
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5. Bore bolt holes through rails and posts.
With a pencil, mark the center of the post, just above the notch for the rail.
Clamp the rail and post so that their center index marks are aligned. Make sure
that the pieces are square to each other. Using a 3/8" spade bit, and starting
in the center of each 1" rail hole, drill a bolt hole through both rail and post.
Bolt the pieces together. Seat the bolt heads by tapping with a hammer. Place a
washer over the end of each bolt and tighten the hex nuts with a 9/16" socket
wrench.
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6. Cut the dadoes (grooves) for the spacers.
Cutting all 16 dadoes (four per stretcher) requires just two setups of the table
saw. First, adjust your dado blade to cut a 1/8" deep slot about 3/4" wide: The
divider should fit snuggly in the slot. Then set the fence so that the distance
from the blade's cut line to the block is 7 3/4". Use a miter gauge to keep the
stock square, and start each cut with the end of the board butted against the face
of the block. Cut one dado; flip the board around, and on the same face, cut its
mirror image. Continue on to the next stretcher. After you've cut two dadoes in
each board, readjust the fence for the next cut, which will start 12 3/4" from the
end of the board. Cut the next eight dadoes as you did the first eight.
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7. Cut the dividers to finished size.
On paper, the dividers are 1 3/4" wide. But the best way to ensure a tight fit is
to clamp the stretchers in place and measure the actual dado-to-dado distance
between them. Rip the dividers to this width. Then crosscut the dividers to 12
1/2".
8. Countersink for screw heads.
Screws, four per end, attach the stretchers to the posts. The heads of the screws
are countersunk and will later be covered with plugs. First, draw lines across the
stretcher 3 1/2" from each end to represent the edge of each post. Within this
area, mark for the four screws with an awl. With a 3/8" brad-point bit, drill a
1/4" deep head bore on each mark.
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 9. Attach the stretchers.
Mount the bottom pair first, working on a level surface. Clamp the stretchers in
place. Check for square and use the dividers to ensure that the dadoes are aligned
side to side, and top to bottom. With a 7/64" brad-point bit, drill pilot holes
for the screws. I do this in stages. First, I drill for and drive one pair of
screws per end - one top, one bottom. After all of the stretchers are attached
with two screws per end, I go back and add the remaining screws. Don't over-tighten
the screws because the stand will have to be disassembled. At this stage, it helps
to mark the stretchers so that you will know where each belongs during reassembly.
Disassemble the stand.
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10. Lightly sand all non-mating surfaces. Remove the sanding dust.
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11. Re-assemble the stand.
Glue and screw the horizontal stretchers to the posts. Add a small dab of glue
near the tops of the dadoes in the bottom stretchers only. With a mallet, or hammer
and block of wood, tap the dividers into place, from top to bottom, so that their
tops are flush with the top stretchers. Each divider should be pinned in place with
a total of eight 6d finishing nails, two through each side of the top and bottom
stretchers. Wipe off any excess glue that squeezes out with a damp paper towel. Then
set the nail heads.
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12. Plug the screw holes.
If you have a 3/8" plug-cutting bit, you can cut your own plugs from scrap wood.
Otherwise, use a 3/8" dowel. Apply glue to the plug or dowel and tap it firmly into
place with a mallet. Wipe off excess glue with a damp paper towel. Use a
flush-cutting saw to trim the plug close to the surface. After the glue has dried,
sand the plug flush.
13. Fill any nail holes and other imperfections.
You can use commercial wood filler or make your own putty by combining wood glue
with fine sawdust. Allow the filler to dry.
14. Sand the project.
Work with the grain, from rougher grades of sandpaper through progressively finer
grades, to 220 grit.
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15. Finish.
After removing the dust from sanding, brush on a shellac-based primer and allow
it to dry. Follow with a couple of coats of paint, applied according to the
manufacturer's directions. I used an exterior-grade acrylic latex paint with a
semi-gloss finish.
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