This drying rack was based on several designs we saw online. Most of the dowel rods ran horizontally, but the Happy Wife wanted one with vertical rods so she could hang a broom, dustpan, mop, and aprons, and not have to remove them to lower the rack.
I didn’t have a detailed plan, but all the dimensions were calculated around the rods. We bought 5/8″ dowel rods that were 4 ft long. Other designs used smaller rods, but I felt like anything smaller than 5/8″ would be too flimsy. Those were cut in half to make four 2 ft rods. The wood for the frame is 1-1/8″ square, which I cut on a table saw from Top Choice 2x4s. The rods are 4-1/2″ apart, and secured into the frame 1/2″ deep. I drilled the holes using a Forstner (flat bottom) bit. So that made the inner frame about 25-1/4″ tall. Again, there is no cut list, but base all your cuts from the rods going out. Overall, the outer frame is about 27″ wide.
You’ll want to leave a 1/8″ to 1/4″ gap between the inner and outer frames for clearance. I went with 1/8″. To hold the rack up, I used jack chain rated at 29 lbs. The chain is secured with screws at the outer side of the outer frame, and the front of the inner frame.
To hold the broom and mop, I used a clip style assembly. I shortened it by about 4 inches by cutting it and drilling a new hole to mount it. Regular cup hooks are on the side to hold aprons and other items.
Note that the bottom of the outer frame is deeper (about 2-1/2″). This is to allow room for the inner rack to fold down. Otherwise, the inner frame would hit the broom handle.
To hold the frame closed, I used a ball catch at the top. It works great and I’m not worried about the inner frame flopping down unexpectedly. The outer frame is chiseled out so that the catch plate sits flush. I secured it to the wall with screws into wall studs.
The Happy Wife is very happy with the final product. It’s located near the laundry room, so she can hang delicates and wet items without having to take them outside. And she has a place to hang the broom and dustpan!
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