• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Anika's DIY Life
  • Start Here
  • DIY Projects
  • Woodworking 101
  • Cricut
  • Plans
  • Shop
    • Shop my T-shirts
    • Shop My Workshop
    • Shop my Plans
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Start Here
  • Projects
  • Woodworking 101
  • Cricut
  • Plans
  • Shop
×

Home » DIY » Metalwork

DIY Metal Coat Rack – Aluminum Brazing

January 21, 2020 By Anika Gandhi

Learn how to make a simple DIY metal coat rack using aluminum brazing. This is a great beginner-friendly tutorial and project to start working with metal.

DIY metal coat rack on wall with jacket and bad and text overlay

PIN THIS TO PINTEREST

This is one of those projects that goes on the list of things to make and you overthink it but ultimately come up with a simple solution!

In our new home, we have a problem with coats and jackets.

The coat closet is very inconveniently located in a hallway far away from both entrances to the house – the front door and the garage door.

The jackets always end up in a pile at the entryway.

We only need jackets for a few months in the year here in California so I decided to whip up a simple and basic coat rack – using Aluminum Brazing!

I used aluminum brazing to make an upholstered bench a few weeks ago and I was really happy with how it turned out and I had a lot of fun making it too!

It was finally time to give all those jackets a place to hang by the door!

close up of jacket hanging on a DIY metal coat rack

**I partnered with Bernzomatic to bring you this project. Thank you for supporting the brands that make it possible to bring you new projects.**

***This post contains referral or affiliate links. It is a way for this site to earn advertising fees by advertising or linking to certain products and/or services.  Please read my full disclosure here ***

Materials for metal coat rack

  • Aluminum tubes – I used 1″ square tubes – a total of 4′
  • 4′ Flat 1.5″ Aluminum bar
  • Bernzomatic BZ8250HT Hose Torch
  • Bernzomatic Aluminum Brazing Rods
  • Bernzomatic MAP-PRO hand torch cylinder
  • Acetone
  • Flat metal file
  • Wire brush
  • Miter Saw
  • Drill
  • Speed Square
  • Metal F-clamps
  • Heat resistant gloves
  • Hooks
  • Spray paint – in color fo your choice. I used this one.
materials used for aluminum brazing

PIN THIS TO PINTEREST

Dimensions of the DIY coat rack

The coat rack is 24″ wide and 12″ tall. Here is the cut list –

  • (2) 1″ square tube cut at 12″ (sides)
  • (2) 1″ square tube cut at 22″ (back supports)
  • (2) 1.5″ flat bar cut at 24″ (top bars)

How to cut aluminum

Aluminum is a very soft metal and can be easily cut using woodworking blades and saws.

I used my miter saw to cut the aluminum tubes and rods to size.

Building the metal coat rack

Click here to subscribe to my YouTube Channel for more great videos!

PIN THIS TO PINTEREST

How to build a coat rack using aluminum brazing

Time needed: 2 days.

Make a simple DIY metal coat rack using aluminum brazing. This is a great beginner-friendly tutorial and project to start working with metal.

  1. Prepare the material

    Wipe down all the aluminum tubes and bars with a rag dipped in acetone to remove any gunk and oils on the tubes.

    Then file the edges of the joints to make a slanted end to create a channel for the brazing compound to sit in.

    Clean up the edges using a metal brush.
    filing aluminum to prepare for metal brazing

  2. Layout the structure and clamp

    Decide placement of the main structure.
    I used a scrap 2×4 to make sure the spacing from the top and bottom ends was 1.5″ and clamped them in place using a metal clamp.
    Be sure to use a speed square to make sure everything is square. assembling aluminum tubes to prepare for brazing

  3. Braze!

    Use the Bernzomatic BZ8250 Hose Torch for Accessibility and Mobility hooked to a Bernzomatic MAP-PRO gas fuel cylinder to heat up the joints one by one and braze them.
    This takes a bit of patience.
    For a new joint, it took about 3-5 minutes to get the aluminum hot enough to melt the brazing rod.

    Be sure to watch the video to see exactly how to do this!

    Tip – The brazing rods should NOT be melted directly using the heat from the torch. This will not make a strong joint.

    aluminum brazing to make the joint

  4. Attach the top bars

    Attach the flat bars to the front of the rack by brazing them from the back.
    To do this elevate them on a few scrap 4×4 blocks and use face clamps to clamp the bar to the rack.
    Then braze along the length of the bar and also on the corners and the front. (Be sure to watch the video to see all the details.)Attaching the top bars with aluminum brazing

  5. Add hooks

    Measure and mark the location of the hooks.
    Pre-drill a hole for the screw and attach the hooks to the rack.Adding hooks to the aluminum coat rack

  6. Paint the rack

    I decided to give the entire rack a few coats of oil rubbed bronze.

  7. Hang it up!

    Add 3″ long screws into the studs or anchors and hang up the coat rack. woman hanging up the metal coat rack

I am happy to report that the coat rack has definitely solved our problem of the pile of jackets on the entryway bench.

DIY metal coat rack with jacket and bag hanging

PIN THIS TO PINTEREST

It is the perfect size for us but if you wanted, you could easily make it larger or even make multiple of these and stagger them on a wall.

Now I think that will look really good!

What do you think?

More ideas for the entryway –

  • DIY Entryway Shelf with hooks
  • DIY entryway storage bench
  • Easy DIY mail Organizer
« Simple DIY Bathroom Towel Hooks
Dinosaur Themed Room Makeover »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Toni | Girl, Just DIY!

    January 21, 2020 at 7:01 am

    Girl, I love this project. Working with aluminum looks like so much fun! Great project!

Primary Sidebar

Woman in garage

Hi! I am Anika! I am here to inspire you to create a home filled with your unique personality by empowering you with ideas, tools, and skills you need!

More about me →

Connect With Me

Footer

↑ back to top

  • About Me
  • Work With Me
  • Terms of use
  • Policies
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

IMPORTANT!

Anika’s DIY Life is not liable in any way for injury or loss (whether physical, emotional, monetary or any other kind of loss) resulting from any inspiration, ideas, directions or information gained from this website.
I am NOT a professional. Just learning as I go and trying to inspire others! I advise you to always follow manufacturer instructions, take appropriate safety precautions and hire a professional when in doubt. I love it when you use my site for inspiration, but by using it, you agree that you do so at your own risk.

Anika’s DIY Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Full disclosure here.

Copyright © 2021 Anika's DIY Life