Hat rack, umbrella stand

[Peter Quadarella]

I want to attempt my first inside furniture project. Up to this point all I've done is outdoor furniture, shop furniture and boxes.

What I have in mind is a hat rack with a mission style umbrella holder on the bottom. My thought is that the main post for the hat rack will go down the center of the umbrella holder into a 3" thick piece of either plywood or solid wood, with maybe a taper so that it sits securely in the tapered hole. The post will be 3"x3" thick square.

I'm thinking that I will need further support toward the top of the umbrella holder, otherwise the post will not be rigid. Initially, I thought I could have supports extending from each top rail of the umbrella holder into the post. However, I can't think of a way I could actually assemble something like that. I would like to be able to build the Mission style umbrella basket and then drop the post into it and attach the supports.

Any ideas? Also, I was thinking it would be nice to have a copper lining on the bottom of the umbrella holder, but I have no idea how to do that or where to get such a thing. Any thoughts or alternatives on that would be appreciated.

Finally wood choice. Based on what I have on hand, I think I will be doing the bottom holder part out of Jatoba and the post and hat rack parts out of Cherry. I've never used either of these woods, having concentrated on Walnut, Oak and Maple with my boxes and shop furniture, and mostly softwoods for my outdoor furniture. Are there any gotchas I should watch out for? Also, will the color combination be ok?

Thanks for any advice!

[Peter Quadarella]

No ideas eh? Is it because I'm building something mission style and not using white oak?

[Tom Berninghausen]

Must be my day to pimp books Peter, see my 2 cents to the Office Furniture Plans? thread.

Take a look at Dover Publications Mission Furniture: How to Make It.

There's an umbrella stand on page 257 (even has a copper pan) and a hall tree on page 282 that could be the beginnings of your project.

As far as materials, well, use what you like and ignore any comments from the peanut gallery. Stain'm or not, to your liking and finish as you desire.

Tom

[Peter Quadarella]

Thanks Tom! I just ordered the book from Amazon.

[Walt Caza]

Hi Peter,
In case you did not see it, here is a link to a mission umbrella stand
that I posted a while back. (link)
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=85669

I am not using it for umbrellas, heck...I don't even think I have umbrellas!
Good luck with your project,
and be sure to show us some pics!
be well,
Walt

ps sorry, no hat rack...

[Peter Quadarella]

Thanks Walt! That is the general look I'm going for. If it comes out half as nice looking as yours I'll be happy . I'm still undecided on how I'm going to support the post up the middle, but I'll come up with something. I'm still savoring the design phase (and playing with my new tri-master blade).

[Peter Quadarella]

So, I am getting very close to the end of this project now. I am still not 100% sure how to attach the post which will come up from the middle of the umbrella stand.

My current thought is to laminate several sheets of plywood together, so they are about 3" thick. Then I will make a square hole through it for the post. To attach the post solidly, I am thinking 4 triangles (perhaps curves) mortise and tenoned into the plywood and the post for support.

This leaves the problem of fitting the square "floor" of the umbrella stand, with the post through it, into the basket. I was trying to avoid any hardware, but I'm thinking it might be nice to allow dissasembly, plus I'm having trouble coming up with any better idea. So, I'm thinking of purchasing 8 brackets (2 on each side) and having the plywood rest on them, using screws to secure.

Anyone have any thoughts on whether this will be a sturdy solution? The post is made of cherry and is about 6 feet tall and 2 1/4" square. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Edit: Walt I just took another look at your post and see that you used runners along the edge of the bottom rail to hold the base. I could do that I guess... How did you attach the runners to the rail? What do you think about just glue? If I went the easy route and purchased brackets, what am I losing?

[Walt Caza]

Hello Peter,
I just happened to stumble across your question to me, here.
I seldom browse this forum, and had missed it.
Sorry about that... perhaps you could have pm'd me?

Yes, I used cleats to mount my bottom, like a shelf.
I used screws and glue to mount the cleats, but believe glue alone would serve fine.

In that instance, the shelf could float on the cleats just fine, without further fastening,
trapped by the 4 sides, but with a gap to allow for wood movement.
I just flipped that stand, as I live with it, to see that I did put a couple of screws through the cleats, into the long sides of the shelf.
Trees do not grow much taller after they die, the seasonal movement would be in the width.
Overkill really, the shelf could have completely floated without problem.
Just that is could fall out if the piece was inverted?
That must be why I chose to fasten it to the cleats.

Just glue on the cleats, would be long grain glued to long grain, and parallel to the grain, not cross-grain.
Joints like that are usually stronger than the wood itself.

Brackets would serve fine. Without pics, hard to guess what you might be losing, if anything.
Many things in ww'ing can be accomplished many ways.

You posted that 3 weeks ago, any progress? Any pics?
Please follow-up and show us how you worked it out.
I have never seen any case of mortise and tenons used with plywood.
be well,
Walt

ps next time, send a guy a message!