Mike Zilkowsky sent in this solution to store his out-of-control collection of paddles. Zilkowsky decided to build a DIY rack to hold all the paddles that were leaning against various walls or buried under fishing gear in his basement. Here are the specs and step-by-step instructions for his masterpiece.
How to Make a DIY Paddle Rack
Materials Needed
- 7 boards, 1” × 6” × 5’. I used pine, but my next one will be out of a nice hardwood.
- 45 wood screws, 8 × 1 ½”. You’ll need three on the end of each board, nine along the top of the “L” (back brace and top rack) and six to secure the bottom two boards together.
- Wood stain
- 1 ½” spade bit for all holes. This allows kayak paddles to pass through the holes and canoe paddles to rest against them.
- 7/64” drill bit for pre-drilling
- Drill
- Tape measure
- Carpenter square
DIY Paddle Rack Instructions
1 Draft Your Design
I wanted to store my kayak and canoe paddles and to make sure it would be usable for SUP paddles, so I modified my design as necessary.
2 Source the Components
Pick up the necessary materials, available from your local hardware store, and lay out your design.
3 Measure and Mark the Boards
Measure and mark the locations for holes into two boards for the top and bottom rack. I made my holes 1 ½” and spaced them as follows from the right end of the board. 4 ¾”, 6 ¾″, 14 ¾″, 16 ¾″, 24 ¾″, 26 ¾″, 34 ¾″ and 36 ¾″.
Alternate distance from the back of the board to stagger the paddles. I placed the odd-numbered holes 1 ½″ from the back while the even-numbered holes were 3 ½″ from the back. Measuring off the left side on one board only, I marked a hole 1 ¾″ in from left and 1 ½″ from back of board and repeated every 3″ until I had six holes marked. Measuring from the left of the board again, I drew a line at 1″ and then every 1 ½″ until I had twelve lines. These would be my slots.
4 Drill the Holes
Drill out the holes, cut the slots and router the edges. Pre-drill all boards with a drill bit to prevent splitting. I used the spade bit to drill all the holes and then used a saw to cut the slots out. I routered all the holes and slots with a ½″ round over bit and sanded the entire project down. I flipped my bottom rack over to router it so that my paddles would cross and display nicer. That is purely optional.
5 Assemble the Pieces
Assemble the two sides, two back braces (one at top, one under top rack), top rack, bottom rack and bottom (optional; to stop paddles). I placed my bottom rack up off the floor and then fitted my paddles to see where the top rack should go. This will vary depending on your paddle length.
6 Add a Little Color
Stain your DIY paddle rack with the color of your choice.
Organize your out-of-control collection of paddles with this DIY paddle rack. | Feature photo: Mike Zilkowsky
