when YouTuber @StoneAndTimberShopClass Setting out to design and build a garden hose hanger for his home, he pulled it off in a way that online woodworkers don’t always manage: his project is mostly simple, sturdy, and attractive. This hose hanger looks nothing like the back of an Adirondack chair, giving your hard-working hose a moment’s rest from summer duties.
We’ve seen some pretty cool ones Hacks for managing garden hose and cord clutterBut they rarely look this good. One also occasionally reads DIY stories about how to reuse an old hose reel, and you always know one thing for sure: you won’t be using it as a hose reel again. This is because things seem doomed to fail, sometimes spectacularly, not long after their return eligibility has expired. Sometimes this is the result of over-engineering or under-engineering, but the solution to both is often simplicity. And this project has simplicity along with beauty and strength.
Somewhere along the way, he decided to add the complexity of decorative cutouts, and into his somewhat charming mix of old-school tools, including a corded frill and a jigsaw, the maker threw in a CNC router, which is completely optional, and is almost a welcome distraction from a project built from a 12-foot-6-inch-2-by board. The core of a hose hanger is a box with no top or bottom that will support the hose. The front and back of this core are arched at the top, but @StoneAndTimberShopClass ultimately decided that an arch wasn’t necessary)… just one of those projects that actually turned out as easy as the builder made it.
Hose Hanger Building
Even at first, this is a beginner woodworker project, except for using the CNC for the decorative palm tree cutout. And because @StoneAndTimberShopClass talks his viewers through his challenges, it’s a great way to learn how to think about some projects. He begins by breaking the board into the necessary pieces. Constructing the core box shown above, he drills and countersinks pilot holes for it, as the screws holding it together are essentially near the edges of the board, and pre-drilling will prevent splitting.
The core box is mounted on the back of the hanger, which is made up of three vertical boards like the front. But in the center of the front is a decorative cutout of a palm tree. The back will mount on a house, and the front holds the hose on the hanger. The core box is more or less vertically centered at the front and back. This works if you want to wind your hose tight enough that it won’t be visible from the street. Otherwise, it may make more sense to locate the core near the bottom so that the hanger capacity is greater.
One advantage of centering both the palm tree cutout and the core box is that the box is painted white, which helps define the cutout. Once the complete hose hanger is assembled, remove the front part and attach the back part to the wall above the hose bib. Drilling through its cement fiber siding. He then reattaches the front piece to complete the project.
Tips to make the project easier
Let’s look at some ways you can make this project easier or more convenient for your gear. Not everyone has, for example, a home CNC machine to cut decorative elements in their woodworking projects … although we have seen an attractive one. A case for woodworkers using CNC routers in their projects. Since the cut is straight, you can also do it with other types of laser cutters. And, if you’re so outfitted, you can even cut your decorations on a vinyl cutter. On the other hand, if you have a CNC machine, why save some time by cutting the arc of the front of the hanger? The @StoneAndTimberShopClass route may be quick and easy, but where’s the fun in that?
One thing that becomes apparent during the CNC sequence is that the wood he’s using is visibly wet, which doesn’t bode well for the longevity of his paint job. Painting pressure-treated wood is often a complicated matter. They often have a high moisture content that interferes with adhesion, and even if the paint adheres, you will experience paint flaking due to the moisture trapped underneath. Use dry wood when you can. Dry wood untreated with a protective sealant is preferable to attempting to paint wet wood. This is what the creator found, and as a result, his paint “began to peel off the sheets.” It eventually got rust-oleum spray paint with primer to stick, but it wouldn’t have lasted long. With dry wood, you’ll fare better.
