Hanging plant rack

My wife’s friend has plants hanging from iron pipe on her front window. She’s been after me to recreate this for a few years now.

Plant rack – sans plants

There’s not much more to this than is apparent from the picture.

The 1×6 poplar board is lagged into the ceiling joists. The pipe flanges are screwed into the board. The only real secret is that the pipe flanges are screwed into T-nuts with 1/4-20 bolts instead of using wood screws. I don’t really trust my wife not to overload this thing and I feel like the tensile strength of bolts is greater than the holding power of wood screws.

Also, the pipe comes from the factory with markings and the fittings are a slightly different color, so I built the pipe work then painted it for a cleaner look.

I see an iron pipe and I want to paint it black

The board is finished with boiled linseed oil, which is my favorite way to finish wood.

Now with pots!

Initially I wanted to hide the ceiling mounts inside the pipe flanges but the joists don’t line up with the window and I’m getting conflicting information about the capacity of toggle bolts through the ceiling.

In a few years, we should have a living window treatment.

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Author: rexplex

With a bachelors degree in history, I turn wrenches for a living. I’m most at peace when I hear the wind in the trees or the gurgle of a brook. I’m a believer in the Renaissance Man, as epitomized by DaVinci engineer, artist, soldier, statesman. As Heinlein said, “A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyse a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”

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