How to Make Your Own Retail Clothing Racks

Make your own clothing rack using steel plumbers pipe.

Clothing racks are a necessary part of a retail clothing store. But that doesn’t mean that your clothing racks have to be boring, and they definitely don’t have to cost a lot of money. You can create your own retail racks using steel plumber's pipe fastened to a rolling base made out of wood. Give your racks as much, or as little, personality as you want, all without breaking the bank.

Things You'll Need

• Wood
• Handsaw
• Paint
• Paintbrush
• Rolling wheels
• Screws
• Steel pipe
• Steel floor flange
• 90-degree steel elbow
• Drill

Instructions

1. Cut a piece of 2-inch thick wood using a handsaw, or have it cut for you at a lumber or home goods store, into a rectangle 40 by 18 inches. Sand the edges to create a smooth surface. Paint the wood using a large paintbrush and acrylic paint, if desired, which protects the wood from wear and will help the rack blend in with your retail store.

2. Measure the wheel placement. Starting from each corner, measure 1 inch in at a 45-degree angle from the edge of the board, and fasten a wheel in each location using 2-inch wood screws. The size of wheel that you choose depends on how high you want the wood platform lifted off of the ground and whether or not you will be moving the rack frequently, because large wheels tend to roll more smoothly than small ones. Lock the wheels so that the board does not roll and flip the wood over, with the wheels facing down.

3. Assemble steel plumbers pipe to create the rack by attaching a piece of 48-inch steel pipe with threaded ends to a threaded steel floor flange, which is a pipe fitting that connects to the floor using screws, with an opening for a pipe to fit into. On the other end of the pipe, attach a 90-degree threaded steel elbow to the pipe. Repeat on a second 48-inch pipe to create the two supporting sides of the rack. Fit a 36-inch piece of pipe between the two elbow joints to create a “U” shape of steel pipe.

4. Measure the center of the wood base along each of the 18-inch edges, which should sit at about 9 inches. Mark your measurement using a pencil and repeat on the other side. This is where the steel floor flange will be fastened.

5. Position the steel rack on the wood platform with the flanges centered over your measurement mark. Mark the holes in the flanges and remove the steel rack. Drill guide holes into your marks. Place the steel rack back on the platform and screw down the steel floor flange using the holes that you drilled in the wood. Repeat on the other side.

Tips & Warnings

• You can adjust the size of the racks as needed by using different sizes of steel pipe, but be sure to reinforce any large racks by attaching it to a wall using braces. The steel rack can be painted, but you will likely need to repaint it often to keep it looking its best.