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Hat and Bag Peg Racks[8/4 Wide · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 4 peg racks
Shop Black Walnut 8/4 Wide · 2ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 2' Lengths / 6-8"
How it goes together
Black Walnut
Hard Maple
Cherry
White Oak
Red Oak
Ash
Hickory
Ambrosia Maple
Sapele*
Padauk*
Purpleheart*
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers.
Four thick hardwood peg racks for the entry, the mudroom or a bedroom wall. Each rack is one 22" board with three square pegs, 6" apart — room for a bag, a coat and a hat. Boards 1–4 are the racks and board 5 rips into the 12 pegs. The pegs screw on from behind, and each rack screws into two studs.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rack boards | 4 | Boards 1–4 | 22" × 5½" × 1¾" |
| Peg strips | 3 | Board 5, ripped in thirds | 23" × 1¾" × 1¾" |
| Pegs | 12 | Four from each strip | 5" × 1¾" × 1¾" |
Rack boards: one full board each, 22" × 5½" × 1¾".
Pegs: board 5 ripped into three 1¾" square strips, cut into 12 pegs 5" long with a ¼" chamfer on the end. Pegs at 5", 11" and 17" from the left end.
Peg to rack: one #10 × 3" screw from the back through a ⅜" counterbore into the peg's end grain, plus a thin coat of glue to stop it turning. The screw carries the load.
Mount: 2 × #10 × 3½" screws into studs 16" apart, 3" from each end, counterbored ⅜" and plugged.
Finished size: Each rack 22" W × 5½" H × 1¾" thick (wider boards give taller racks). Pegs stand out 5". About 6 lb each in walnut. Holds about 30 lb, screwed into two studs.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 Wide · 2ft (6–8" wide, S2S)
- 12 × #10 × 3" flat-head wood screws (one per peg)
- 8 × #10 × 3½" wood or structural screws (two per rack, into studs)
- 8 × ⅜" wood plugs (same species, or a contrast)
- Wood glue (Titebond II or III)
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Finish: wipe-on oil or hardwax oil
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square)
- Saw for rips (table saw, or circular/track saw with a guide) and push sticks
- Jointer, straight-line rip jig or hand plane
- Block plane, router with chamfer bit, or sanding block
- Drill/driver, countersink bit, pilot bits, ⅜" counterbore bit
- Clamps
- Stud finder and level
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
Why S2S only? The 6–8" wide 8/4 boards come S2S: both faces planed, edges rough. Plan on losing about ¼" per edge when you straighten them.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · 6–8" wide 8/4 S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (5½" clean at the narrowest), planned at 1¾" thick · sizes drawn for the narrowest board in the pack. Wider boards give you a bigger offcut or a wider part — never a shortage.
Step-by-Step
S2S Lumber Pack (6–8" wide)
Surfaced 2 sides — straighten edges first
- 1 Prep the boards. Trim ½" off each end to remove any end checks. Joint one edge straight, then rip the other edge parallel (¼" off each rough edge is our planning allowance).
- 2 Cut the rack boards. Square one end of boards 1–4 and crosscut each at 22". Pick the best face of each for the front.
- 3 Rip the peg strips. Set the fence at 1¾" and rip board 5 into three square strips, 1¾" × 1¾". Use push sticks. The last strip is what's left of the board — it comes out close to square.
- 4 Cut the pegs. Clamp a stop block at 5" and crosscut each strip into four pegs — 12 in all. Hold the strip with a clamp or hold-down, not your fingers, on the last cuts.
- 5 Chamfer the peg ends. Chamfer the four edges of the outer end about ¼" with a block plane, a router table or a sanding block. Ease the other long edges lightly.
- 6 Lay out the rack. On the back of each rack board, mark the peg centres 5", 11" and 17" from the left end, halfway up. Mark the two mounting holes 3" in from each end (16" apart) and 1" down from the top edge.
- 7 Drill the peg holes. At each peg mark, drill a ⅜" counterbore ½" deep in the back so the screw head sits below the surface, then a clearance hole through the board. Clamp the peg upright, line it up on the front, and drill a pilot about 1½" into the centre of its end grain.
- 8 Fit the pegs. Spread a thin coat of glue on the peg end, hold it square on the front and drive a #10 × 3" screw from the back. End grain won't hold glue — the screw carries the load, the glue just stops the peg from turning. For a 10° upward tilt, sand or cut the peg's back end at 10° first.
- 9 Sand and finish. Sand 120 → 180 → 220. Wipe on 2–3 coats of oil or hardwax oil on every face, including the back.
- 10 Hang it. Find two studs 16" apart and centre the rack on them. Hold it level, drill through the top holes into the studs, and drive two #10 × 3½" screws through ⅜" counterbores. Glue in wood plugs and sand them flush. Each rack weighs about 6 lb in walnut and holds about 30 lb.
Why screw the pegs from behind? The peg meets the rack with its end grain, and glue alone won't hold end grain. A long screw from the back pulls the peg tight and carries the weight. The rack hangs flat on the wall, so the screw heads never show.
Why 3" from each end? Wall studs are 16" apart on centre. Holes 3" in from each end of a 22" rack are exactly 16" apart, so both screws land in studs when you centre the rack on a stud bay.
Why square pegs? A 1¾" square peg is strong enough for a loaded backpack and looks right on a thick board. It also rips straight from board 5 — no lathe and no bought pegs.
Why pre-drill? Maple, oak and hickory split if you drive a screw without a pilot hole. Pre-drill every screw and countersink so the heads sit flush.
Make It Yours
- Tilted pegs: cut the back end of each peg at 10° so it angles up and bags can't slide off.
- Round pegs: knock the long corners off with a ¼" roundover bit for a softer look.
- Contrast pegs: make the pegs from a different species than the rack — maple pegs on walnut look sharp.
- One long rail: hang two racks end to end with a 1" gap for a 45" coat wall.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Clamp the strip or use a hold-down when crosscutting the 5" pegs. Never hold short parts by hand at the blade.
- Pre-drill every screw — hardwoods split without a pilot hole.
- Mount into wall studs (or rated anchors sized for the load). Check for wires and pipes before drilling.
Frequently Asked Questions
The 6–8" wide 8/4 pack comes S2S (faces planed, edges rough). Straighten the edges with a jointer, a table saw and a straight-line jig, a track saw, or a hand plane.
About 30 lb screwed into two studs — a loaded backpack, a winter coat and a hat at once. Don't hang from it, and don't let kids climb or swing on it.
A 22" rack can only reach one stud at 24" spacing. Screw one end into the stud and use a heavy-duty anchor rated for at least 50 lb at the other end, and keep the load lighter.
Not on a hollow-core door — the screws won't hold. On a solid wood door, use 2" screws so they don't come out the other side, and keep the load to coats and bags.
Planned offcuts only: about ⅞" off the end of boards 1–4 and about 2½" off each peg strip. Wider boards leave a narrow rip off board 5. All 5 boards go into the racks.
Yes. A 4ft wide pack makes 44" racks with six pegs each: use boards 1–4 full length for four racks and rip board 5 into strips for 24 pegs. Screw each long rack into three studs.
