Give visiting house guests a far more convenient place to put their luggage than the guestroom floor!

Here’s a great project that’s sure to please any overnight guests. It’s an attractive, folding luggage rack that’s not only very practical, but also shows off your woodworking and turning skills in a different way. However, two stands are often lots better than just one…so, once you’ve made your set-ups for the various operations, it takes just a little extra time to make a second stand.

1: Prepare your stock For the best results, select clear, straight hardwoods for this project. Rip your pieces to width first, then crosscut to the required lengths. Be sure to leave an extra 2” on the spindle stock (A) for waste.

2: Turn the spindle (A) Keeping the distance between the shoulders at 18”, turn the spindle according to the plans…or create your own design. Finish sand the spindle while it’s still on the lathe. Remove the spindle and trim off the waste stock.

3: Make the rails (B) Use your disc sander to round both ends of each rail. Next, use a rasp…or your MARK V Router set-up with a 1/4” Round-Over Bit to “ease” the sharp rail edges. Sand all edges smooth. Mortise the rails using your routing set-up and a chisel…or the MARK V Hollow Chisel Mortiser. To allow for glue squeeze-out, be sure to make your mortises about 1/16” deeper than the length of your tenons.

4: Make the legs Create a cardboard template and use it to transfer the pattern to your stock. Using your Bandsaw (or scroll saw), cut out the legs, then use drum sanders to smooth all the edges. Mark each leg for its location on the stand and cut the tenons to fit your mortises. Stack the legs and tape them together…then pad drill all the 15/16” center holes all at once. Be sure to back-up the bottom piece of your stock with a piece of scrap to prevent splintering. Finally, use a decorative shaper cutter or router bit of your choosing to shape the leg edges.

5: Apply a finish to all parts (except your mortises and tenons, of course).

6: Assemble the stand A simple, shop built jig will make assembling the stand much easier. Make the jig by attaching two scrap 2 x 4’s, 15” apart to the surface of a 2-foot square piece of plywood (Be sure they’re parallel to one another). Dry fit the rails, spindle and legs of your stand(s). Next, apply glue (use a glue with an extended “open time”) to the joints and place the two rails upside-down in the jig with their edges resting against the 2 x 4’s. Insert the leg pieces into the mortises…then the spindle into the center leg holes. Place a flat washer between each inner/outer leg pair to prevent rubbing, which could damage the finish on your leg. Using #8 x 1-3/4” flathead wood screws (and glue), secure the outer ends of the spindle tenon to the outer-most legs. CAREFUL: Avoid getting glue in the holes on the inner-most legs, as doing so will prevent the stand from folding properly! Check the alignment of all parts and allow them to sit in position in your jig until the glue sets up completely.

Spindel/Leg/Rail Detail | Luggage Assembly

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