My First DIY Kitchen Rack (Upcycling Boards & Bamboo)

in #hive-18964118 hours ago

So we need a place inside the house to pregrow plants from seed for the upcoming LEGENDARY growing season at our housesit place. This is where light gets in and temperature is reasonably stable...

IMG_20241124_123653407.jpg

And ideally it would be above all the kitchen clutter to not waste space, like so:

IMG_20241124_123649292.jpg

I need to build... my first handmade kitchen rack! But what material do I use? Guess what I found strolling through the lower gardens today:

IMG_20241124_124631007.jpg

It's that Bamboo stuff I have heard so much about! Wonder if my garden scissors can... BOOYA!

IMG_20241124_124932655.jpg

God, they are so long ahaha. I took down a few and got them back to the house.

IMG_20241124_125629068.jpg

They look even longer on the table!

IMG_20241124_130019659.jpg

A great side effect of harvesting bamboo is I have more greens for my Hügelbeet-compost soup (more on that some other time!)

IMG_20241124_130055420.jpg

Found two boards leaning against the house that seem to be about the length I need, and they have ledges to grip into each other. I'LL TAKE 'EM!

IMG_20241124_130736979.jpg

Next step would be to sand them down a bit, but first, a break (tea and cigarette with a view!)

IMG_20241124_130944221.jpg

After sanding half of each board down, you can see the difference!

IMG_20241124_132142473.jpg

Ok, now for the bamboo legs... Like that will ever work right? ahahaha
Measured the desired height in the kitchen and now cutting four bamboo pieces to length

IMG_20241124_135111136.jpg

Two down and: LIFETHREATENING WORK ACCIDENT!

IMG_20241124_135250971.jpg

Body says whatever!
OK, here are my four new table legs, lookin' mighty promising!

IMG_20241124_141052984.jpg

In an infinite stroke of genius I contemplated the ideal solution as to how to afix the legs to the boards. Off to the van for the artsy woodworking tool!

IMG_20241124_141733119.jpg

The idea is to cut half of the tops off of each leg. Find the saw module somewhere:

IMG_20241124_143329025.jpg

Might as well take the extra effort to at least pretend to have a thorough and thought-out approach. Get a pen thing!

IMG_20241124_144110923.jpg

Lookin' good. Well, as the Americans say: "Here goes nothing."

IMG_20241124_143922413.jpg

Wow! Looks better than I anticipated!

IMG_20241124_143924583.jpg

And it fits!

IMG_20241124_143941730.jpg

Now repeat for the other legs.

IMG_20241124_144410154.jpg

Fits well decently.

IMG_20241124_144421604.jpg

Well finally, the first hickup arrived! The flimsy sawing module wore out.

IMG_20241124_145052834.jpg

Put on a new one.

IMG_20241124_145337714.jpg

And job done. Bamboo smells sort of good when sawed. I think I dig it already!

IMG_20241124_145533015.jpg

Digging through our cute and trusted screw box for some... screws.

IMG_20241124_150738162.jpg

Found these four, rusty. I will save the good ones for our own home in the near future ahaha. This is a perfect case of upcycling.

IMG_20241124_150659002.jpg

Switching the module again to a drill, for pre-drilling the boards. Now make sure the drill size is compatible with the screws...

IMG_20241124_150850420.jpg

Mounting the drill head is sort of a hassle when trying to find the perfect size but I got the time.

IMG_20241124_151259123.jpg

A few minutes later:

IMG_20241124_151456268.jpg

Now for the super-smart amateur ideas about screwing a screw. That is crooked on purpose... Are you sure?

IMG_20241124_153014019.jpg

Well it doesn't "look" great but then none of the underside does, ahahaha!

IMG_20241124_153310392.jpg

Second time, maybe take a picture of the hole.

IMG_20241124_153425835.jpg

And - photo blogging tends to become a little excessive in detail-obsession - the screw, a little screwed in.

IMG_20241124_153447854.jpg

But I want extra sturdiness, so let's put in two more from the sides just to make sure it doesn't fall apart in the first week.

IMG_20241124_154611684.jpg

Fair. Screw it in and then the last one.

IMG_20241124_154730552.jpg

Now for the test. Will the thing hold together?

IMG_20241124_153829901.jpg

Man, that is pretty ideal two-boards-as-one-board-behavior...

IMG_20241124_153832306.jpg

Yes yes, enough of the screws already!

IMG_20241124_154859482.jpg

You might want to sand that side down, it's the part we'll always be looking at ahaha.

IMG_20241124_155029916.jpg

The difference after sanding, side by side.

IMG_20241124_155233307.jpg

After getting the right screws, back to the van to put it all together... Drilling holes into the bamboo and simulating ideal position.

IMG_20241124_155736703.jpg

Drilling through the hole of the bamboo down into the side of the board amazing tabletop! Then screw in the screw slowly and not too far.

IMG_20241124_155857593.jpg

Check!

IMG_20241124_160109656.jpg

Man it's starting to look like a table of sorts!

IMG_20241124_160326582.jpg

Now for the other two.

IMG_20241124_160735457.jpg

Yap!

IMG_20241124_160739229.jpg

God I wish I sanded down the bottom also ahaha. But I have become wiser so I shall not expend the effort!

IMG_20241124_160920383.jpg

Booya!

IMG_20241124_160933425.jpg

Well, anything will look level on a mattress ahaha. You know you have to:

IMG_20241124_161251483.jpg

Ah, who didn't see that coming? I sort of knew from the beginning there would be cardboard spacers under at least one of the legs so whatever!

IMG_20241124_161301850.jpg

Stuff

IMG_20241124_161443408.jpg

Table

IMG_20241124_161537922.jpg

Stuff under table!

IMG_20241124_161609648.jpg

Well, there you have it! I had fun and my woman loves it! Should we start a poll about how well it will hold up under tiny-plant-pot pressure?


Img srcs:
photos by me


Thanks for stopping by <3

Sort:  

This DIY kitchen rack project is a fantastic blend of creativity and practicality. Using upcycled boards and bamboo not only makes it eco-friendly but also adds a rustic charm to the design. It’s heartwarming to hear your partner loves it. Great job on building something both functional and beautiful.

hey thanks!

I couldn't have done a better job myself!:)

that resonates highly, i thank you for the appreciation.
so what do you give it? maybe a month?

I'll pray for you!

You have created a wonderful wooden rack with extraordinary feel. It is practical and good craftsmanship.

that is nice of you to say, but time will tell how well it holds up ahah
blessings

You are most Wellcome my pleasure