WTF is that??

I just KNOW you're going to see this and think that.

OK,I'm going to be making some small turnings on the lathe in the coming weeks (details later) and need to store them. Things that come off the lathe are round-ish, and if you put them on a flat table they could roll away. I decided to hang them instead. Each one will have a ribbon tied at the top, so I needed a sort of "tree."

Just happened to have 4 wooden coat hangers...the kind for a jacket. Notice the notch at the ends. I think those are suppose to hold straps for womens's blouses so they don't slip off the hanger. They will be used to keep my "things" from sliding off the arcs as well.


I removed the wires, leaving holes. Then stacked these. Note at this point some of them didn't have notches, and I wanted a total of 16 notches. Later on, I marked and cut the notches on the bandsaw.


Then a test. Sat one hanger on top of a wine bottle (which makes the trunk). The height from the notch to the table is sufficient for the items I will make (and hang), and this is the lowest arm, so when displayed there will be a sort of "spiralling upward" effect.


Then a test of 2 arms sitting on top. I couldn't test all because I didn't have the bolt yet, and they are so narrow that I couldn't keep them stacked for a picture.


Finally I cut all the needed notches and bolted these "arms" or "branches" together. To hold them in the wine bottle I drilled a hole in a cork and put the bolt through that as well. Snugged up nuts and splayed the branches again. Poured sand in an empty wine bottle and shoved the cork in. Voila, a display "tree."


Cost: nothing!!