Monday 27 October 2014

oak and Walnut Hat stand

its been a very long time since ive updated this blog but my latest design is a perfect excuse to write a blog post about this unique design that im very excited about. As with all my designs they start with a sketch and usually get forgotten about in numerous sketchbooks and scrap pieces of paper but this design came about from experimenting with a unique tool i have to create screw threads in wood. i already used this tool to make my multi purpose coat racks but always wanted to use it more effectively and this idea for a hat stand seemed a no brainer to me. A design of coat stand that could accommodate numerous pegs and accessories but also satisfy a wide range of users who i've found from previous designs, like the individual function led creations i make with the extra features to allow the user to use the design differently and in 'their' way and make that simple house hold staple (the coat rack) much more desirable, useful and hopefully prolong the life of that piece through engagement and the user finding a deeper relationship with that design.
  Back to the coat rack. As above i wanted a hat stand that did more than just hang coats and the screw thread principle allowed me that freedom of designing a multi use 'frame' that could have features and tools added to it. This frame idea is key and thus the backbone that allows for a multi use adaptable piece of furniture i was looking for. So not only can this design be used for adding coat pegs or umbrella hangers (see pictures below) but other wooden 'tools' can simply be screwed onto the top quarter section of that frame to change it into a garment hanger or even a lamp stand. The possibilities are quite big with this design which is why i am so pleased and excited by it.
  Back to its main use as a hat stand, i chose oak wood to make the main collapsible section of the stand and a section of walnut for the top quarter screw thread section. The whole frame flat packs down and screws together using that unique screw thread tool. I wanted this feature as a main requirement to hopefully sell this on my folksy shop, so the need for compactness in posting was high.
  Once the cross base unit is screwed into the 1st section of oak dowel, another section is screwed into that and then simply the walnut threaded dowel is screwed into the 2nd section and the frame is complete. The user then simply screws the coat pegs, umbrella hangers onto the walnut section at the desired height and orientation, meaning the hat stand can be placed in any position allowing the user access to their garments without having to walk around the stand.
  The photos below show the stand with the umbrella hanger, scarf hanger along with a standard 2 peg coat tool. there is no limit to how many tools can be added to this frame depending on the users requirements. Im now looking for somewhere for this design to be used in its correct context so i can observe its operation and adapt if necessary, then make more 'tools' for it so it can be used as another piece of furniture. An exciting future for this unique design.











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