Laser Cut Coat Hooks

There are plenty of free and interesting vector designs for laser cutting coat hooks, racks, etc., However, nothing that I found seemed suitable for the lightweight laser cutter and plywood I had. There was one design that struck me as pretty cool. The hooks were made by stacking and gluing discs together. I realized I could do the same thing, and I applied the concept to my own dimensions and aesthetic.

• Vector art
• Plywood
• Laser cutter
• Wood glue
• Wall anchors
• Drill
• Hammer
• Screwdriver

You can download a copy of the SVG file above. If you’re already handy with vector graphics you can adapt this artwork to match your style. The take away from this is that you’ll layout a set of rings which will then be cut and glued in a stack. The stack is then glued to the mounted part and the whole thing is screwed into the wall anchor.

The only dimensions that need specific measurements are the inner diameter of the rings and the small hole in the mounted part. The inner diameter of every ring should be slightly larger than the head of the screw you plan to mount it with. By slightly, I mean like 0.5mm or less. Basically, plan to have the whole screw and screwdriver pass through the discs. The mounted part, (eg. the animal shapes) should have a hole only large enough for the screw, but not the screw head. You can usually find the specification of the screw on the packaging or you can measure it with a ruler or caliper.

Once you have those bits drawn, everything else is just art. I traced some existing silhouettes of animals I found on a google image search, and then slightly modified the outlines to include a semi-circular mounting point. Importantly, you’ll want to draw these as a complete and independent shape so they release from the plywood when cut.

Get your vectors cut out (using laser at home or from a fab lab) and pop out any stubborn holes and organize the rings into stacks. Then begin to apply wood glue liberally and sandwich your stacks together. You can use your screwdriver or a pen to help you center the stack rings before they dry. While those dry, pre-screw your anchor screw into the mounted part. This will help center the stack when you glue it to the mount. Finally, glue the two parts together and let that dry overnight.

If everything went well and the glue is fully dry, go ahead and set your anchors. Drill the holes in the wall and hammer or screw in your anchors as per instructions on the packaging. Then begin to screw your part to the wall, you should end up with a nice, flush and sturdy mount. That’s it! Repeat for any additional anchors as needed. The glue should be as strong as wood and the anchors should hold about 10 pounds. I’ve had ours up in the kitchen for a week now and they seem to be holding up pretty well. Feel free to comment if you need help or I missed any details. Good luck!