Suspending a Curtain Rail

A curtain rail is a cheap and convenient element for making sliding constructions. It can be use for displaying various items (curtains and paintings to name two). Of course, dedicated rails exist for hanging paintings: usually these are finished really well and they have a click-and-go attachment. A curtain rail is a poor-man's version of this neat picture-rail: cheaper, less robust, but available in multi-meter sizes.

A curtain rail is a very useful element for organizing small spaces.

The question however is: how to suspend or fix the cheap rail nicely. This Instructable shows how to by-pass the standard fixation elements (see pictures in Step 2) and screw the rail directly onto a slat. Note: curtain rail designs may vary across countries. This Instructable bases on a metal-sheet rail, the most simple one can find (in the Netherlands).

This long slide has been used in a twin Instructable, which documents a drying rack in the form of a long drawer, to be suspended above the stairs in small houses or stairwells: the Drying Drawer over a Staircase (published CC by openproducts on 16 March 2015).

When you're interested mostly in hanging paintings on the wall, it's perhaps nice to know that Openproducts once published an Instructable on a Wooden Double Function Rail (see also Step 3).

Outline
Step 1 below shows the innovative approach for fixing the rail. Step 2 shows the conventional way. Step 3 shows the earlier published Instructable on a Wooden Double Function Rail.

This Instructable was first published on 16 March 2015 at Instructables under a CC BY license, see also Step 4 which explains the license in more detail.

If you consider this Instructable useful to others then feel free to pin and/or to retweet (see Tweets from March 2015).

The whole idea is to fix a wooden slat (minimum thickness equaling the width of the rail) onto a wall or ceiling. Then the lower, horizontally oriented side is used to screw the rail onto.

To be able to fix the rail in such a way it is needed to drill small holes in its upper surface, as demonstrated in the pictures (apply simple tape to avoid the bit from slipping away). Small screws are then used for connecting the rail to the slat.

Depending on the load (and its value) the number of screws might differ: 1 meter (39 inch) apart for light weights, up to 10 cm (4 inch) for heavier constructions. In order to prevent the screw to be torn out from the rail, the hole should fit exactly to the screw.

The requirements for the screws to be used: the screw head should be narrow enough to fit through the opening of the rail, have a width to support the rail enough and low enough not to hinder the passage of the rail wheels.

The next step shows the conventional way of hanging this kind of curtain rail.

The standard system of hanging a curtain rail (in the Netherlands) is have it pressed into a U-shaped clasp. In that way the passage for the rail wheels remains free.

The next step shows an image of the earlier published Instructable on hanging pictures on a wooden rail, equipped with indirect lighting.

The picture shows the earlier published Instructable on a Wooden Double Function Rail (CC by Openproducts, January 2013), which allows to hang paintings and at the same time provides indirect lighting.

The next step spends some words on the licence under which the current Instructable was first published.

This Instructable is being made available through a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. It shows an innovative way of suspending curtain rails.

Republishing this Instructable is allowed provided that it is properly attributed (cite the name openproducts, link to www.openproducts.org, www.instructables.com/member/openproducts, or the original Instructable). For other arrangements send a Private Message through the instructables member page (www.instructables.com/member/openproducts).

This Instructable Suspending a Curtain Rail was published on 16 March 2015.