Wooden Gun Rack

I've been wanting to build some sort of rack to hold my airguns and a cabinet to hold the ammo and accessories. So when I saw plans for this one online I decided to build it.

For this project I used:
- 2 1x6s
- Wood Cabinet Knobs
- Antique Brass Cabinet Hinges
- Stainable Wood Filler
- Wood Glue
- Early American Stain
- Rubber Gloves and Old Rags
- Kreg Jig Screws
- Scrap Piece of Aluminum
- Epoxy
- Mounting Brackets

After I decided how I was going to build it, I measured out and marked where to make each cut. I just used a jigsaw to make the cuts, with a square clamped down next to it.

To make the decorative top piece I was able to use a 5 gallon bucket to create to curve, and cut it out with the jigsaw. To create the two walls that hold the guns up, I printed out and made a template to trace out the curvature. I then cut those out with the jigsaw too.

After I had all the boards cut to size I sanded them all down. I also slightly rounded all the edges that would be showing, especially on hooks that would hold the guns.

I then drilled out the pocket holes on the Kreg jig. I designed it so that the holes would either be inside the cabinet or on the back so no holes or screws showed.

I began to assemble the rack by putting a small amount of wood glue in the joints. Then driving in the pocket hole screws. I didn't put the doors on yet to make staining easier. Also I decided to put my airguns up on it to test the fit.

I also prepped for staining by filling in cracks and joints with wood filler, and finishing anymore sanding needed. Make sure you use stainable wood filler, and also be careful where you put wood glue because it is not stainable and you can ruin the project (from experience.

This is the first time I have tried staining, and I think it worked well. The way I did it was applying the stain with a brush, waiting about 15 minutes, and wiping it off with a rag. I think I ended up doing 3 coats on the parts that show and 2 coats on parts that don't show. Sorry for the lack of pictures on this step, but this is kind of a messy procedure. You will want to wear rubber gloves and have plenty of rags. This project actually ended up using about exactly one small can of stain.

While the stain was drying I started making the cabinet doors. After cutting out the doors with the jigsaw, I used a rasp to trim them to just the right size to fit and sanded them down. After that I stained them just like I did with the rest of the rack. While I was at it I also stained the wood knobs it got.

Finally, I put on all the hardware, including the hinges, doors, knobs, and mounting brackets.

I also wanted to add a metal star for decoration in the middle at the top but I couldn't find the right one that was the right size so I decided to make my own out of a scrap piece of aluminum. I started by printing out and creating a template. I then laid it over where I wanted it to go on the metal and sprayed over it with black spray paint, leaving the outline on the metal.

I was easily able to cut out the edges with the jigsaw, but the inside cuts were too small. To cut those I had to use the Dremel with a cutting disc.

Because of cutting the star out with the Dremel it was really rough. But after some time with various files in the vice I got cleaned up and even. I used a regular flat file, a flat/oval file, a small triangular file, and a small flat/ oval file. I finished it up with some sanding and a wire brush on the Dremel.

I wanted the star to be raised a little, so I cut out a thin little circle of scrap of wood to be a spacer behind the star, and added a little stain to the edges. Lastly, I finished it up by epoxying the wood circle to the back of the star, the onto the middle of the top board on the rack.

I'm happy with the way this turned out. It holds my airguns and ammo, and it looks really nice. Thanks!