Our coat hanger was a peice of 6 1/2" x 30" x 3/4" plywood laminated on both sides. We chose the 5" circle pattern, 1/8" round nose bit along with a 7/16" and 1 1/2" guide to add a little pizzazz to our hanger.

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Our holding jig simply consists of a scrap piece of material the same thickness as the hanger material. This is screwed to a backer board.

Layout the centers for the coat hanger pegs. Put masking tape 2 1/2" from the center and make a mark on the masking tape. These marks will be used to center the pattern.

Square the pattern and then screw into place.

Next install two hold down clamps at either end of the jig to hold the hanger in place while routing.

Slide the hanger stock into the jig making sure the marks on the masking tape are aligned with the pattern. Clamp the coat hanger in position.

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One router is okay but two are a thing of beauty for this job. Set the depth of cut for both routers. We set this depth so the bit will cut into the plywood because we plan to accent the cut later with black paint.

Use the 7/16" guide to make the first cut which is the outside profile, then use the 1 1/2" guide for the second cut. Be sure to stay tight to your pattern and move in a clockwise direction.

When cutting the profile on either end of the hanger, one clamp may not hold properly so we secured the hanger by screwing a corner bracket to the backer board.

Use a drill press to drill a 1/2" hole in each center for the shaker peg. Do not drill all the way through as these holes will also be used for the screws that anchor the hanger to the wall. This way everything is hidden and clean looking.

In the next tip we will show an easy way to round the corners, profile the edge, paint the cut grooves and finally mount the coat hanger in the shop.

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