[Irish]

OK, I am trying to make my beloved Michael a hat rack for his favorite baseball cap.

I am working with 5/4 basswood and cut it in two pieces. The main piece is the entire face with the second piece being his nose, mustache and lip beard. So my depth at this moment is about 2 1/2" from the tip of his nose to the work table.

I need a way to bring his head area away from the wall so that the hat can be slipped over his head. Yet I need a way to anchor him to the wall so he doesn't shake or rattle.

I am thinking about cutting a third piece that matches the full face but only from the arrows down. If I do this I need to do it now so that I can incorporate that third section into the beard carving.

Any thoughts would GREATLY be appreciated.

Susan

[Anthony Filetti]

Susan,
How far away from the wall do you want it?

It probably does not have to be the same size as the carving and could be a series of block spacers glued and screwed from the back to a larger pate that would attach to the wall. I'm not sure if what I said makes sense but an example would be to 3x3 block screwed to the back of the carving and a slightly larger wall plate screwed to the block. Not sure if that helps...

....BTW, way cool idea!!!!! (...can I have one?)

[Irish]

Tony, I like that idea! I never thought through adding or attaching the carving to a plaque. So much simplier then what I was envisioning.

I think I need at least 1" of space behind his head. I did not size my wood spirit quit large enough for the hat when it's folded. So I will need to tuck the hat some in behind the head in that space.

Thanks!!!! I'll put you on my Christmas list, Tony, for that excellent suggestion. This little guy is a real hoot when you see him with the hat in profile. I'll get a photo of him when he's done.

Susan

Oh AL! You have ruined me for the day ... all I can think about is my bad, very bad, spelling

[squbrigg]

Perhaps a single spacer attached to the back, routered with two key hole slots to mount on the wall. The spacer could be smaller than the rack so as not to be obvious or distracting. You could cut it parrelel or give it a slight down tilt to the head, to make placing and removing the hat easier. Just some thoughts.

Bob

[AlArchie]

Sorry, Susan! Well, as another idea for mounting that great lookin' hat rack; you could mount a 2" wide firring strip (whatever thickness you need for spacing) to the back and mill in two vertical keyhole mounting slots. This would let you mount the rack to the wall in a secure manner, and still have it easilly removable. It would also stand the rack proud of the wall by the thickness of the firring strip, and the strip would not be seen. Two small crew holes in the wall behind the rack would be all you would then need.

Al

[Irish]

Thanks eveyone! These are some great ideas. So I am setting him aside for today so that I can read the posted ideas then chose which will work best for my wall area and carving.

I really appreciate your input!

Susan

[Thor]

If you would like to see him "floating" from the wall, you could mount him like a moose head by putting a plaque shaped wall piece behind it, and then using a drill bit the size of a good size dowel, and drilling up at an angle through the plaque and into you head from the back once or evne twice, then glue the one or two dowels between them of a length that would elevate the head slightly and space it from the plaque. He would appear to be floating, and have the image that a moose head does on a wall.
Thor

[AlArchie]

Bob, looks like while I was typing, you were posting! Sorry for the "two of a kind" suggestions.

Al

[squbrigg]

Don't matter Al.....long as we're both trying to help her out.

Bob

[Ashbys]

Susan ,

If you take a 1 inch or more wide piece of scrap at least 3.5 inch long and cut it on a taper of 10 degrees making it into a right triangle you can glue it to the back side of the carving and it will give you the 1 inch away from the wall and the support your looking for.

Ash ,