Make a Rack for Painting Cabinet Doors

Painting cabinet doors is a frustrating and time-consuming task, so I usually knock together a “painter’s gallows”—which is a simple cantilevered rack—to hang the doors while I spray. The rack can be made from just about any scrap lumber. After building the rack, I take a bunch of 1×2 fir strips and cut them slightly longer than the width of the rack’s arms. I nail the doors to the strips using finish nails on the top or bottom edge (depending on which one won’t be in view when installed), leaving a gap between the board and the door. I also leave enough nail exposed to let me easily pull it later.

With the doors attached to the strips, I hang them from the rack’s arms and spray front, back, and all edges. What’s really nice about this system is that I can carry the doors wet. For drying racks, I use 8-ft.-long sawhorses, placed about the same distance apart as the rack’s arms. I can slip the doors between them, getting about 20 doors per pair of horses.

I putty and touch up nail holes in place.

Jon Tobey, Duvall, WA

Edited and Illustrated by Charles Miller

From Fine Homebuilding #212