How to mount coat hooks on side walls of mud room cubbies?

We had some coat "cubbies" made for our back entry. They are somewhat similar to the product shown here:

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that photo, how did they mount the hooks on the inside walls? There is 3/4" white MDF separating each cubby, and I can't imagine that two

5/8" screws in MDF will hold enough weight for a coat hook. I saw the "connector bolts" at Rockler
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, but they are too long.

I have a feeling that I'm making this too complicated. Any ideas out there?

thanks, Robert Jones

Reply to
rjones_postonly
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I can think of two off hand. T-nuts and/or through holes with a threaded sleeve.

Reply to
Stonegrift

rjones snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote in news:1149231637.326329.94980 @c74g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:

Inside wall coat hooks? If it were me I would drill holes all the way through and use machine screws and nuts. Want fancy? 10-32 threaded rod with acorn nuts.

Outside wall coat hooks? I would use a forstner bit to cut a recess and put a t-nut in the recess and then plug the hole. Sure you will likely see the plugs if you look close but there is no other way to get maximum strength for the coat hooks.

Reply to
R. Pierce Butler

Just because some commercial outfit used a couple insufficient screws doesn't make it the best thing to do. I agree with a previous poster - my first thought was drilling all the way through and using machine screws and nuts (countersunk and capped if you like - see fastcap.com for capping "stickers"). I think I like the T-nut idea even better. I think either of these would definitely give you sufficient strength, but they might not be the most elegant options. However, I'm not sure there is an elegant solution - it seems to me that almost any fastener that doesn't protrude all the way through the wall of the MDF cubby would not be strong enough to last very long. Good luck, Andy

Reply to
Andy

Reply to
rjones_postonly

Could you cut the bolts down a bit? Or anothewr place that seems to always have the "bolt" I am looking for is:

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you have a local store you can go and look or just call them off the web site. I hope this helps.

Al

Reply to
Al

First of all, I wouldn't have had them made out of MDF.

That said, I've used the stuff, and where I needed screw-connections, I plunge-routed a clean 1" hole part way, then glued in a piece of 1" hardwood dowelling. Then I pre-drilled and screwed into that.

A better option initially would have been to have a complete strip of hardwood separated by MDF top and bottom, and screw into that. The MDF and hardwood would be biscuit-joined and glued. The hardwood could be slightly thicker and mitered edges would make it look good as well as being more functional.

Option 3. A thinner hardwood panel both sides, bolted through at the ends and glued onto the MDF would lend support.

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Guess who

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