Pool Float Storage Rack

In the summer, the pool can be a great place to relax with family and friends to cool off. A few floats can make the experience even more enjoyable. However, many people don't have a good way of storing their floats when they're not in use. I'll show you how to build a storage structure that will hold up to 6-7 floats, depending on how large the floats are.

PS: This is my first intractable, so hopefully its up to par! Let me know if there is anything I should improve on for next time.

To get started, there are a few materials that you'll have to pick up. Any type of wood will work, I went with a simple 2x4, four dowel rods that were fairly thick, and some scrap wood I had lying around to make a connection in between the two main supports. You'll also need some long screws, I went with 2.5".

The first thing I did was to take the 2x4 and cut it in half (each board being 4ft. long) to create two base structures. I then sanded the boards down using 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out any rough edges or bumps.

I would also need something to connect the two boards together. I cut two pieces of scrap wood I had lying around down to 16", but this could be adjusted depending on how many floats you wanted to fit/how much space is available. These strips were also sanded using 220 grit sandpaper.

Now, I decided to create the base support. To do this, I took the small strips of wood and placed it 1" inside the edge of the 2x4. I made sure to make these square, and I screwed the strip wood into the 2x4 using the 2.5" screws. (I would recommend getting some shorter screws since the 2.5" poked through a little on the opposite side, but I was able to file down the point.) I repeated the process on all the other corners, and the base structure was assembled.

Flipping the boards over, I measured to the center of the width of the 2x4 (1.75"), and 5" down the length to determine where I should bore into the wood. Using a 1" boring bit, I bored a hole about halfway through the board, making sure to keep the same depth on all four corners.

I tested to make sure that the the rods fit snug into the hole, and seeing that they fit well, I moved on.

Once again flipping the structure over, I measured where I should drill a pilot hole into the bottom of the 2x4 using the measurements taken form boring into the wood. I also drilled a pilot hole into the bottom of the dowel rod to make sure that nothing would split.

After drilling the pilot holes, I inserted the dowel rods into the bored out holes, and using the 2.5" screws, secured the rods to the base structure. I repeated this on all of the corners.

After screwing in the dowel rods, the structure is complete, and could be considered finished now. However, I would recommend using a stain and sealant to prevent any warping or damage from the sun or water. I used Minwax, but any stain would work.

After staining and sealing, the storage rack is complete! Mine was able to comfortably fit a large chair raft and a normal lay-down float with some room to add some more

Thanks for checking out the project!

Cheers,

-Matt