How to Make a Copper Pipe Paper Towel Holder
"We were looking for a cute and functional storage solution for paper towels and came across this great tutorial, so we decided to give it a try!"
Materials
Dunn DIY's Pinterest boards are full of ideas we'd like to try! The other day we saw this great tutorial and wanted to give it a try. The result was a modern piece that's sure to be an eye catcher in any kitchen! It's sleek, easy to make, and inexpensive!
Step 1
The first step is to cut your hexagon from the 1x8. The kind of wood you use is up to you. We picked hemlock because of its beautiful color. Before you cut, you need to draw guidelines on the wood. You can do this by making all your own measurements or by printing off a template.
We found our template on Google images. We tried a couple different sizes before finding one we liked. Whether you measure and draw or trace a template make sure that the hexagon is smaller than the width of the board. The edges of a 1x8 are generally curved and if you don’t make a new cut it will look odd to have four sides sharp edged and two sides curved. Because you won’t be lining up the shape with the edge of the board we recommend starting off by making the initial 30° cut and lining up the hexagon along that.
Step 2
All the cuts for the hexagon are made with a 30° cut on a miter saw. We used an electric saw, but you can use a hand saw and a miter box if you prefer. Here’s the technique that we found was best for cutting: start with the upper right hand angle. Once you’ve made that cut slide the board down and cut the opposite parallel side. Now begin to rotate the board making each cut consecutively. Line up the blade with the pencil marks each time to make sure that the board is flush against the back of the saw and that your angles will be exact.
Step 3
Once all the cuts are made, use a straight edge across the points of the hexagon to find the center. Mark with a pencil. With a 7/8” spade bit, drill through the center of the hexagon until the tip of the spade bit comes out the other end. This will create an insert for the pipe without it showing or coming through the other side.
Step 4
Lightly sand the hole in the middle and the edges to smooth out any roughness. It’s up to you how much you want to sand. We sanded the edges with 150 grit. If you want to sand the surface of the wood we recommend using a higher grit for a smoother finish.
Step 5
Now it's time to treat the wood. You can stain the wood, or leave it bare, but we took a happy middle ground with a wood conditioner. We used Daly’s Kitchen Wood Treatment, which is a great option because it’s non-toxic. It’s inexpensive and you can take the opportunity to reinvigorate any other wooden cutting boards or utensils that you have in your kitchen. Use a clean rag or a paper towel to rub the conditioner into the wood. Leave on for a few minutes and then wipe off excess. The treatment is the consistency of petroleum jelly and can get a little messy. We would suggest that you lay out some paper towels before you start.
Step 6
While the wood is conditioning, cut the copper pipe to size. Dunn Lumber sells copper piping in 10 ft lengths. So if you need another project to use the excess piping, browse around our Pinterest board, here.
It’s really a matter of preference of how much of the pipe you want to see. We cut ours to 12 inches. To cut the pipe you’ll need a hack saw – that is a saw with small fine teeth. If you have a clamp you can use to hold the pipe in place this is the easiest, otherwise you can use a miter box. Cutting a copper pipe is surprisingly not a difficult thing to do. Fit the copper cap onto the cut pipe.
Step 7
The pipe is now ready to be fitted into the wooden base. Gluing is an option and may not be needed, but if you do go this route make sure that you wait until the wood has absorbed the conditioner and no longer feels tacky.
There you have it! Now you can put a paper towel roll on and start cleaning up!
