How to make a steampunk bathroom shelf

Hey guys! Let’s talk DIY decor.

Wait, what?!

Yeah. DIY decor.

Theresa and I are experimenting with looks to help make our bathroom remodeling project include design touches we both enjoy.

Decor-wise, unless it’s a man-cave, 10-to-1 a master bath doesn’t really have anything the guys love in it.

You can say it: Shapes, textures, cool stuff that makes you…gulp…happy.

It’s OK to be happy. It’s OK to love where you live. And it’s definitely OK to share that with your partner, wife, girlfriend—whomever usually drives the design bus. And it’s OK to speak up about what you like.

For me, the kind of design that I typically like has  a structural feel. So when Theresa decided to create shelving out of pipes and wood for a client, one of the Food Network projects for the series Save My Bakery, I was psyched. And so we’re trying out the look at our home.

DIY decor is a great way to try out looks you want to any room of the house. And you’re not store-stuck. If you can think of it, like this steampunk shelf, you can make it. Or at least something like it. 

Here’s what you need to make this bad boy:

• All the pipe is 1/2-inch diameter black steel gas pipe
• 1×6 pine board, 24-inches long
• Drill and 1-inch bit
• De-greaser and bucket
• Spray clear coat
• (2) floor flanges
• (2) 8-inch nipples
• (1) coupling
• (2) elbows
• (2) 1 1/2-inch nipples
• (4) 2-inch nipples
• (2) tees
• (2) caps

How to make the steampunk shelf: The steps

• Mix up some detergent like Simple Green and water in a bucket and clean all the steel. There’s a oily residue on it when you buy it.
• Thread all the parts together from the bottom up.
• Snug them together. You probably don’t need a wrench.
• If you’ve got a good eye for symmetry you can count the threads exposed to see that you’ve screwed everything in the roughly same amount.
• The 1 1/2-inch nipples are for the top where the board goes.
• Measure carefully to the hole locations. I use the shelf itself to double check I got the measurements right.
• Drill
• Clear coat. Or paint the shelf a color. Heck, you can use camouflage paint. Oh yeah.

Whatever makes you happy. This is your DIY decor.

Mark

A licensed contractor, tool expert, wood and outdoor enthusiast, and elite Spartan Race competitor, he writes about home improvement and tools for national magazines and websites, and teaches hands-on clinics for other remodeling professionals. Check out his book, The Carpenter's Notebook.

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