In case you are new to this electrical conduit phenomena,  I will do a quick little re-cap.

Basically, you can have a 10′ curtain rod for just a few dollars!

Conduit Curtain Rod WITH End Caps

Supplies Used:

• 3/4″ Electrical Conduit (10′)
• Metallic Spray Paint ( I used “Oil Rubbed Bronze”)
• 3/4″  dowel  rod
• Liquid Nails
• Screw-on Curtain End Caps

Tools Suggested:

•  Drill
• 1/4″ drill bit
• Fine Sandpaper/ Steel Wool
• Saw

To make the conduit curtain rod:

 First we will need to prepare the metal conduit for painting. I used a piece of  steel wool, and lightly scuffed up the surface of the electrical conduit.

After that, I wiped down the rod with a wet rag in order to remove all the dust.

Once dry,  I then appllied the spray paint. I  propped mine up so that as I rolled it, it would not damage the painted side.

As with any spray painting project, I  did multiple LIGHT coats (as opposed to one heavy coat).  It always turns out better, and cures faster !  Promise.

Attaching End Caps:

While that is drying you can prep your end caps.   YES, this tutorial will show you how to make it look like a real curtain rod, not just a spray painted rod!

You can find screw on end-caps in the curtain rod section of most home improvement stores. I  picked mine up for $6.98  at Lowes. One thing to remember when picking out your caps.  They DO NOT need to match the rod!  Remember spray paint is your friend!  You will want to paint these to match your rod regardless.

That being said,  scuff up your end caps with steal wool or sandpaper. Again,  wipe down with a wet rag to remove excess dust.  Once dry,  you can then proceed to paint.

While that is drying you can move on to the next part of our project.  Attaching the end caps! To do this I used (2) 6″ sections of 3/4″ dowel rod.

I  drilled  into one  end of each dowel rod,   using a 1/4″  drill bit.

To secure the dowel rod,  I used Liquid Nails, worked like a charm! I  just put a VERY  liberal mount inside the conduit.

  After I applied the glue, I simply slid the section of dowel rod, into the conduit curtain rod.  I  wiped off any excess glue and then allow it to dry overnight.    After the glue had dried completely,  I then  twisted  the end caps in place!  Like a REAL curtain rod.  It will allow you to remove and add curtains as needed!  So,  there you have it!  A 10-foot long curtain rod, that is sturdy, and decorative for under $15!  Something comparable in stores can range from $ 50+!  Seriously,  in just a half hour of labor, you can save your self some serious money!

So,  take a look around, are you in need of curtain rods, or simply need to update, or replace bowing/short rods?  This conduit curtain rod is the best bang for your buck, and it comes in countless finishes

 Take Luck,
Corey

The post Conduit Curtain Rod WITH End Caps appeared first on Sawdust 2 Stitches.

 

 Love these ? Me too.  Here is my semi-successful attempt. 

Let me premise by saying  I would love to learn to weld.  Until then,  I   will have to stick to a faux metal finish.

I  began by drawing my desired shape on a piece of OSB (Only because I happened to have it on hand. In retrospect  I would had DEFINITELY  used a smooth surface board  ie:  plywood, or paneling).

Using a jigsaw and a circular saw I  cut out my shapes (Arrow and the letters E.A.T.)    I also wanted mine to have a raised edge, so  I cut out 1.5″ wide strips  that  would go around the perimeter of  my signs.

Next,  I drilled holes in  my cutouts so that  I could insert  short carriage bolts. I thought giving it rivots would make look more realistic.  (I also think it would be really awesome to insert lights instead!)

In retrospect I would have added the carriage bolts  at this point  so that they  would get painted at the same time.  ( I added  just a dab of hot glue on each one to ensure they stayed put.)

This next part  was a little bit of trial and error,  I started by giving the wood a  base coat of “Metallic Aluminum”  spray paint.

Once the silver layer was dry  I  used a matte black and did  some eratic  dusting all over the signs (edging strips included)  in order to give it some dimension.

I then repeated  the same process with  Metallic Oil Rubbed Bronze. ( I pretty  much repeated the erratic  dusting method with any metallic spray paint I had in my arsenal),
* Like I said earlier,  in retrospect  I would have added the bolts (rivets)  before the painting process.*

Using a finish nailer  I fastened the  1.5″ wide slats of wood and tacked it to the cutout.  I just liked that it gave it dimension and created the look of a  vintage metal sign.

Once everything was secured I took a rag with a little bit of stain and added it to the creases  to give it more depth.

Overall…   I don’t think it is half bad for $4.00 in materials.

( Like  I stated earlier,  if I were to do it over I would have used a smooth board.)

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