I am amazed that this idea has not yet made it to the bazaars of the Kingdom of Craftdom. It is such an excellent way to organize your CDs, and it doesn’t take much effort. You could simply make saw slits randomly along a broken hockey stick and jam CDs in until they hold. This approach might be construed as a ruse to screw up your kids’ music collection, especially if they are in the habit of playing the latest release by the Abrasive Discs at top volume. It would, however, assure family discord, as would be threatening them with an old broken hockey stick if they play that trash one more time! No, wait, that wouldn’t be right. Let us assume that you want to keep everyone’s CDs in their cases for storage purposes. Get the old hockey stick and mark off increments of 1” or so on the wide side of the stick, leaving room at the top and bottom for drill holes to affix this rack to the wall.
Now, here is where you’ll need to know how to use a table saw with a dado blade. These blades take out wood in paths instead of slits. Get someone to help you if this is new territory. Set the blade for 7/16”, just wide enough to hold a CD case securely. Set up a guide or block so that you will saw the same depth into the stick each time. Repetitive motion breeds dangerous reflection. Your mind drifts to a weekend evening, the kids are fast asleep, you’ve just watched a really hot movie. PAY ATTENTION! You are operating a power tool.
After the slots are cut and the mounting holes drilled, it’s time to resolve the to-paint-or-not-to-paint issue. Neatly sanded and painted, your CD holder will resemble the offerings of a certain Scandinavian decorating store that would have sold it to you for at least five dollars. A glossy primary colour would be nice, unless you live in Toronto, where by law you must paint it black to match your wardrobe. Finally, it’s time to mount the holder. Use a level, find a stud, put it up. If your household is like mine, of course, certain additions to the decor must be cleared though proper channels — especially if this is an addition to wall space in a common area frequented by visitors, family, and the like.