How to Hang a Wall Cue Rack

The method for hanging a wall cue rack depends upon whether your rack is in one or two pieces, and the depth of the cabinet.

On-Wall Cue Rack

1. Hold the cue rack, or the top piece of the rack if it’s a two-piece version, up to the wall in the area where you want to install it. Place a level on top to make sure it is even.

2. Slide the piece down about an inch from where you want the top of the shelf to be, to accommodate the hangers on the back. Trace a light pencil line where the top of the shelf meets the wall.

3. Measure the distance between the hangers on the back of the shelf. Measure the same distance apart along the line on the wall and mark the location for each hanger.

4. Attach a drill bit 1/8 inch smaller than your screws onto a drill and drill a pilot hole for each hanger in the wall. If the holes are in drywall and don’t go into a wall stud, push drywall anchors into each hole, tapping them gently with a hammer if necessary until they are flush against the wall. Install the screws into each anchor, leaving 1/4 inch of the screw sticking out of the wall.

5. Place the wall cue rack, or top shelf piece, onto the screws. If you have a two-piece rack, hold the second piece against the wall below the first piece. Press a pool cue into the clip on the top rack so that the cue pushes in easily but is gripped by the rack once inserted, and place the base of the cue into the hole on the bottom piece of the rack to determine the proper distance between the two parts of the shelving unit.

6. Set the level on top of the bottom piece of the rack and tilt the shelf until it is even. Hold the shelf in place, remove the pool cue, slide the shelf down about half an inch and trace a line on the wall along the top of the shelf.

7. Measure the distance between the hangers on the back of the bottom piece of the rack. Install the hangers and screws for the rack and place the rack on the screws. Place each cue on the rack in either a one or two-piece cue rack by inserting the base into the hole on the bottom piece and pushing the top of the cue into the clip on the top piece.

In-Wall Cue Rack

1. Move an electric stud finder over the wall where you want to hang the in-wall cue rack. Mark the studs on each side of where the rack is to hang.

2. Turn the power off in the area of the house where you plan to install the rack. Place a 1/8-inch drill bit on a drill and make a small hole in the wall where you want to place the rack, between the studs that you marked. Bend a sturdy piece of wire so that you have 6 to 8 inches of wire to insert into the wall. Push the end of the wire into the hole in the wall and turn it a full circle inside the wall to look for pipes or wiring.

3. Hold the in-wall cue rack against the wall between the marked studs. Place a level on top to ensure the rack is straight and then trace around the perimeter of the cabinet where it rests against the wall.

4. Set the depth of a circular saw to no more than 1/8 inch and cut the drywall along the lines you traced. If the drywall doesn't come free, wedge a flat-head screwdriver into the cut and gently tap it with a hammer to break completely through the drywall around the lines you made. Pull the drywall from the wall, using the screwdriver to pry it free if necessary, and set the rack into the wall to check the fit.

5. Remove the rack from the wall and apply the adhesive recommended by the manufacturer around the perimeter of the back of the cabinet facing so that once the cabinet is inserted into position, the trim around the sides, top and bottom will stick directly to the wall's surface.

6. Press the rack into the wall opening, making sure it is level, and hold it in place for five minutes to ensure it sticks. Wipe away any adhesive that gets on the wall around the rack immediately and let the adhesive dry 24 hours before adding cues.