Burned Bottle Crate

I have been wanting to make a simple.. stackable.. crate to hold bottles. Primarily to use for storage but also transportation...

I had a few things in mind... cheap and easy to build.. stackable for easy storage.. light enough to be able to lug around.. and strong enough to hold 12 swing top pint bottles.

I made my first one today.. I plan on making a few different styles to see which one works and looks best. In the mean time I'll give away the prototypes to friends and family members to which I give homebrew.

The lumber is 1" by 3" by 8' and 1" by 1" by 8' pine.. at my local big box it was marked as "firing strips." They were about $1.40 a piece and I used almost 4 of the 1" by 3" and not even a half of the 1" by 1". So.. including the small amount of shellac I used at the end this crate cost less than 8 bucks.

The interior dimensions are 9.5" wide by 12.5" long by 10" tall.

I used regular galvanized nails because I kinda wanted to see the head of the nail for styling. The boards on the top serve as handles.

Last but not least... I took out my favorite yard tool and lightly charred the exterior of the crate. Fun stuff. Raised the temp in my garage in a hurry!!

I bought some .75" Manila rope to use as handles but decided against it. I may work that into future models. I may also try to burn a logo/lettering in the sides.. and may also try to make lids.. but for now this is what I got. :rocking:

Forgot the picture of my favorite yard tool...

Nice work! Those would be perfect for homebrew 'giftgiving'!

How heavy is that thing?

It's 5.75 pounds empty.. I know it's a lot more than a milk crate or cardboard box..

But for wood its not that heavy, and I really wanted to try the pyrography.

The total weight is something I thought about, which is why I sized it for 12 not 24 bottles. Easy enough for me to carry around.

Nice I like it...be cool if you could make you're brewery name from something non flammable and leave it unburnt instead of burning it in...

I used several layers of duct tape to cut out a stencil, then burned it into the collar of my keezer. When I say duct tape, I mean true duct tape...the aluminum stuff, not the stuff skaters put on their Converse.

The result:



I do like the charred look. This summer I would like to make some 6 and 12 pack carriers with Abe burned in. I might try one reversed...with everything charred but Abe...

crazyseany said:

Nice I like it...be cool if you could make you're brewery name from something non flammable and leave it unburnt instead of burning it in...

Click to expand...

I was definitely thinking that as I was torching the crate.. going to give it a try next time around.

Xtant said:

I used several layers of duct tape to cut out a stencil, then burned it into the collar of my keezer. When I say duct tape, I mean true duct tape...the aluminum stuff, not the stuff skaters put on their Converse.

The result:

I do like the charred look. This summer I would like to make some 6 and 12 pack carriers with Abe burned in. I might try one reversed...with everything charred but Abe...

Click to expand...

I actually saw your thread/posts and I had your process in mind. I do have some aluminum tape and plan to use it the next time I build one of these.

Xtant.. Your logo looks fantastic!! did you ever have any issues with the tape losing its tack and this not protecting the wood...

I would assume because of the very short duration that the flame is "applied" that the tape would still maintain its adhesive properties.

I did three or four overlapping layers. That was probably overkill, though. I really think one layer would work as brief as the exposure was.

Version 2.0 Which only adds a little support for the bottom slats and some stenciling.

Decided not to burn the lettering in favor of a little color.

Version 3.0 may have a hinged lid and foam dividers inside.