DIY Wine Rack and Display Board

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It’s no great secret that a big chunk of the fun of being a wine connoisseur lies in the visual aspect of the bottles themselves. Yeah, we could stuff them all in boxes like so many 8-track tapes, but where’s the joy in that? No… Some sort of wine rack is called for to help keep the corks moist, but most wine racks then hide the beautiful labels. But what to buy, or much better, make? I wanted something that met several criteria:
  • The rack had to be both simple and quick to make
  • It had to be portable
  • I was thinking of giving these as presents, so inexpensive was definitely on the radar
  • The varying sizes of bottles would be a consideration
  • Extensibility is a good thing
  • Everyone likes “cool”
After poking at the web, and reminiscing on centerboards, dagger-boards and lee-boards (all with cutout handles), I came up with the following design...
cropped-wine-board-Feat.jpg

How to Make Your Own Wine Board?


Well, the photo above tells at least 90% of the story, especially to an experienced woodworker, but here’s a checklist for my approach and the components you'll need.

Required materials:


  • A 2’ (or more) by 13” wide slab. (Note: You can use ancient ¾” pine like I did, or you can use new stuff like plywood, hardwood, or even diamond plate…)
  • Thin reinforcing ply when required (as in this case…)
  • Appropriate glue
  • Finish
  • Bungees as taught slings. (Note: You might choose leather, rope, chain, etc. for the slings. I like bungees because they hold the bottles securely for transport…)

Required Tools:


  • Circular saw (or whatever…)
  • Jig saw
  • Framing square
  • Drill
  • Compass
  • Cardboard for templates
  • Scissors/razor knife
  • Standard assortment of drill bits
  • 1” hole saw
  • Sander with 100 and 220 grit paper
  • Pencil
  • Small plane
  • Rasps
  • Screwdriver assortment just because
  • Brush or rag for finish

Building Your Own Wine Rack


Here are the basic steps I used to make my “wine board” complete with bungee straps…
Fig-1_Prepping-old-board-for-reinforcing-handle-laminate.jpg

Because I chose to use an antique checked board, I needed to reinforce the top of the board with an inserted laminate.
Fig-2_More-prepping-old-board-for-reinforcing-handle-laminate.jpg

The handle cannot fail regardless.
Fig-3_Laminate-in-place-before-glue.jpg

With care, precise work can be accomplished, even with a Skil saw and an old timber such as this.
Fig-4_Laminate-glued.jpg

Glue is a wonderful thing. Use weight or clamps until the glue is cured.
Fig-5_-Handle-Layout.jpg

Your call on the handle design… I wanted mine to have a top indent so that I could hang the board on the wall. If you plan on hanging a larger version, make sure the build and hanging device will be able to support the weight.
Fig-6_Bottle-layout.jpg

I roughed my bottle outlines on cardboard and then guessed from there.
Fig-7_Bottle-test.jpg

Bottle test… What’s the worst that can happen?
Fig-8_Back-of-board.jpg

Adjust bungees as needed.
Fig-9_Making-hanldle.jpg

Use care with the jig saw and rasps on features such as the handles
And that’s about it… Sand mercilessly and then finish to taste. Keep in mind that you have an almost limitless number of options for the final appearance of your wine rack. A few ideas include; Paint/stain/oil, Photo transfer, Chip carving, Pyrography, Inlay, Veneer, Intarsia, Scrimshaw, Glass/gems, Bone, Shell, or any mix of these.
I wonder what your wine rack would look like with two handles, food-grade finish, and cheese/sausage/knife strapped on board? That way it could serve is a traveling wine and cheese board. Beyond that, I suppose I can really change the appearance with a series of them hanging from a stout hook at the top of a wall. This can just serve as the framework for more elaborate designs.
Have fun,
Alan
cropped-wine-board-Feat.jpg
 
Redneck as hell and I love it. for a display board I would prob use zip ties if the bottles were going to not be consumed anytime soon, but for a "party carry" option, the bungees are the way to go.
 
I was planning on going on a wine run. Do you think that the bungees would hold over the course of a 5K run? If not, what would you suggest to use instead?
 
Is that the wine drinkers equivalent of the beer mile? I threw up a little in my mouth just thinking about it. Good luck! (I would put a dense foam between the board and the bottle.)
 
I don't drink the kind of wine where showing the label wouldn't is a priority. To take your wine rack one step further would be to use the same board, drill 3 - 4 offset rows of 1-1/4" holes and stick the bottles in neck-first. Bingo! Instant wine rack/carrier/conversation piece. Of course to allow it to stand up without tipping over from the weight of 12 - 16 bottles, you'd have to duct tape a bowling ball to the reverse side to counterbalance it. When the bottles are empty, you set 10 of them up, un-tape the ball and go bowling!
Seriously, though --- great design! Congrats!
 
So many nicer looking racks and displays. Even made from pallets. Bungee cords make it look poorly put together. Not to be a downer but there are so many other designs that are cheap to build that I would do before this
 
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