I’ve measured the space where I’m going to put the rack, and started to want to visualize the design. I opted to fire up Google SketchUp which has been really useful for me in the past in laying things out and seeing them in 3D.
This is the preliminary design only, as I still need to move things around and make sure the spacing and height and shadow lines are where I think I might want them. One of the challenges was how to make it “light” looking, and making the front rack (with the smaller holes) shorter than the back one did the trick, but then presented the problem of how to connect the front and back assemblies. All the right angles of the front and back were great, but I think something like the curve I’m showing in the sides will mimic the fluid lines of the wine bottles themselves?
I’ve also mocked up the tenons on the ends of all the horizontal pieces, and will use those to “cut” the mortises in the legs once I get the positioning right.
Here’s the main view
And the front:
And the side:
This is a view of the tenons with the leg hidden. They are all 1/3 of the thickness (thickness is 3/4” so they are 1/4” thick and 1/4” from the top and bottom, 3/8” long). Never made a tenon (or mortise) before, so I’ll be doing a little practice before using the real wood (cherry I’m thinking) and would appreciate input if they are too wide/short/wrong/etc.
I’d love to hear thoughts and criticisms (I can sit around all day and tell myself how wonderful it looks, but would really appreciate any suggestions if you see something problematic).
-- Todd (Denver, CO -- Highlands)
10 comments so far
poroskywood
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612 posts in 1533 days
#1 posted 1139 days ago
Well thought out. Simple. Nice. How will you cut the curves for the bottles to sit in? My thought: One piece of wood / hole saw / cut board in half?
-- There's many a slip betwixt a cup and a lip.--Scott
Fireguy
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132 posts in 1404 days
#2 posted 1139 days ago
Have you tried flipping the side stretchers over in your drawing? It would put the curves in the same plane and the bottle holders. Would be easy enough to do in the drawing to see what effect it has, might be interesting.
-- Alex
Todd Clare
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67 posts in 1154 days
#3 posted 1139 days ago
@Scott:
Ha! I was wondering the same thing! I have a few approaches:
Wood with a hole, cut in half, like you said. Might actually be nice that the holes were not all 180 degrees of the circle because of the saw kerf. Just a little bit softer maybe?
Another option was to create a template for a single half-hole and the flat parts next to it, and trace/rough-cut them on the top of a board on the bandsaw then flush trim with the router. This feels like it might be a better approach (and better finish), honestly, as I don’t have many reasons to buy a 3 1/4” hole saw ;) For the neck supports I can just use a Forstner bit, as they’re not that large.
I was also thinking I can use a wine bottle with sandpaper taped around it to smooth the curve of the template. If nothing else, it’s a good excuse to empty a wine bottle! Or for a perfect fit, turn the right diameter scrap on my lathe and use it as a sanding spindle.
All to be determined…
@Alex: Very interesting… I assume you’re saying “curves up”? Hadn’t thought of that but will try and see what it looks like. Good idea!
-- Todd (Denver, CO -- Highlands)
BrianA
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46 posts in 1198 days
#4 posted 1139 days ago
I thought you may like to see the one I built. Holds about 600 bottles. We home brew beer and make wine.
Sorry about the 2 links
Brian A
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj201/Brian-1-2008/PDR_2598.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj201/Brian-1-2008/winerack2.jpg
Todd Clare
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67 posts in 1154 days
#5 posted 1139 days ago
Nice! Similar themes so I know I’m not far off. I benefit greatly by having friends who brew. I’m not opposed to doing some cleaning and capping grunt work for a few tasty beverages several weeks later. Actually the best single beer I’ve ever had was a Russian imperial stout my friend brewed.
-- Todd (Denver, CO -- Highlands)
BrianA
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46 posts in 1198 days
#6 posted 1139 days ago
Got tired of bottling. So now we have a small chest freezer in the closet next to the kitchen. It has a thermostat that stays at 32 degrees and have 3 kegs of beer on tap. MMMM Cold beer.
On my rack I also keep the back edge up so the wine is cork down. With the hole for the neck and a little elevation in the rear is enough.
Brian
Todd Clare
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67 posts in 1154 days
#7 posted 1139 days ago
Awesome. Yep I realized if I ever started, straight to kegs for me.
Good advice about the elevation. That was my next ploy—to take some measurements of the bottle, cork, liquid and figure out the differences in elevations. Will add that next.
-- Todd (Denver, CO -- Highlands)
poroskywood
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612 posts in 1533 days
#8 posted 1138 days ago
Yes… Todd, you are right a template / guide and router is the way a woodworker would go about such a thing. I was going to try and beat a curve into the wood with a club….LOL. Your idea is much better. I’m starting to learn more and more stuff the longer I’m on here. Welcome to Lumberjocks.
-- There's many a slip betwixt a cup and a lip.--Scott
TwistedRedneck
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41 posts in 1660 days
#9 posted 1138 days ago
Not a wine expert but shouldn’t the smaller part that cradles the neck be lower than the back end? I remember reading something about the way wine bottles are supposed to be stored so that the impurities / debris or something like that falls towards the cork. That option may make it a little easier placing the front and back pieces.
-- Nails are better wood fasteners than screws, if both are applied using a hammer.
Todd Clare
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67 posts in 1154 days
#10 posted 1138 days ago
I just did some looking on that.
The primary idea is that the cork stays wet so it doesn’t shrink. Even at the horizontal, that will happen so we should be good there.
The debris thing seems to be for people storing (a) fine wine (b) long term, and factors (a) and (b) don’t really apply to my wine “collection” (read: whatever’s on sale when we go to the store). :)
I looked on several commercial rack suppliers’ websites and they seem to say anything from 45 degrees down to horizontal is totally fine.
-- Todd (Denver, CO -- Highlands)
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