Making wine racks

[berrycrush]

Within a few weeks after moving into a new home with bigger basement space, I racked up a couple of grands of power tool bills between Home Depot and Amazon. To put them in use I am embarking on a wood working project -- making my own wine racks. I figured many people here had been there and done that, so I'd like to pick your brain, or your design. I am looking for simplicity and efficiency. Material cost wise I am looking at around 50 cents per bottle on the scale of above 200 bottles. What had you done? Any ideas?

 

[mainshipfred]

Congrats on the house and tools Greg. The simplest least expensive volume storage is the diamond racks. Make them 13" x 13" to be able to store Burgandy bottles as well. If you really want efficient storage make the diamonds 60 degree.

 

[JohnT]

Here is what I made. Holds 90 cases and cost me about 600.00. the hat works out to about 55 cents per bottle.

 

[Ct Winemaker]

Here’s what we did. It’s a variety of old cases and crates from flea markets etc. We just brushed them off (cleaned) and then coated them with a couple of coats of plain old amber shellac.

 

[sour_grapes]

Within a few weeks after moving into a new home with bigger basement space, I racked up a couple of grands of power tool bills between Home Depot and Amazon. To put them in use I am embarking on a wood working project -- making my own wine racks. I figured many people here had been there and done that, so I'd like to pick your brain, or your design. I am looking for simplicity and efficiency. Material cost wise I am looking at around 50 cents per bottle on the scale of above 200 bottles. What had you done? Any ideas?

Here is a good thread on such racks: https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/finally-built-my-wine-rack.44954/

Because you explicitly mentioned efficiency, I will be biased and point you to my own 60-degree (Harlequin) diamonds, as @mainshipfred alluded to: https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/finally-built-my-wine-rack.44954/page-2#post-513850

 

[jking]

I built this rack a few months ago to keep up with my batches, as I was running out of storage. 160 bottle capacity. Cost about $65 in material plus my time to make it.

 

[FunkedOut]

I'm no wood whisperer.
I am making a free standing wine rack for the living room; ~220 capacity.
It's gone over budget and behind schedule. I'm at ~$1.50 per bottle.
Just need to get some trim on the front to cover the edges of plywood.
I'll get a picture here soon...

 

[Rice_Guy]

1/4 inch plywood assembled into metal shelving. Spacers (front & back) for height are PEX tubing with 10 gauge wire running from bottom to top. Back/sides are wire mesh.
cost? everything except shelf was scrap

 

[montanarick]

Here is what I made. Holds 90 cases and cost me about 600.00. the hat works out to about 55 cents per bottle.

Nice Job! I'm in the process of designing a new wine cellar and hope to get it started soon

 

[montanarick]

Congrats on the house and tools Greg. The simplest least expensive volume storage is the diamond racks. Make them 13" x 13" to be able to store Burgandy bottles as well. If you really want efficient storage make the diamonds 60 degree.

Are your bins 13" on a side - or are they bigger? also did you make at 60° or 45°?

 

[Cellar Vader]

Check out "The Home Winemaking Channel" on YouTube and find the video he made of the wine racks he built. He gives you the measurements too. I made these a couple years back entirely from 1"x2" firring strips. Dirt cheap, and they are quite efficient. You need to do a fair amount of ripping for the bottle supports, but it was actually a fun project, and again, I don't think I spent $50 on the wood. I made 2 racks that hold108 bottles. On that note, time to build more! Good luck!
(In the attached pic, the racks are just free-standing inside the 2x4 frame that I used to build my bar.)

 

[montanarick]

Check out "The Home Winemaking Channel" on YouTube and find the video he made of the wine racks he built. He gives you the measurements too. I made these a couple years back entirely from 1"x2" firring strips. Dirt cheap, and they are quite efficient. You need to do a fair amount of ripping for the bottle supports, but it was actually a fun project, and again, I don't think I spent $50 on the wood. I made 2 racks that hold108 bottles. On that note, time to build more! Good luck!
(In the attached pic, the racks are just free-standing inside the 2x4 frame that I used to build my bar.)View attachment 58197

Looks great - thanks for the info

 

[mainshipfred]

Are your bins 13" on a side - or are they bigger? also did you make at 60° or 45°?

They are 13.25 x 13.25 and turned on a 45. Look at @sour_grapes post #5 for the 60. He's the one that told me about it but after I already build mine.

 

[montanarick]

They are 13.25 x 13.25 and turned on a 45. Look at @sour_grapes post #5 for the 60. He's the one that told me about it but after I already build mine.

Thanks

 

[Mcjeff]

I made this rack based on a design from the book “The Homebuilt Winery”. I made a jig to make each rack which made it go relatively quickly.

 

[berrycrush]

@Mcjeff, @Cellar Vader
Where do you get the 1x1s? They are more expensive than 2x4s where I look.

 

[berrycrush]

Here is a good thread on such racks: https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/finally-built-my-wine-rack.44954/

Because you explicitly mentioned efficiency, I will be biased and point you to my own 60-degree ...

How do you make the 60 degree cut? My circular saw only goes 45 maximum.

 

[sour_grapes]

How do you make the 60 degree cut? My circular saw only goes 45 maximum.

You only need to set the saw to 30 degrees. (90 - 30 = 60) Take a look at the detailed drawings in that earlier thread I cited.

 

[Mcjeff]

@Mcjeff, @Cellar Vader
Where do you get the 1x1s? They are more expensive than 2x4s where I look.

I used 1x2’s and ripped them with my table saw. Yes more than a 2x4.

 

[franc1969]

Thanks, I just ordered this book. I had written the info from the youtube video mentioned in the thread, but I really need the full directions. I get distracted without them, but I have been setting up to do this. Nice work on the rack.

the book “The Homebuilt Winery”.