Winemaking just not meant to be for me

[Dugger]

Very sorry that this happened to you, Sarah.
Your new table will be plenty sturdy, that's for sure. Is this going to be a permanent/semi-permanent table? If it is and is going to be a work table as well as storage for carboys, it would be nice to have it at roughly counter height.
As a suggestion, I would make the blocks 4 high, either mortared ( if you can do this) or glued with PL construction adhesive (comes in caulking tubes). I would have a row of blocks at each end and one in the middle, add a couple of tables, again with construction adhesive ( or even tapcon screws if you can do this) and then the countertop with adhesive and a few screws.
This would also be plenty sturdy, would give you a better height and allow some storage area underneath on the floor.
Good luck.

 

[SarahRides]

Very sorry that this happened to you, Sarah.
Your new table will be plenty sturdy, that's for sure. Is this going to be a permanent/semi-permanent table? If it is and is going to be a work table as well as storage for carboys, it would be nice to have it at roughly counter height.
As a suggestion, I would make the blocks 4 high, either mortared ( if you can do this) or glued with PL construction adhesive (comes in caulking tubes). I would have a row of blocks at each end and one in the middle, add a couple of tables, again with construction adhesive ( or even tapcon screws if you can do this) and then the countertop with adhesive and a few screws.
This would also be plenty sturdy, would give you a better height and allow some storage area underneath on the floor.
Good luck.

Thank you Dugger!
For now I'm just trying to make something that is just a few feet off of the floor, not necessarily at table height. I have a separate table which will be acting as my workstation for now. I mostly just wanted somewhere to store my carboys at a height that will be easy to work from and can be bottled from easily. I mostly just made this from stuff hanging around my basement, so it didn't really take any kind of an investment. Eventually I do want to get something more permanent, however now is not a great time to spend any more money on it than I have to. Plus I want to try and save some money right now to get my juices in the fall. Eventually I want to make a more presentable and functional wine area, but for now this type of engineering is what's making it possible for me to be able to afford to keep fermenting. Plus I'm going to do some looking around and researching to decide what I want to build and/or buy, probably closer to spring time. I'm thinking I might do a table or counter of some sort similar to what you described.

 

[winemaker_3352]

Don't put too much on the ends - as you have nothing supporting it there.

I would also do as Dan suggested - anchor the doors and the counter top together. Either by anchor bolts are use some good adhesive caulk - liquid nails or something.

 

[Sirs]

you got the right stuff just need to play around with it abit more you can do alot with the blocks that will make it next to impossible to make anythnig you put on top fall over

 

[Sirs]

also you can get L braces really cheap and use them to attach the top of the table to the wall for major support in keeping it stable one on each end will work wonders

 

[closetwine]

I finally got around to reading this and I've GOT to go check mine now.... they're in a cabinet but I dunno hos sturdy the shelf is... And this TOTALLY looks like something that would happen to me except I would've caused the mess... Honey, I'm sorry , but glad to hear your still goin strong!

 

[Daisy317]

OMG... I can not imagine this happening! I would probably have bawled my eyes out if it had happened to me...

 

[SarahRides]

Here's my new corner of the basement. My husband has all his tools, etc. on the other side, so I hung a sheet up to keep the dust down. Just started a batch of Strawberry Peach as well as a plain strawberry (in the primaries). In the carboys are: (Left to Right) cranberry, Valpolicalle Riplassa, White grape (to become the candy cane), Apricot Wheat Ale (my husband's first attempt at homebrew) and the sauv. blanc. I pulled out of the mess.

 

[ffemt128]

Glad to hear everything is going again. I would move the carboys from the high shelf to a lower shelf. Would hate to see a post about a carboy slipping while getting it from a high shelf......

 

[oldwhiskers]

+1 on move the carboys. Your new setup and arrangement looks good.

 

[Runningwolf]

Sarah the new wine place looks great. Glad to see you recovered and are moving on. There is one thing missing in the pictures though.

 

[Tom]

She is ! ! !

 

[SarahRides]

Sarah the new wine place looks great. Glad to see you recovered and are moving on. There is one thing missing in the pictures though.

LOL, sorry! Didn't have an extra set of hands at the time.

 

[ibglowin]

When not in use I keep my empty "boys" back in their original boxes. Glass be breakable! Looks like your definitely back in that their saddle!

 

[docanddeb]

That metal rack seems to be sitting without support. At the very least, I would run a 2x4 from the joist above and attach it. They get wobbly as the weight goes up! My metal rack with pantry items in the basement is strapped to the wall for security as well as some boards diagonally in the back for stability.

Debbie

 

[Flem]

It all looks great. Nice job. I do agree with Debbie though on securing the metal rack either from above or tie it back to some vertical support.

 

[SarahRides]

There is a pegboard behind it (behind the sheet), I can probably secure it to that.

 

[docanddeb]

My heart can't take another accident... good idea!

Debbie

 

[Daisy317]

What a trooper!!! Back to it as you should be

 

[djrockinsteve]

Sorry for bringing this back but....

The other day I was looking at my shelving i bought from the depot and I had turned a 6 ft. shelf into two 3 ft racks placing my carboys all on the bottom and the upper shelf was filled gallons and a few magnums etc. along with misc stuff.

I noticed that the sheeting that came with it is starting to bow a little on the top shelf. The bottom shelf has the support of 2x4's so no worry there.

Over time moisture has started to work at weakening this and eventually disaster would strike me. Now the only thing on these top shelves is a few empty bottles, paperwork and misc light stuff.

Everyone please from time to time look over your set up and see if pending doom is heading your way. One bottle/carboy, even a gallon falling can take out a few larger carboys below.