Wood for Wine Rack Construction

Geoff Schultz · 2007-01-09T16:23:29+00:00

I've been planning on building wine racks for my wine cellar. The rack length will be about 14' and each column will hold 18 bottles with 2 display bins. I enjoy woodworking and have a nice shop, so construction isn't an issue.I had assumed that I would be able to build it for cheaper than I could purchase a unit. I also hoped that it would justify some new tools! :-) The problem that I just priced out red wood and found that it's running $3.29-$3.79 per linear foot for 1x6 in New England. When I look at the pricing for pre-fabbed wine racks built out of red wood, I can't even buy the wood for what they're selling them for, let alone justify any new tools! :-(I'm not fixed on red wood. I want a wood that will withstand the relative humidity of a cellar and look good. Pine is not an option. Any suggestions for a nice wood to build this out of?-- Geoff

Jan 09, 2007 28 Replies

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Geoff Schultz 19 years ago

First off I want to thank everyone for their suggestions. I've been spending a lot of time talking to hardwood vendors and considering my options. My original design required 300 board feet of lumber and I've gone back and modified the design so that I'm down to about 200 board feet. As a result of this need, I am very sensitive to the price of the material.

To construct this I need 72 vertical supports, 48 horizontal supports and

1254 cross bars. Being an engineer at heart, I spent a couple of hours yeasterday developing a spread sheet that would calculate how many pieces I could construct out of varying sizes of wood. For example, for each 2"x6"x8' piece of stock I can make: 2 risers and 8 cross bars; or 6 horizontals and 8 cross bars; or 64 cross bars. Calculatiing this by hand while varying the dimensions of the design and the stock was getting to be too much. Hence the spread sheet.

Anyhow, after looking at my options I think that I may be setteling back to the redwood. I'll keep you posted on my final decisions.

-- Geoff

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Don Sforza 19 years ago

I did this about 4 years ago and used Western Red Cedar. Then I read an article on wine rack construction that said DON'T USE AN AROMATIC WOOD... get's into the wine, etc. Well after 6 months the "aroma" was gone and no wine has been ruined. Not that I have a lot of expensive wine anyway... maybe a mixed case of some "keepers".

I have room for about 17 cases of wine... all racked. I did the

11-horizontal, one-on-an angle thingee for display.

Cost.... maybe $100.

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Jose 19 years ago

I've seen many designs that support the neck and the base; I wonder though when removing a bottle with less than ideal care, if the bottles under it are vulnerable to impact.

Jose

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Mark Lipton 19 years ago

It takes a pretty forceful impact to break a filled bottle of wine, Jose. I've dropped a few filled bottles over the years onto concrete floors and (knock wood) only one has ever broken. Most just bounce. Of course, I would not recommend trying that trick with any bottle you valued, but the point is that just a casual impact from another bottle won't do much of anything to a filled bottle of wine.

Mark Lipton

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Geoff Schultz 19 years ago

Jose wrote in news:Rs8ph.32993$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr21.news.prodigy.net:

The crossbars run parallel to the wine bottle, so there's no way to bang one against one another. The horizontals space the verticals such that they all have the same spacing, which in my case is 3.5"

-- Geoff

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Joe "Beppe"Rosenberg 19 years ago

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Dick R. 19 years ago

Joe, you are nuts, but that's one of your endearing qualities. :-) Dick R.

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Zeppo 19 years ago

Tim, Do you secure the drain tiles to each other or just stack them?

Thanks, Jon

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Timothy Hartley 19 years ago

Just stack them — they are circular and solid and they stack against a back wall and between side walls. If you want to turn a corner you have either to waste some drains or fill space with breezeblock or brick to accommodate. All in all though they ar every good — especially if you have to keep wine in an outbuilding above ground and do not have a true cellar.

Cheers

Tim

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