Introduction: Scrap Wood Wine Glass Rack

About: I'm an inventor / maker / designer based in Portland, OR. My background is in residential architecture, film set design, animatronics, media arts, exhibit design, and electronics. I use digital design and fabr…

This is a handsome wine glass rack made from scrap wood and wooden dowels. It takes about an hour to make using only a few hand tools.

Step 1: Tools & Materials

Tools:

  • Circular saw
  • Hand drill
  • 7/16" drill bit + countersink bit
  • Palm sander
  • Tape measure, straight edge, & pencil

Materials:

  • Scrap wood (I used a piece of 3/4" Plyboo)
  • Wooden dowels, 7/16" diameter

Step 2: Measure the Wine Glasses

The bowl of my wine glasses measures about 3" in diameter and the stem is about 7/16". I placed the dowels at 1" O.C. (on center) to hold the stems with 2 1/2" O.C. between. This gives me about a 1/2" gap for the stem and 3 1/2" of room for the bowl.

Step 3: Mark, Cut & Drill

1. Mark out the boundary of the base: 17 1/2" X 2"

2. Clamp the piece down and cut out the rectangle using a circular saw.

3. Mark out the centerlines of the holes and drill them using the 7/16" bit.

4. Drill 2 countersink holes for screwing the rack to the wall later.

Step 4: Sanding

Since plyboo is very dense, I opted not to use any finish and just sand it with 180 grit sandpaper and a palm sander. I eased the edges as well.

Step 5: Add the Pegs

I cut the dowel down to 4 3/4" lengths, but anything that leaves a peg of 3" or more will be safe. Hammer in the pegs with a rubber mallet and you're done.

Step 6: Screw It to a Wall and Display Your Glasses

I used square drive countersunk screws (instead of philips head or flat) because they look unique. I think it's always good practice to make exposed fasteners look intentional; using non-standard hardware is a good way to do that.