In this instructable, you will learn how to build this sturdy wine shelf made of recycled plywood. I tryed to achieve somekind of old looking wood to contrast with the not-so-sexy straight plywood. I've done it a while ago but forgot to take pictures so there's a bunch of sketches to (hopefully) help you out during the process. Safety is alway quite important so i will use the word ''safety'' randomly in this instructable, just in case)

You will need :

Materials :

-Safety glasses

-dustmask

-earplugs

-plywood as much as you want (in my opinion, the more layers, the best results, i will explain later why)

-dowels (diameter depending on your tastes)

-wood screws (as you decide)

-wood glue

-Clamps

Tools :

-a screwdriver that fit with your wood screws

-a drill

-drillbits fitting your dowel diameters and screws recomendations for the pilot hole

-pencil

-tape measurer

-handsaw or mitre saw

-scrollsaw or band saw

-abrasive paper (100-120-150 and 320 for finishing purposes)

Let's begin !

Step 1: The Main Idea

Safety first ! Allway remember to wear security equiment at anytime (yeah ok, you can do sketches without the dustmask if you want but...beware !

)I suggest you to draw the shelf to see the proportions you want, something that is balanced enough to please you. The one i've done is 33 in X 13 in X 5 in but as mentioned before, you are free to build a completely different one. it's mostly an instructable about the process.

Step 2: Deciding the Size

Now is the time for plans !

It's a mendatory step in my opinion because it makes everything clearer and therefor, faster. i will give you some dimensions but keep in mind that this part is all about personal safety tastes. I'm using 3/4in (13 layers) plywood in the introduction picture, so i will only give you the lenght and width (in inches), you already know the thickness !

The parts are :

A - outer sides : 13 x 4 1/4

B - inner sides : 8 1/2 x 3 1/2

C - top back slat : 1 3/4 x 32 1/2

D - front : 4 1/4 x 31 1/8

E - back : 9 x 32 1/2

F - bottom : 3 1/2 x 31 1/8

G - glasses rack : 3 x 31 1/8

H - cleats : 3 1/2 x 1

Step 3: Assembly Principle

For this part it will be difficult for me to describe the way things are tangled. I hop this little sketch will help. The steps to assembly will follow shortly and i will try as much as possible to explain. It goes ''sides-bottom-front-cleats-rack-backs'', wich sound weird when you try safetyto say it out loud as fast as possible.

Most of it is achieved using 1/4in dowels and 11/4in wood screws with auto pilot hole drilling

Step 4: Little Precision

From now on, the top sketch will be in front view, the black drop means glue, and that's it !

Step 5: First Step, the Mirrored Sides

Once all your pieces are safety cut to final shape, assemble the sides.

A+B --------------B+A

So it goes

outer side glued and ''dowelded'' to inner side ------------------inner side glue and ''dowelded'' to outer side

This way it's secure enough for the futur assembly.

next step !

Step 6: Bottom Shelf Assembly

Now that your sides are ready, place them on a flat surface as shown on the second picture, and place the bottom piece.

Keep everything in place with clamps and safety drill 3 holes all the way through the bottom to the inner side.

Glue, dowels and clamp for at least 30 minutes depending on you glue specifications. Make sure everything is square during the process

Step 7: Front Shelf Assembly

Now you just have to place the front panel in place, flush with bottom. Use the same process as before.

Place it, clamp to keep stable while drilling holes for the dowels. remove clamps, apply glue and put back in place with dowels and clamps for half an hour safety

Tje second picture will show you what i mean, and the third is about dowels positions and assembly principle.

Step 8: Cleats (or Spacers)

Unfortunatly i don't have pictures about this step put it's rather simple. place on cleat on each sides and bottom junction, and then place the others evenly. Make sure that you glasses base will have enough room to slide freely, based on you glasses.

I've glued and screwed thoses on the bottom with 2 screws in countergored holes. It while ensure good resistance, even if glasses are not that heavy !.

Remeber to make a tiny paper with the cleat size and places where you drilled and screwed. It while be very usefull to locate them once the rack is covering those.

Step 9: Glasses Rack Assembly

The process for the wine rack is farly easy too. place it on you cleats (not shown in the pictures) and mark the middle of each gap between cleats on you rack, and follow the pictures.

Round you edges before final assembly !

Step 10: Making It Look Old

This step must be completed before back assembly ! (or it will be difficult for you to access tiny spaces with a grinder.

Using an safetyorbital grinder safety is useflull for this step.

The way plywood work is :

Layers on top of layers, grain of the wood crossed. when you grind it you can reaveal layers under. Angle is important.

As you can see on the sketch, there is a ''yes'' and a ''no''. It's more a ''what i've done'' and ''what i didn't do'' ! Both technics will work but with different result. Grindire will be longer if used flat on the surface, but will produce wider wood rings on a big surface, and grinding with an angle will produce tighter rings, deeper.

Due to my shelf size, i wanted to use the angled position, and i'm really pleased with the result.

You can apply any wood finish. Mine is a mix between steel wool and apple vinegar. Pretty sure you already know it, but if not, it's :

Mason jar, steel wool in it, vinegar in the jar until the wool is immersed, and let sit for a week or more ! Try to stir every 3-4 days

drill holes in the lid and keep away from flames as it will produce gazes

Step 11: Back Assembly

No pictures for this step, but if you want the same result as mine, place one little slats fluch with the top, and a piece of board flush with the bottom of your outer sides. It can be from any height you want. try to find out what kind of gap you want between both back parts. B

Backs are drilled on the shelf as it will be the main part that will take all the weight once on a wall.

Step 12: Et Voilà !

You are now the ''possesseur'' of a wine shelf that will allow you to display you bottle in a classy way !

This instructable can be achieve with various tools and machinery of course, and can be a quick process or a long one. But i tend to adore long process, to me they produce the most personnal items !

Hope you liked it and feel free totake a look at my other creations, on instructable or facebook !

Kindly

Stiko