How to Make a Floating Wine Bottle Holder

Ever since I first saw one of these, I wanted one.  The principle of center of gravity is so excellently demonstrated by this set up, for it stays floating in the air, because the center of gravity of the entire system (board and full bottle) is directly over the slanted foot it rests upon.  I always thought it would really hard to figure out how to make one for my own.  It really wasn’t that hard.  You just have to be exacting in cutting the angle at the bottom and the location of the hole toward the top.  Here we go on how to make a Floating Wine Bottle Holder.

Step 1:

Supplies:
15” x 3 1/8” x 3/4” hard wood board (I used oak, about $3.50/ft.)
Tape measure
Pencil
Straight edge
Chop saw
Drill
1 ½” drill bit
Medium sandpaper
Fine sandpaper
Paint, or stain, or whatever you want to finish your wood.
Bottle of wine (I don’t drink alcohol, so I have a bottle of Martinelli’s)

Comments

[Pfarmkid]

How did you come to the decision on 27 Degrees?

[craftknowitall]

I found an original written discription- no pictures- years ago. In it, it said to measure one side of the board so long and the other side shorter (steps 3v& 4) , then cut the angle formed between the two lines. Well that turned out to be 27 degrees. Much easier to remember and easy to do with the chop saw.

[tinker234]

amazing i wonder if i could make a clear one

[aloseman]

I was wondering if you ever had the chance to try out your idea of making a clear one. Did you? I'd be really curious to see how it looked.

[tinker234]

sadly i couldn't when i wrote this comment i had the tool and then some one quote {bowered it} i need to stop leading out tools they seam to take them often

[craftknowitall]

Cutting a clear acrylic can be problematic. Why don't you try and let me know the results. Thanks for looking.

[bertus52x11]

Very nice! I'm going to try this.

[zerioni]

Great little instructable! Easy and quick project, I just did a test one up with some scrap lumber (old slat from a futon actually). The angle it would seem does not have to be super perfect; I measured it up with my little plastic carpenter's square and set the angle as close to my mark as I could manage on my ryobi cordless circular saw, and it turned out very stable. I have hip bumped and banged and beaten on my table and apart from some slight rocking, it didn't appear to be in any danger. I sent some pictures out over text, and now everyone in my family wants one. Thanks for the neat-o post!

[craftknowitall]

You are welcome. Thanks for commenting.

[MetalManMustang]

Will it work to hold a 2 leter

[craftknowitall]

I just tried a "pepsi" 2 liter and the neck wasn't long enough to go all the way through the hole. Need a long neck to get food grip and balance. Don't have a "coke" 2 liter so can't try it yet.  If I get a hold of one, I will let you know.  Thanks for looking. 

[rschechter]

I tend to mass produce, even on craft projects. By setting your table saw blade or skill saw blade at 27 degrees and following a line, you could turn out dozens of these in the time it takes to measure 4 lines around a board and try to keep your saw in line on both sides of the boards for one wine holder.

Nice project idea. Thanks.

[craftknowitall]

We have made 4 more and have several more in the plans. I to am a mass producer. Why do when you can do 12? We figured out the 27 degrees when we went to the chop saw to cut the line I drew. Since then we have used it and they have worked every time. Thanks for looking.

[colt711]

How can I buy one from you ?

[craftknowitall]

Here is a picture of the unfinished wood. Sorry I didn't rotate it. Let me know what you think.

[Lthrboots]

Will it still work after some of the wine is gone from the bottle, or does it only work with full bottles?

[craftknowitall]

I got out the board and put an empty bottle in it and it balanced. Still way cool.
Thanks for looking and commenting.

[Lthrboots]

Thank you for the reply. I appreciate it. By the way, this is very cool and should be a fun and easy project to do. Thank you for posting it.

[craftknowitall]

You are welcome.

[Bev Kirk]

Oh - my - goodness! There was no way I could wait! I definitely need a humidifier in my school lumber closet! I had one board left that was close in dimensions: 3 5/16" across and 3 4/16" across on the bottom of the curve; my lumber warps way too quickly unless I just make a couple trips a week to the lumber yard (which I actually love anyway). I measured it as directed and found that the brand new 1 1/2" drill bit that my husband graciously loaned me would not cut through due to the warping; it formed a vague circle on the top surface and I had to drill multiple holes, round them out with rasps, and hope for the best. The 27-degree angle for the bottom surface lined out perfectly, but not with my big table miter box. However, I found that I could shim the right-hand side with a thin wooden ruler and the saw line would come out perfect, so I sawed the board vertically and it seemed good. Lo and behold! It balances perfectly! I was way excited, summoning in the principal, admin ass't, PE teacher, and everyone else I could find! I was even sending pictures of it to my husband and one son. Keep the cool projects coming - I love learning!

[craftknowitall]

That is so great. I was home a lone when I got our first one to balance, or I would have shown the world too. You have helped to make my day! Thanks for letting me know.

[bking11]

In terms of physics if the plank is thicker and thus the area it would stand on - bigger wouldn't it make it more stable? I am thinking of making one and just thinking here :) I just want to make it less prone to table bumps.
Regards!

[craftknowitall]

Yes, a thicker plank will be more stable. Thanks for asking.

[LoganC]

Having the bottle rest in the hole like that seems like a lot of unneeded pressure on the neck from the edge of the hole. Perhaps you could drill the hole at the same angle, but inverse (-27 Degree) so that the hole through the board is parallel to the ground so it supports the bottle better. Just a thought. Great instructable though, have been wanting to make one of these for a while now!

[LoganC]

Actually, that may not work as well. Could cause the bottle to tip downward a bit maybe.

[craftknowitall]

I bought one of these before I made this one. It's height and width were about the same, but the hole was 1" wide at a -27 degree angle. I couldn't get the bottle mouth through the hole. It was totally disappointing. Of course I sent it back and then found written directions on how to make one. This one worked. Wonderful! Thanks for looking and commenting.

[greatpanda]

If you always used the same brand of wine for this, it might be possible to make a more tight-fitting angled hole, but there's not really any "standard" for wine bottles. The larger hole allows you to be able to use slightly different shaped bottles with the same stand.

[smalcolm]

What make Makita drill is that? I like the way the drill bit fits in.

[Ricardo Furioso]

Nice Makita.
I want one.

[craftknowitall]

Thanks for looking and commenting.

[Londonbrig0]

I've always liked balancing wine bottle holders like these, but I wonder how stable they are, would bumping the table make it fall over?

[craftknowitall]

I got out the board and a full bottle. Put them on the table balanced and then hit the table with my hip, it rocked back and forth and then re-established equilibrium, (it didn't fall over). A balanced empty bottle didn't fair so well. Thanks for looking and commenting.

[mr.frob]

physics is so beautiful

[craftknowitall]

I agree! Taught physics on the High School level. Love it! Thanks for looking and commenting.

[mvtrumpetgeek13]

What sort of calculations did you do to determine the angle and the hole placement? cool instructable though! I'llhave to try this when I have some free time

[craftknowitall]

The directions I followed, (written with no pictures) had you do the measure front, measure the back, draw a line connecting the two lines and cut that line. We determined that the angle when we cut the angle with a chop saw, from the angle reader we used when we cut the bottom. Since then we have made several more just using the 27 degrees and they have all worked wonderfully. No math/calculas involved. Sorry about that. Thanks for looking and commenting.

[Bev Kirk]

I prefer a Speed Square for making my straight lines. I teach art and always have my kids use one; it makes it a lot easier for them, too. We do a LOT of woodwork, and build tons of projects for the veterans every semester. When we get them saturated, off we go to the senior centers around town. After each student makes his/her first project, s/he has the option of making a second one to take home. We've been enjoying this for five accident-free years, and use all sorts of tools. Thanks for the "measure twice, cut once" reminder in this excellent project, and thanks for sharing a new idea for my kids. I'm taking my sparkling cider bottle to school tomorrow! The kids will be intrigued!

[mdog93]

Surely this depends on the density of wood used- the mass per volume stated by those measurements

the density of the liquid and bottle and some bottle are made of thicker galss than others

and the volume held in the bottle - wine tends to come in standard sizes but not always and sometimes champagne etc. is different quantities for example 750mL or 1L

Or, for masses of this size are those factors not large enough to make a difference to the angle and positioning of the hole?

[zoltzerino]

Could you add holes lower down for when the centre of gravity changes?

[craftknowitall]

It would depend on how you would change the center of gravity. So do you mean a smaller or larger bottle? Yes you could, but it wouldn't be as impressive. Thanks for looking and commenting.