"Floating" Chain Wine Bottle Holder

I hate buying things when I can make them myself. A family member wanted a wine bottle holder like this, and I saw an opportunity to make something cool and improve my welding skills. I quite like the idea behind this sort of bottle holder. A chain (something not often associated with holding up an object all by itself) is turned into a solid support for a wine bottle.

Step 1: What You Need:

- Access to a welder
- A welding mask, gloves and appropriate clothing
- About 3.5 feet of steel chain; DO NOT use a galvanized metal chain (I used a chain with 1.25" long links; for anyone using the same sized chain I'll list the number of links that correspond to each measurement)
- Spray paint and clear coat
- An empty wine bottle

Step 2: The Base

- Arrange about 17.5" of chain (14 links) into a circle; I used the lid of a jar as a guide.
- Weld the links together.

Step 3: The Stem

- Drape the chain over an empty paint can or some other object so that part of the chain is almost perpendicular to the base. However, you don't want the chain to be straight up and down at a 90 degree angle. Rather, you want the chain to be offset slightly, at around an 85 degree angle.
- Weld 7.5" (6 links) of vertical chain together. Pay special attention to the bottom link.
- If you want you can weld the bottom link at a bit of an angle, giving the stem a more curved look.

Step 4: The Neck Hole

- Arrange the chain into a circle with a diameter of about 1 3/8" to 1 1/2" at the top of the "stem" you welded in the last step.
- Weld the circle.
- Check to see if the bottle holder works with a larger, preferably empty wine bottle.
- Wrap the remaining chain around the neck of the wine bottle.
- Weld the rest of the chain, including the dangling end.

Step 5: Painting

- Clean up the metal.
- I applied two coats of spray paint (I used semi-gloss black), and one light touch-up coat.
- I then applied two coats of clear coat.

Comments

[cfinley4]

I love the idea of this project and had a couple hours to kill so I just finished making mine right now! Currently it is drying in my shop! I ran into a few problems along the way so my designs a bit different but check it out!

[M3G]

That looks awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[The Lightning Stalker]

TIG maybe?

[jcowan7]

i agree TIG would work great for this

[M3G]

By the way, how did you get the metal so nice and clean?

[FalconXLunch]

Im making one in my welding class and this instructible just made it 100X easier! Thank you so much and when i finish it ill show you :D

[jaynolan1127]

Just made this at my local MakerSpace. Akron Syn Hack

[zposner]

Do you mind if I make them and then sell them? It is a great idea

[MicioGatta]

Magical! >^-^<

[M3G]

Thanks!

[keepintouch]

nice job

[M3G]

Thank you!

[keepintouch]

nice job

[Mr. D.]

Wine should be stored with the cork facing down.

[M3G]

I'm still a teenager, so I don't know much about wine :p. However, I intended for this to be used for shorter periods of time, such as a dinner party.

[bricabracwizard]

White wine is very rarely corked so wouldn't matter. Reds are different. I must say I would use your cool "Floating" chain wine bottle holder in fine dining.....the bottle would only be in the holder for a short time. Storage is usually done on racks anyway.

[Mr. D.]

:) Well, when storing wine, you want it to tilt down so that the wine rest against the cork. This helps to keep the cork wet preventing air from seeping through the pores of the cork and helps preserve the flavor of the wine. No the wine will not leak out. You will notice this in wine rooms and cellars where wine is stored for many years. It is best to do this even for short periods of time, thought it is ok not to, ie bottles standing straight up during dinner.

Just some info for your future projects if you make another one.

Good build.

[M3G]

Thanks for the info!

[silvertank]

Sorry, but no. Red wine is generally stored on its side to allow the cork to be wet (prevent oxidation), and allow the sediment to fall downward. If sediment hits the cork it can become tainted. This clever design actually keeps the cork wet and allows sediment to fall down to the bottom. I like it! You just need to make sure that the bottle is inverted before you place it on the stand. If you see the entire air bubble on the upside of the bottle, then you know your wine is safe. If not, you have the angle wrong.

[Mr. D.]

1) This design does not allow the cork to be wet. All the liquid is toward the bottom of the bottle.

2) All wine is stored at a downward angle (on its side but tilted down). Go into any wine cellar and you will see the bottles with the cork facing you and tilted down.

This still prevents any sediment from reaching the cork as it all settles below the neck of the bottle.