Folding Wine Counter
This folding wine counter woodworking project provides extra space during holiday entertaining.
Free up kitchen space during holiday parties with this attractive and practical folding wine counter. Use it to serve up beverages or store bottles, stemware, and tasty treats during parties.
Unfolded, the clever wine serving table measures a roomy 48-inches wide by 16-3/4 inches deep by 36-1/2 inches tall. When the party's over, you can easily take it apart and store it until your next gathering.
Project Resources:
Cut and label the parts as needed, using the Project Illustration and Cutting Diagram as guides and adjusting for fit.
Instructions:
1. Cut the pieces and edge-join the top.
Using the Project Cut List (PDF), cut the frame stiles (A), frame rails (B), shelves (C), wine rails (D), top (E), top trim (F, G), and top cleats (H) from 3/4-inch pine. Label the pieces with chalk and set the pieces aside. We ripped these pieces to width with a table saw and crosscut the pieces to length with a compound miter saw, but you could also use a table saw or hand saw and miter box. For this project, we chose “Select” grade pine.
Rip each of the boards for the top (E) to 5 1/4 inches and cross-cutting each board 1 inch longer (47 1/2 inches). After the glue dries, remove the clamps and trim the excess as described in Step 4.
To laminate the top (E), we used a biscuit joiner and #10 biscuits. Before cutting the biscuit slots, lay out the three boards with alternating patterns of growth rings, as shown in the Grain Arrangement Drawing. Alternating the boards as shown will minimize warping, especially during seasonal changes in humidity.
Good to Know: Chalk a triangle on what will be the top surface of the laminated top. This will prevent accidentally gluing up the boards in the wrong order.
Mark and cut slots for eight biscuits. Apply woodworker's glue on the mating edges and in the biscuit slots. Insert the biscuits and clamp. Use a framing square as a straightedge to check that the top remains flat during clamping. (Improperly positioned clamps may cause bowing.)
After the glue squeeze-out skims over (a shiny surface as glue dries slightly), remove the excess glue with a clean damp shop rag or disposable towel. This step will reduce your sanding efforts and avoid glue smears that show up during finishing steps.
For detailed instructions on creating panels using the edge gluing techniques described above, click here.
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2. Assemble the four frames
To assemble the four frames as shown in the Frame Assembly Drawing, switch to #FF biscuits. (Be sure to adjust the depth-setting on your biscuit joiner). Lay out each frame for the best grain and color matches. With chalk, number or letter the parts (A, B) for each frame.
Mark the biscuit locations and then cut slots for 6 biscuit in each frame. If you have marked the pieces for each frame, you can cut biscuit slots in all 20 pieces required for the four frames (5 per frame) at one time.
Use the same gluing techniques as described above to assemble the frames. Apply just enough clamping pressure to close the joints, and check that each assembly remains flat. Remove glue squeeze-out as described above.
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3. Add the wine rails to the bottle shelf
Gather up the 12 wine rails (D) cut in Step 1. To chamfer both ends of each rail, we rotated our miter saw for a 45-degree cut. With a stop block, make test cuts in scrap material until your chamfer profile approximates the 3/8-inch chamfer shown in the Exploded View Drawing. Cut a 3/8-inch chamfer in both ends of all 12 rails.
Finish-sand the rails (D) and all surfaces of the bottle shelf (C) with 80-grit and then 120-grit sandpaper.
Good to Know: Some hardwoods are sanded to a finer final grit than pine. If you sand this pine project to 220-grit, the higher sheen created on the surface wood fibers won't allow as much stain to penetrate.
For additional sanding tips, click here.
To speed up placement of the rails on the shelf, cut a 2 5/8-inch-wide Rail Spacer from 1/4- or 1/2-inch-thick scrap material. Mark the locations for the two outside rails where shown in the Bottle Shelf Drawing. Use 3d nails to secure the two outside rails to the bottle shelf. Then use the Rail Spacer to position the remaining 10 rails. Countersink the finish nails and fill the nail holes with wood filler (we used PL FI:X Stainable Wood Filler).
4. Frame the top
Rip and cross-cut the top (E) to 15 1/4 x 461/2 inches.
Using the miter saw or table saw, miter the ends of the four trim pieces (F, G) to fit the top (E). Test the fit. When you're satisfied with the tightness of the miters, apply glue to the trim pieces and joints and then nail the pieces to the top. Countersink the nails. When the glue dries, fill the nail holes with wood filler and then sand all surfaces of the top with 80- and then 120-grit sandpaper.
5. Hinge the frames
Mark the positions for the three pairs of butt hinges as shown in the Exploded View. Note the relationships of the three pairs; when mounted properly, the four frames should fold flat for easy storage. Drill pilot holes and install the hinges.
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6. Add the top cleats and sand
Pad your workbench with a clean towel. (The padding will reduce the chances of denting the soft pine while working on the cleats.) Turn the top (E) with the good side on the table. Fold out the frames to fit inside the top trim pieces. Open the hinges as wide as the trim pieces allow. Now, nail the cleats to create a groove for each of the outside frames, where shown in the Top Cleat Mounting Detail.
To make it easier to set up and take down the wine counter, create 1/16-inch space between one frame and one cleat at each end of the table. Before nailing each outside cleat against the frame, slip a dime between the cleat and the frame (you'll need two dimes; one for each end of the cleat).
Remove the hinges and bag the hardware in a plastic or paper bag for safekeeping. Fill any remaining nail holes or voids. Sand the frames and shelf (C) with 80-grit and then 120-grit sandpaper.
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7. Stain and finish
If you want a professional-looking project, don't rush through these steps.
First, use a clean rag to wipe down all the parts with mineral spirits. This will reveal any blemishes you haven't removed in the sanding steps. Be on the lookout for glue smears and sanding swirls. Repair any problem areas before you begin staining.
Staining pine can be tricky! Many professionals swear by Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner to avoid the blotchy appearance that sometimes accompanies stained pine. Wood Conditioner also evens out the stain intensity between boards. And it works wonders with end grain, which absorbs more stain. Wood Conditioner applies easily with a brush and dries quickly.
After applying Wood Conditioner, we brushed on Bull's Eye Kona Wood Stain. To apply the finish, follow the manufacturer's directions. We applied two coats of Minwax satin polyurethane finish.
For additional details on preparing surfaces and applying finishes, click here.
Good to Know: Yes, it's important to apply the same number of finish coats to both sides of these shelves (and any woodworking project, for that matter). Why? It's all about how wood shrinks and swells during seasonal changes. Finish only the top of these shelves and you could be disappointed when the wood cups or curls. Equal coats of finish means both sides of the board react the same way to humidity in the room.
After the finish dries thoroughly, mount the hinges and set up the table.