DIY Crates

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dean_wales
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DIY Crates

Post by dean_wales » Tue Mar 19, 2013 6:28 pm

Hi guys,

Now that I have a brewing accomplice and we are brewing 10 Gallon batches to split between us empty bottle and bottled beer storage is becoming difficult.

I have a couple of plastic bottle crates but they are a pain. Unless you fork out for the tall proper beer ones they don't stack well and can pull caps off etc.

So I want to make my own crates. Open to ideas but I like the look of something wood along the lines of these plan or these plans or these plans but with a few tweaks to use wood I have and to keep cost down.

Image
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Difficulty is not least because I like to have a seperate and substantial stock of the following:
- Brown 500ml
- Clear 500ml
- Brown 330ml (tall)
- Brown 330ml (belgian)
- Brown 750ml (champagne)
- Green wine bottles

I know I am a bit anal when it comes to bottles. But I like the right beer in the right bottle, especially when giving them away in hampers at Christmas (noooooo!!).

I like the idea of using (free) wooden pallets as well as using up the vast amounts of 2x1 I have. But the reality is that solid box/sheet sides and bottles would mean any bottle bombs would be contained, which is less messy and safer.

Has anyone made crates or other storage ideas for bottles or bottled beer?

Dean.
Click here for my cider pressing...
Click here to see my 20% Damson port experiment...
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alexe
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Re: DIY Crates

Post by alexe » Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:02 pm

They look great! Love the "blackboard" bit for labellling...
I know I am a bit anal when it comes to bottles. But I like the right beer in the right bottle,
Nothing wrong with that, I insist on serving beer in the correct glass!!!

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barneey
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Re: DIY Crates

Post by barneey » Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:17 pm

Dean,

Never made anything like that but the ones you have pictured look great.

You have just given me an ideal next project + I get to work in wood again a nice dovetail joint or perhaps a isoloc joint, Happy happy days.

Great post :) :) :)
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dean_wales
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Re: DIY Crates

Post by dean_wales » Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:36 pm

I think mine will be as per photo one but with the end uprights raised an inch or two to allow them to properly interlock when stacking.

No need for the handle holes with that design and I definitely cannot be bothered with fancy interlocking joints!

I will make some effort to sand and stain/varnish them though to ensure durability.

Dean.
Click here for my cider pressing...
Click here to see my 20% Damson port experiment...
Click here for red wine from my allotment vine...

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dean_wales
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Re: DIY Crates

Post by dean_wales » Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:37 pm

PS - Just needs to name the brewery and do a simple logo.

That really sets them off! As does the inclusion of a blackboard panel for labelling.
Click here for my cider pressing...
Click here to see my 20% Damson port experiment...
Click here for red wine from my allotment vine...

Martin G

Re: DIY Crates

Post by Martin G » Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:57 pm

Damn it, just damn it!

boingy

Re: DIY Crates

Post by boingy » Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:58 pm

Wood is nice but Bairds will do you 6 plastic crates (20 bottles each) for £40 delivered:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6x-20-Bottle- ... 0882870432

And I believe they are tall enough for pretty much any beer bottle (but do check).

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barneey
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Re: DIY Crates

Post by barneey » Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:00 pm

For a test exmple I have an old pallet in the garden, it was going to be used for fire wood, but will now get recycled, with the top design I would alter the legs as per the middle design to aid the stackability.
Hair of the dog, bacon, butty.
Hops, cider pips & hello.

Name the Movie + song :)

haz66

Re: DIY Crates

Post by haz66 » Wed Mar 20, 2013 12:39 pm

Something like this
Stick on Blackboard

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dean_wales
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Re: DIY Crates

Post by dean_wales » Wed Mar 20, 2013 1:24 pm

boingy wrote:Wood is nice but Bairds will do you 6 plastic crates (20 bottles each) for £40 delivered:
Wood is nicer and cheaper if I can scrounge at least some of the timber.

So for me wood wins.

I have about ten of the plastic milk crates my old milkman gave me in return for six bottles of my beer.

I have never liked them much though as they look crap and they don't stack with the taller bottles.

Admittedly I will need to find the time to build this.
Click here for my cider pressing...
Click here to see my 20% Damson port experiment...
Click here for red wine from my allotment vine...

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barneey
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Re: DIY Crates

Post by barneey » Wed Mar 20, 2013 5:35 pm

Dean,

Ive knocked up a quick prototype this afternoon out of an old pallet I had, just so I could get some dimensions etc and then play around with the design.

The dims I used came from the 1st link you gave (lengths not thinkness or width) I`ve just nailed the bottom directly to the underneath not as your 1st picture shows.

Anyway using Whychwood bottles the height is only just adequate, depending on what you intend to use for spacers (I`ve used 2 lengths of pallet) you can just about fit 3 bottles width in.

A large pallet (or a pallet with slats top and bottom) should make 2 crates, For a rustic apprearance the sawn pallet was left natural.

I will make myself some fancy hardwood ones but rather like the very simple rustic approach of these, if you could get a branding iron with the name of your brewery on it all much the better.

The rustic sawn timber photos..........


Image
Image
Image
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Hair of the dog, bacon, butty.
Hops, cider pips & hello.

Name the Movie + song :)

Martin G

Re: DIY Crates

Post by Martin G » Thu Mar 21, 2013 7:58 pm

So what wood do you think oak or ash? Just been looking at iWood web site and inspired by this thread thinking of putting an order in for three projects in mind, time to get the as yet unused dove tail joint jig out me thinks. For the bottom, what about routing a channel in the side pieces

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floydmeddler
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Re: DIY Crates

Post by floydmeddler » Thu Mar 21, 2013 8:03 pm

Well done there boys. They look great. Very rustic.

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barneey
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Re: DIY Crates

Post by barneey » Thu Mar 21, 2013 8:23 pm

I will make a fancy on in Oak or Beech just for a project, the trouble is although the pallet ones are rough and just nailed together I rather like the appearance of them albeit they might look better in slightly thinner timber.

One question though if you were to go along to a club meeting and had the choice of take a fancy one or a sawn timber one which would you take?

For me it would be the sawn timber one :)

Only trouble is with the pallet ones is the weight, I`ve managed just about to build 2 from one large pallet, if you have lifted a large pallet your know how heavy they are, but for keeping bottles safe :)
Hair of the dog, bacon, butty.
Hops, cider pips & hello.

Name the Movie + song :)

Bert

Re: DIY Crates

Post by Bert » Thu Mar 21, 2013 8:54 pm

Barneey, that crate looks awesome. You've inspired me to make some!

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