Plywood wine rack plans are popular among some wine enthusiasts as plywood comes in standard sizes, is considerably cheaper yet strong and stable.
There is seldom any problem with warping and shrinkage.
However, working with plywood can be tricky at times.
Woodworking experts share their secrets and tips on buying, cutting and staining plywood.
Read these tips if you wish to build a beautiful and sturdy wine rack.
  1) Tips On Buying Plywood Plywood manufacturers are constantly pressured to keep prices low.
Quality is often the first thing to be sacrificed.
When buying plywood, look at the face veneer, if it is to be exposed.
The grain should resemble several pieces of solid wood, 6" to 8" wide.
Every other piece should be a mirror image of the next one.
This is an indication of good veneer.
Such bookmatched, plain-sliced veneer costs considerably more, but it is worth the investment if you want to build an attractive wine rack.
The second thing to consider is the overall flatness of the sheet.
Despite its reputation for flatness, plywood sheets will usually have some degree of bow, but this should be minimal.
Pull a sheet off the stack and examine a long edge.
If the sheet is badly warped or twisted, do not buy it as there is likely a problem in the core layers.
The third thing to examine is the edge.
More plies are generally better, and hardwood cores are better than softwood.
Also, the joints between the layers should be smooth straight lines.
The grain should be even and close.
Do not choose a sheet with voids, checks or knots on the edges as you can be sure that there will be many more within the sheet.
Next, take a close look at the edge of the face veneer to examine its thickness.
If the veneer's thickness is hardly visible, the veneer is probably too thin and you will likely have trouble sanding and finishing.
2) Tips On Cutting Plywood Without Splintering And Tearing Plywood layers can splinter and chip easily when you cut it with a power saw.
To avoid ending up with an ugly edge, always use an appropriate, sharp blade for cutting plywood.
Make sure the good face of your plywood is closer to the outside of the blade.
If you are using a table saw, the right side should be facing up.
If you are using a handheld circular saw, it should be facing down.
Paste a strip of masking tape to both sides of the sheet, directly over the cut line.
Make sure your saw is running at full speed before making your cut, pushing the sheet with a steady, consistent speed all the way through.
Remove the masking tape when you have finished the cut.
3) Tips For Finishing And Staining Plywood For A Decorative Finish Sand the plywood with the grain lightly with 80 grit sandpaper, followed by 100 grit sandpaper.
Stain with a semitransparent or opaque stain.
You can also use paint and finish with a clear topcoat.
Be mindful that when applying stain to plywood, sheets with wood patches or synthetic putty repairs do not accept stains as readily as the surrounding wood and will result in a different color.
For this reason, use opaque stain or paint finishing if you use plywood with synthetic repairs.
Southern pine plywood typically has fewer and smaller repairs than Douglas fir.
To get a better idea as to how your finished wine rack will look like, always test your finish on a scrap piece containing a patch or repair.
For best results, use a 100-percent acrylic resin latex paint formulation.
Brush the finish with the grain.
Apply a minimum of two coats of opaque stain or one coat primer and one coat paint (two coats are preferred for best long-term performance).
Apply the finish all the way to the panel edges, especially lower drip edges, and the panel back, too, if it is exposed.
By following the tips above, you can be assured of successfully implementing your plywood wine rack plan.