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Furniture Designs

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Wine Glass Server

Below are a rough sketch of a wine glass rack that I saw while on vacation and images of a wine glass server that I designed and constructed. Much of what I do as an artist and creator comes from what I see and glean from other objects.

When I began to construct the wine glass server, many of its design elements evolved. I realized that the circumference and length of the glass would make a big difference in the design. I made this holder to fit Waterford glasses. The stem length was around 7" and the circumference was close to 3".

Close-up 1/4" extension

Underneath the top piece you can see the 1/8" dowel that holds up the top piece and the felt protective pads.

The top piece of the wine glass carrier consists of two 1/4" pieces of wood. I needed to double up the thickness to 1/2" in order to support the wine-filled glasses. By gluing a 1/4" piece of Cocobolo and a 1/4 " piece of African Padauk I met this requirement.

I also decided to cut out the slots on alternate sides of the top instead of following my original design where they all were on one side. I could not figure out how to attach the metal handle to the wood, so I abandoned that idea. I dreamed about the design several times before I came up with the design below. Now the piece has a base which separates the top from the bottom by 7" with 3/4" dowels that I painted black. The black adds contrast and does not take away from the wood details and textures. The base is made from 3/4" solid oak and follows the curved shape of the top piece.

The four dowels are inset in the oak board and attached through the bottom by screws. The dowels extend about 1/4" through holes in the top piece. Below the top piece a 1/8" dowel holds the top piece from sliding down the dowels to the base.

This design allows the user to lift and serve the wine by holding the carrier at the edges. The carrier can also be set down on a table while one glass is served at a time. Felt pads attached to the bottom of the base prevent the carrier from scratching a table top.