In the video “Balancing Wine Holder // Woodworking How-To,” the creator Newton Makes showcases how to craft a visually intriguing and practical wine bottle holder from a slab of maple wood.

The project starts with Newton deciding to use a large piece of maple wood, which was sourced from a tree in his niece’s yard.

He opts for this particular wood, despite it being a slab — often considered too valuable for such projects by some woodworking purists — because he wants to challenge the norm and create something out of the ordinary.

The piece of maple he selects is too wide for his jointer, so he removes the guard to plane one side of the board.

For the other side, which is still rough, he attaches the wood to a piece of MDF using hot glue. This allows him to run it through his planer and ensure both sides are smoothed down evenly.

Newton then outlines the next steps, which involve cutting three pieces of maple that will form the wine rack. He emphasizes that while he is using a slab, the same project could be more easily undertaken using dimensional lumber.

To create the pattern for the wine rack, he tapes together two sheets of a printed template, which he then attaches to each piece of wood before cutting them out individually with his bandsaw.

Once the pieces are cut, he glues them together and sands them down. Newton expresses his love for the spindle sander, which he uses extensively to refine the shape of the wine rack.

The sanding process is time-consuming but necessary to achieve the smooth finish required for the final product.

For the finish, Newton applies osmo oil using a white Scotch-Brite pad, which he buffs into the wood. After wiping off any excess, he allows the oil to soak in, planning to add another coat the following day.

The project concludes with Newton revealing the finished wine holder, featuring a beautiful bird’s eye detail in the maple wood.

He also gives a shout-out to new members of his Patreon community, expressing gratitude for their support.

Newton provides a template link in the video description for viewers who wish to try their hand at creating their own wine holder.

He encourages his audience to engage in their own woodworking projects, to subscribe to his channel, and to build something remarkable.