Temperature Controlled Wine Cabinet/Cooler

[tim walker]

I want to build a wine storage unit that will keep the wines at proper temperature. There is a company here in houston that builds them but want about $4500 to build one to hold about 500 bottles. I think I can build one for about half that with some nice walnut or mahogany. I am looking to see if anyone has ever done this, what kind of wood to use for the frame, how to insulate it, and how to insulate the doors. Its construction will be similar to a cabinet(free standing). It will be about 80" tall and about 50" wide.

Any help or comments would be welcomed,

Thanks all,

Tim in houston

[Walt Pater]

Tim, I have been finishing a retail wine store, ands all of their racks are either mahogany or cedar. These are the display racks, though, and not a climate-controlled cabinet like you are describing. We did build a CC'd display room, though, and the climate control unit in that is pretty trick- an air conditioner/(de-)humidifier with a probe that you keep in a wine bottle. I can get that maker of that- PM me if you want the info. If you wanted to build a free-standing, insulated unit, you could face over a ready-made cooler- some people do this to refrigerators- or (and this seems a little outside-the-box to me) go with frame-and panel construction, mortising out the rails and stiles to accept a panel which is a "sandwich" of hardwood ply and thin rigid foam board. HTH, Walt.