It's summer, time for picnics, cookouts, BBQ's, graduation parties, weddings, family and class reunions, weekend trips, full on vacations...in other words, time for lots of outdoor gatherings. Whether it's warm or downright hot outside, you're going to need some beverages!
You might recognize the Beverage Caddy and Bottle Opener at left—it is featured on our July Catalog cover. The project represents the work of three Woodcraft employees. Below you will learn what you'll need for this project, and find links to the plans, tools and materials needed to make this cool caddy.
The Guilty Parties—Who Did What
Everyone involved in making the caddy agreed, this is a simple project, but lots of fun to build! Product Managers Ben Bice and Joy Young designed the caddy, resulting in the drawings below, for the base and other components. Ben did the main caddy build using Baltic Birch for the caddy itself, and choosing eye-catching Bocote wood for the stylish handle. Digital Content Creator Kevin Reed also used Bocote for the matching Bottle Opener.
A special thanks goes out to Photographer Doug Loyer, who photographed the Caddy for our catalog cover, and staged it with that oh-so-foamy root beer and delicious hot pretzels! Word has it the root beer and pretzels are "no longer available" for other photo shoots...
Woodworking Plans & Techniques
The build itself, while relatively simple, uses a range of woodworking techniques, including turning, mortise joints, dadoes, and routing. The wood, specialized router bits and other materials needed for this build are listed and linked below.
The design is original, and incorporates use of the the brand-new WoodRiver® Charcuterie Board Router Template. A link to this new product will be updated when it is available. The plans for the Beverage Caddy are available for download here.
We Want to See YOUR Caddies!
If you decide to be the Picnic Hero for your outdoor gatherings this summer and make this cool Caddy and Opener, we would love to hear about your project, and see some photos. Hoping everyone has a wonderful summer, and happy woodworking!
