How to make a DVD storage rack

I often get asked to make a DVD storage rack and have only now realised that I don’t yet have one on the Home-Dzine website. There are many options for storing DVD’s: from DVD cabinets, DVD shelves and DVD units, but this DVD storage rack is simple to make and won’t cost a fortune. Plus, you can make it as large or small as you want. So, here’s how to make a DVD storage rack…

You need to start off my measuring from top to bottom on your piece of timber or board. I started off using a piece of scrap SupaWood [MDF] that I had and measured out a 16mm space for the DVD and a 6mm gap between the next space. This didn’t work out, as you will see below.

I used a Dremel Trio to cut out the grooves for the DVD’s, but the gap between the grooves was too small and broke off. If you are going to use SupaWood [MDF] for this project, leave a gap of at least 12mm between the grooves.

Change of plan.

I modified the design a bit and used an offcut of bamboo countertop instead of SupaWood. You can use pine or any other hardwood as a substitute for bamboo. Once again I measured and marked from top to bottom, leaving a 16mm gap between the grooves.

ABOVE: You can see the groove after the first pass with the Dremel Trio. I set the depth at around 4-5mm deep for the first cut, as bamboo is extremely hard and any deeper than this will wear out the cutting blade quickly. After 3 passes of 4-5mm deep, the grooves are now deep enough to firmly hold a DVD in place.

BELOW: The standard cutting bit is not quite 16mm wide, so you will need to make two passes to cut out the groove.

I found the easiest way was to set the depth at 4-5mm and run down the right side of the marked line before doing the same along the left side of the marked line. You will need to do this for all your passes as different depths.

After some sanding with 120-grit to remove any rough edges and then 240-grit to smooth, the piece was ready for a hanger on the back. I didn’t apply any sealer or varnish, but rather left the bamboo in its natural state.

Here is a side-on view of the DVD rack. The grooves are wide enough and deep enough to hold a standard DVD case without any problems.