Step-by-step tutorial for making your own paint rack

Here's a quick step-by-step on how to make your own paint rack from foam core or foam card.

First step is to get the dimensions correct.

I mostly use Vallejo and Scale 75 which are similar size dropper bottles. You need to measure the height and width of the dropper bottle. 

Vallejo are 25mm wide and 78mm high. The width of each shelf should include the width of the dropper bottle plus the width of your foam core, the type I have used is 5mm thick so each shelf will be 30mm wide as a minimum. Citadel colours are quite a bit wider so please don't use the measurements for citadel paints.

The height of each shelf is high enough to see most of the bottle so I went for 60mm high, bear in mind that the back board of each shelf sits on top of the 30mm shelf. You can have taller back boards if needed but I like to see most of the dropper bottle label. A higher back board will provide extra security if the paint rack is accidentally knocked too.

I then marked out a stepped design, enough for 5 rows of paint, the first row will stand on the surface of your painting area and will rest against the back of the first step. I then repeated this design for 3 more sections.

The next step is to cut out the shelves and back boards. You'll need 4 shelves at 30mm wide and 5 backboards at 60mm wide. The length of your shelf is entirely up to you but for this rack I measured them at 350mm. This will typically hold 14 dropper bottles on each shelf.

Begin costruction by gluing the shelves onto the stepped sections using a quick drying PVA to speed things up. To hold in place use panel pins or snip some paper clips into straight lengths and use them like nails, pushing through the shelves into the stepped sections. I've spaced the sections at 110mm intervals to even out the load bearing.

Once the shelves have dried, start adding the back boards which rest on the shelves. Glue along the length and also the upright part of the stepped sections. Use pins again to hold in position.

Once all the back boards are glued, leave to dry.

It fits with my exisiting rack so that's good news lol.

I used a rattle can primer and gave the rack a couple of coats. Add your dropper bottles.

As I said earlier the length of the rack is entirely up to you but I'd advise you to work in sections and keep adding to it. As long as you keep a record of the measurements you used, everything should fit together nicely.