Idea Exchange: Secure tubes in a handcrafted lab rack

To keep blood sample vials from rolling off the counter, I built attractive wooden lab racks for each exam room. I drilled holes in 1-in pieces of wood with a nice grain (3/4-in pieces work too, but the holes can't be quite as deep) and applied a stain and two or three coats of urethane or polyurethane. The holes in this rack were all drilled for the larger-diameter clot tubes, but they also hold the skinny lavender-top tubes well. The racks hold filled tubes as well as empty tubes to remind us to take a sample.

Dr. John S. Parker

Novi, Mich.