Bottle Opener Question

[chartle]

When making bottle openers using these paint tools how do you attach it.

I made one where I used I glued in a 7 mm tube and tuned a closed end handle. I then cut off the prying end and glued it in putting a few shims of wood to fill out the flat part. The issue is sort of the top of the hole kind of needs to filled.

Any other ideas? Maybe not use a tube and drill a smaller hole? the reason I used a 7 mm tube is that I thought it would help keep the wood from splitting.

 

[Edgar]

I wouldn't bother with a tube. Just cut off the prying end, turn between centers and drill a hole just big enough for the shaft and glue it in.

To dress it off, you can use a small stainless steel washer. Leave the top end the same size as the washer & slide the shaft through the washer when you glue it all up.

To dress it off a little, leave the top end a little larger than the washer & use a forstener bit to drill a counter sink hole just about the thickness of the washer so it's flush with or just barely higher than the wood ridge.

That's just one idea - there are probably lots of ways to do this kind of project.

 

[monophoto]

I cut off the flat end. Then, I glue some thin pieces of wood (popsicle sticks) to the flats on the shaft, and after the glue dries, use a rasp to roughly round the shaft. Measure the diameter of the shaft, and then drill a matching hole in the turning. I use epoxy to glue in the metal into the turning, and after inserting it I fill the gap with excess glue.

The 'classical' solution would be to put a ferrule on the end of the turning. I never do that. I generally try to remember to insert the opener so the plane of the opener is 90 degrees to the grain of the wood in the turning (so the stress of prying off a cap won't try to separate the grain of the wood), but beyond that I don't worry about making it super strong. This is a just a bottle opener - it doesn't have to be pretty or strong. After the third beer, no one will notice.

 

[dogcatcher]

I cut off the flat end of the opener. I turn my blank to shape between a chuck and center. I then drill a smaller hole chuck that the shaft will force fit into. I then finish sanding and part it off. Ram the opener with epoxy. Finished, a few beers later they won't care what they look like.

I also use 50 caliber brass with a dowel epoxied into the brass for handles.

 

[Edgar]

Here's a really cool idea for your bottle openers - a beer bottle beer bottle opener. I used one of the opener kits on this, but the paint can thingy could be used too.

I used wood from an old cedar post & made it the size & shape of a Shiner beer bottle and gave it to my brother last Christmas. He loved it.

 

[JimB]

After cutting off the end and turning the blank I just drill the hole as small as I can to force the opener into the wood and let the glue (epoxy) fill the gap. You can also color the epoxy. I view these as very inexpensive and give them away. I don't sell these. If I was going to sell them I would either buy better openers or figure out something else with them to make them look better.

 

[chartle]

This actually going to be part of my camping kit.

A few weekends ago we went camping after not camping for 10 years. Everyone in my family is now over 21 so we bought so adult beverages. The only opener was part of a cheap multi tool I have the camping supplies.

I was about to though in one of those aluminum keychain ones but decided to make one assuming that one of my sons will inherit this stuff and it will live on after i'm gone.

I commercial kit is too bulky so I thought another one of these would fit the bill. Just need to last a few decades.