Bottle opener

**pawnhead** · 18th December 2006, 06:57 PM

OK, I know I'm supposed to be working on my doors, and they're almost finished, but I'm not posting pics until my sparky mate comes and hooks up the sexy downlights (First thing in the new year he tells me

). Meanwhile, this morning I was looking at a bottle opener that my late father had lying around the place since I was an ankle biter, and I thought to myself 'I could make those out of the off cuts from my doors, for Chrissy presents for all my kids and relos'. So I'm off to the steel shop with a couple of bucks in my pocket, and after a couple of hours thinking, and about an hour working, I came up with this.
It's a bit out of focus, but the one on the bottom is the one I knocked up this arvo, modeled on the old one above. Mine is an improved version because you can remove the blade and reverse it and you've got yourself a palm plane, or the blade alone is a makeshift utility knife all honed up and ready to go. How many times have you been sitting at your lounge room table, with an unopened longneck in your hands that hasn't got a twist lid, whilst you're looking at that annoying splinter in the table, thinking to yourself 'someone is going to hurt themselves on that splinter one day'.
Well all your problems are over now. All you need is about twenty cents worth of steel and a timber offcut. All the tools I used were a drill, a hammer, a half inch chisel, a sharpened up screwdriver (I haven't got a narrow chisel), a hacksaw blade, a handsaw, some coarse sandpaper (to round the sides, although you could leave it square), and some fine paper to finish it off. I've stained it and I'll give it some polyurethane to shine it up a bit. I'll use the dremel to autograph the bottom and they can become heirlooms to my kids.

I'm going into production mode tomorrow and I'll try to knock up another thirteen. I only need thirteen overall, but that's bad luck so I'll keep the extra one for myself. If anyone wants dimensions or instructions, give a holler.

**Skew ChiDAMN!!** · 18th December 2006, 07:18 PM

Holler.

A pic of just the blade would do almost as well, just so's we can be sure we know how the bottle-opener works.

**pawnhead** · 18th December 2006, 07:54 PM

Excuse the dirty hands, they've got stain on them.
The blade is just a bit of 30 X 3mm plate. I told a lie in regards to the tools. You'll need a small grinder to sharpen the blade, and a stone to hone it. I put one end in a vice and belted it with a hammer so it hooks under a bottlecap when it's installed. The original model used 28 X 2mm plate, but they didn't stock it so mine's a little bit wider than the original. You need to chisel an angle from underneath for the bottlecap. I've got urethane on it at the moment and it's drying, but I can post up a photo of the bottom and give dimensions when it's dry at about midnight if anyone is interested.

**DJ’s Timber** · 18th December 2006, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by pawnhead

, but I can post up a photo of the bottom and give dimensions when it's dry at about midnight if anyone is interested.

Please

, also what dirty hands

, I didn't see any

**Ashore** · 18th December 2006, 08:00 PM

Heres one I bought Dad 35 + years ago, not as good as one you make yourself like prawnhead, but might give you an idea how it works

**pawnhead** · 18th December 2006, 08:37 PM

That's a nice one. Machine made. Mine's a bit rougher, done by hand with a chisel and screwdriver, but they'll get better, and they'll all be a little bit unique with an autograph.

**Ashore** · 18th December 2006, 08:44 PM

Hand made is always better

**pawnhead** · 18th December 2006, 08:54 PM

Originally Posted by djstimber

Please

, also what dirty hands

, I didn't see any

I'll be making them all tomorrow, so I can take step by step photos of the set out with dimensions and procedures.

**Bluegum** · 18th December 2006, 09:45 PM

I might have to have a go at one while on leve over Xmas. Looks like a simple project to knock up. I wouldn't mind seeing your dimensions mate if that's OK.

**Clinton1** · 18th December 2006, 09:45 PM

thats a great idea!

**pawnhead** · 18th December 2006, 11:22 PM

Originally Posted by Bluegum

I wouldn't mind seeing your dimensions mate if that's OK.

No wuckers, I'll do a step by step with pics and dimensions tomorrow.

Originally Posted by Ashore

Heres one I bought Dad 35 + years ago, not as good as one you make yourself like prawnhead, but might give you an idea how it works

Your blade has been installed upside down in this pic

**Ashore** · 18th December 2006, 11:38 PM

Originally Posted by pawnhead

Your blade has been installed upside down in this pic

Not so , note the dimple on the plane matches the button on the blade in pic 3, ie there is a cone shaped protusion on the blade and it fits into the machined recess in the plane body.

**pawnhead** · 19th December 2006, 01:45 AM

Originally Posted by Ashore

Not so , note the dimple on the plane matches the button on the blade in pic 3, ie there is a cone shaped protusion on the blade and it fits into the machined recess in the plane body.

Hmmm. I think the old one that I've got came from Denmark before my parents emigrated here, but the blade looks about the same as yours with that bend in the end. You can't see it in that photo, but theres a small hole in the middle of it that engages with a pin in the plane. If you put it in with the round end down, then it doesn't reach to the bottom and the bottle cap would be hooking on the timber. If you put it in with the bent side down and forward, then it sits flush with the bottom, and hooks nicely under the bottle cap.
That's the way I'm making mine anyway. I could put a hole and a pin to restrain it, but it would have to be positioned accurately so that the blade functions both ways, and you wouldn't be able to adjust the planing depth unless it were a slot. The wedge alone is enough anyway.
Of course I don’t imagine many would use it as a plane, but the novelty is that it can be used as one. The only drawback is that with that scallop in the toe for the bottle cap, it has more of a tendency to rip, if going against the grain, and.when arising, you can’t start at an end. If you just push down on the toe, then it will try to take a bottle cap sized arris out of your timber. Best to get the full base planted and work your way out.

Are you sure your blade doesn't fit the other way? I notice that the timber is chipped underneath.
<o>
</o>

**Ashore** · 19th December 2006, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by pawnhead

Are you sure your blade doesn't fit the other way? I notice that the timber is chipped underneath.
<O>
</O>

No it chipped when an idiot Nephew wanted to see if it worked without the blade in. :mad:

The blade definately goes that way , it is proberly a rip off of an origional Dutch one mass produced and they got the blade the wrong way arround :confused:

**Bluegum** · 19th December 2006, 06:55 PM

Onya pawnhead thanks mate. Keep me busy while i'm off in Jan next year.

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