August 18, 20178 yr 9 hours ago, Lou L said: I never thought of handling a bottle opener. That's why I made it.
August 21, 20178 yr On 8/17/2017 at 10:55 PM, Lou L said: I never thought of handling a bottle opener. How do you get a bottle open with them then, if you don't handle them?
August 22, 20178 yr But don't you have to handle the bottle opener to work it? Or do you have your apprentice handle the bottle openers? Doesn't somebody have to touch it? Or is there levitation going on? Triggers - so you're poppin' a cap IN 'em, while you're poppin' a cap OFF 'em? LOL
August 23, 20178 yr Bottle openers are my speciality and I make a living making bottle openers and going to beer events. Here are a few.
August 23, 20178 yr Hummingbird opener its feet is the opener and this started out like making a cross. The other opener is one of my trademark openers, it's a harpoon and they are called WhaleSlayers™. I do all different designs on the handles of the WhaleSlayers™
August 23, 20178 yr Wow, nice stuff there, Hotmetal. I really like the Easter Island opener, but they're all inspiring. You have some nice brew options there, too. I'm getting thirsty. Steve
August 23, 20178 yr 2 hours ago, Daswulf said: Very cool openers Hotmetal. Thank you. 2 hours ago, Stash said: Wow, nice stuff there, Hotmetal. I really like the Easter Island opener, but they're all inspiring. You have some nice brew options there, too. I'm getting thirsty. Steve Thanks, man. The Moai is made from 1 1/2" square stock. This was the second one like this except the first one was made from 1" stock.
August 23, 20178 yr 5 minutes ago, Hotshoein4 said: Hotmetal, that is awesome. I like that a lot. All of them. Thanks, it's a mix of some of my old stuff and some of the later pieces. The little dragon is one I made this weekend.
August 23, 20178 yr I guess bottle openers ARE your thing Hotmetal! Beautiful work on all counts, not just very cool bottle openers but the techniques you use show real skills. thanks for giving us a peak. You have MORE pics . . . Yes? John in Oly, please don't make us tell you to bolt the bottle opener to the cabinet, wall, etc. so you don't have to handle it. <SHEESH!> Frosty The Lucky.
August 24, 20178 yr 8 minutes ago, Frosty said: I guess bottle openers ARE your thing Hotmetal! Beautiful work on all counts, not just very cool bottle openers but the techniques you use show real skills. thanks for giving us a peak. You have MORE pics . . . Yes? John in Oly, please don't make us tell you to bolt the bottle opener to the cabinet, wall, etc. so you don't have to handle it. <SHEESH!> Frosty The Lucky. Thank you, sir. I love my job if you could call it that. I'm just having fun. I also make tap handles. These are in a brewery tap room in North Carolina. Hambrabe RR spike opener.
August 24, 20178 yr Wow, @Hotmetal, you have set the standard for bottle openers. Thanks for the inspiration.
August 24, 20178 yr Double WOW, you have done some inspirational work here, your ax opener intrigues me to no end. Is it two piece, now did you clean it back into the white as small as it is? Please don't answer I am just complimenting your work, not trying to steal it. You do nice blacksmith work.
August 24, 20178 yr Hotmetal, I'm not a bottle opener guy, but your work is beautiful! Thanks for sharing, and I'm sure inspiring others. Al
August 24, 20178 yr Hotmetal, just out of curiosity, what are you using for a finish on your openers and on your tap handles? I've shown all my non metal moving friends and they were extremely impressed as well.
August 25, 20178 yr I agree with Lou's comment - you really have raised the bar for bottle openers there. A bit hard for us to follow a post like that!
August 28, 20178 yr On 8/23/2017 at 11:41 PM, Lou L said: Wow, @Hotmetal, you have set the standard for bottle openers. Thanks for the inspiration. Thanks, .@Lou L On 8/24/2017 at 9:03 AM, PVF Al said: Hotmetal, I'm not a bottle opener guy, but your work is beautiful! Thanks for sharing, and I'm sure inspiring others. Al Thanks, @PVF Al On 8/24/2017 at 8:46 AM, stockmaker said: Double WOW, you have done some inspirational work here, your ax opener intrigues me to no end. Is it two piece, now did you clean it back into the white as small as it is? Please don't answer I am just complimenting your work, not trying to steal it. You do nice blacksmith work. Thanks, @stockmaker To get the ax like that I spend a couple of hours sanding then some time in front of a buffing wheel, LOL. On 8/24/2017 at 9:56 AM, Hotshoein4 said: Hotmetal, just out of curiosity, what are you using for a finish on your openers and on your tap handles? I've shown all my non metal moving friends and they were extremely impressed as well. @Hotshoein4 On the ones that are black I wire brush the devil out of them while they are red hot then dip them into a vat of canola oil. The blued ones I sand and polish them until they look like the ax then hold them in front of the forge until colors come then quench in water. It takes a little practice to get the colors even if you go too long they turn back gray. You can wire brush it off and start over. On 8/25/2017 at 7:29 AM, ausfire said: I agree with Lou's comment - you really have raised the bar for bottle openers there. A bit hard for us to follow a post like that! Thanks, @ausfire and sorry. Some of my signature style WhaleSlayers™ (harpoon) bottle openers.
August 28, 20178 yr On 8/23/2017 at 4:58 PM, Frosty said: please don't make us tell you to bolt the bottle opener to the cabinet, wall, etc. LOL Frosty! I'd completely forgotten about the "wall" style bottle openers, but that would certainly alleviate the need to handle them. Hotmetal - You've taken bottle openers to a whole 'nuther level - very nice work! I really like the axes, whales and hummingbirds.
September 14, 20178 yr Hi, just spotted these openers and decided to join this forum. Here is one of mine:
September 15, 20178 yr I've been following this thread since the beginning and it is amazing how many different approaches and ideas have been shared ! You all deserve applause for your willingness to enlighten others on your designs and techniques ! I have a box full of openers I've made in spare time, close to retirement but not yet . I've made wizards, railroad spike, bird head ,and just twisted but none look as awesome as those presented here. More practice I guess but that's fine I enjoy the challenge.
September 15, 20178 yr Just tinkering with an old horseshoe, came out as a Wyvrn Dragon bottle opener. Don't know what happened to the photo. Try again.
September 19, 20178 yr This was a fun project using 3 different metals. I started with 3/8x7/8 aluminum. I bumped the end up to have meat in there for the opener hole. Made the hole, then made half a shoe. Then tapered and made the good pick part. I used copper nails as rivets, a farrier thing, and attached the steel pick to the aluminum shoe. Then made the little cap opener and inserted it through and riveted it. Wish that was cleaner, but it works great. Aluminum can be tricky, but fun!
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