Ted Ewert Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 I tried some copper to see how it would turn out. It's hard to shine up after heating, and doesn't provide a lot of contrast. Nevertheless, the 1/8" brass turned out pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy k Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 I recently was surfing the net and Rafael Griaudo from Argentina made a similar opener, but I have a client that loves owls so I made this one as a test piece. I started with 1/2" square stock. Half round chisel is shown in pic below for trimming after hot punching, then shaped over the horn of the anvil. 2/20/10 JFK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 Geeze Jeremy, do you ever make a test piece that doesn't exceed my skill level by 1000%? ship it to me, I'll gladly "test" it thoroughly for you. I think it's a winner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudman Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 +1 to what Das said. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 +2 to Das' s comment. I've tried a few owl openers but that one is in a class of its own. Those eyes are perfect. May we see the tooling used? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cincinnatus Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 Wow - really impressed with that opener Jeremy - great job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy k Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 Rafael Griaudo from Argentina made a similar opener that I had seen before I made the one I made for a sample piece. Here are the tools (nothing fancy) I used for the Owl bottle opener, L to R : Chisel Flat round punch Flat slot punch Large curved chisel Eye punch Small curved chisel Piece of 1/2" x 1/2" square stock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 Thanks, Jeremy. I have most of those, except the large curved chisel. Speaking of bottle opener tools, I use a small ball peen hammer to make the lifting tab in a loop opener. After a while they get a bit flat, so I thought the ball on the end of an old socket wrench might work. Welded on a handle and gave it a go for today's ram demo piece. Gives a smaller tab, but neater. I guess it is some kind of high carbon steel so perhaps it will keep its shape longer. Not very neat welding, but does the job: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 Tried something a little new for me. Supposed to resemble branches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 Nice Billy, good to try new things. Tried a few myself. I saw a picture similar to the opener on the top, so I thought I'd try it out and see how it works. The tang is a bit weak, but does the job. I started thinking and came up with the bottom one which I like better. I used 3/8" (9.5mm) round stock, but I think 1/4" would also work just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 Love the owl Mr. K, I love a good owl. Nice use of an old tool Aus but I think it would've been more multi purpose if you'd rotated the ratchet 90* so you could still turn sockets. Hmmm? Nice opener by the way. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 Nah. The ratchet in the socket wrench was seized up and unserviceable. Frosty, you know I would not sacrifice a perfectly usable tool for such a purpose! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 Here's a couple of openers I made with 1/4" (6.3mm) rod. The braiding is all torch work. I welded the three ends together and drew them out into a hook. The tang is bevelled on the underside to catch the lip of the cap. Something a little different anyway... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HojPoj Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 Nice, Ted! I had considered doing something similar, but would probably just make a loop on the other end instead of a hook- the hook seems to put asymmetry into a design that seems to call for symmetry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 Thanks, I thought of a loop too. I'll try it if I build another one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 On 2/24/2019 at 1:05 AM, ausfire said: Nah. The ratchet in the socket wrench was seized up and unserviceable. Frosty, you know I would not sacrifice a perfectly usable tool for such a purpose! I know you wouldn't destroy a good tool. I just saw a missed potential, even seized up it'll turn a socket. I can't help changing things around in my mind, here I get to air ideas to my friends. You were it is all. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted March 29, 2019 Share Posted March 29, 2019 Been catching up on a few bottle openers while it's been a bit quiet round the forge. People only need a sniff of a cyclone to put them off coming north. Made a few longhorn and ram openers and then messed around with some 5/8" rebar scrap. It's tough stuff but I kind of like it because it has a great pattern/grip and there's plenty of mass for the loop. It also polishes up quite well. The two on the top are twisted, the other two are left plain. Any ideas of how to make a rebar handle more interesting? (Without losing the texture). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted March 29, 2019 Share Posted March 29, 2019 Nice openers Aus. Maybe you could add a concrete handle to the rebar. Put a couple of brass rivits through it for decoration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 29, 2019 Share Posted March 29, 2019 Rebar bottle openers are great Thank-Yous for mechanics and construction folk who let you pick through their scrap bins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted March 29, 2019 Share Posted March 29, 2019 I like the twisted rebar ones a lot Aus. I'll have to give that a go on some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 29, 2019 Share Posted March 29, 2019 Love how the rebar looks twisted Aus. More interesting? Offer them as an option for cast concrete counter tops? I'm thinking cast the end into the edge of the counter top but that's be a good way to bruise folks so maybe make a recess so it doesn't protrude beyond the counter top edge. Good man cave bar top openers. Hmmmm? Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiddleMesaMetals Posted March 29, 2019 Share Posted March 29, 2019 Here's one of mine. I got the inspiration for them while enjoying a Bass Ale, and I tell buyers that even if they drink like a fish, they won't wear one out. I usually start off with 4 or 5 inches of 1/4 x 1, and I like to drill them at the nose so they can be used as a key fob. The tip of the tail works well to pop the tabs on aluminum cans, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 Thats an excellent fish opener! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 Thanks for the comments. Ted, I'm not sure how a concrete handle would go. Might be a bit unstable. (Not for want of reinforcing steel!) Brass rivets could be a good way of brightening up the handles. Forge a couple of depressions in the steel and add rivets for decoration. Hmmmm... John, there's certainly no shortage of raw material for these. Off cuts from starter bars, trench mesh corners, slab cut -outs for plumbing etc. Our council rubbish tip is full of this stuff. Das, the twist does work well provided you don't overdo it. Frosty, you are right … great man cave items. I often wonder how many of these just get hung up in the bar and never used. Most caps now are twist tops. And MMM, that fish is just great. Straight to the inspirations file. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 Aus, I went ahead and built an opener with a "ceement" handle. It's in the curing stage so I'll post a pic in a day or so. I used mortar since the aggregate in concrete is too big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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