first fully forged bottle opener

[mnt]

I am pretty new to forging things.  I have heated up and bent or straightened things, but haven't really forged anything. I have to say, it is pretty fun moving metal.

 

This is my first bottle opener made from start to finish. I have done some others where I started with something (like a wrench or even a sphere) but this was just a piece of old threaded rod.  This was my third try, the first two were on 1/2 inch square bar.  but both of those split at the opening, so I thought I would give it one more try with this.  There was a hole already where I planned to make the eye of the opener, but this one split too.  So I made the hook type out of it.  It was some work moving that metal.  This was supposed to be a birthday present, but I might have to keep it.  It was a really good project, and I learned a lot. I think on my next one using a progression of punches gradually getting bigger might be better.

 

There is a ton more I need to learn, and I now need to make a bunch of tooling.  

 

[Gergely]

Hi,

 

Cool!

Try a slitter and then open the hole with a drift. Do it when hot (stop when it goes dark red). Punching big dia holes is very problematic with thin stock. 

 

Moving hot metal is sure fun bigtime! Keep them coming!

 

Bests

 

Gergely

[arkie]

Looking good!

The threaded rod gives the handle a distinctive appearance. I'll try that out. Thanks for posting the photo

[Frosty]

How's it work? Seriously, THE important thing about a bottle opener is it open bottles you know. Pretty decent beginning project my only advice would be that you not BOLT down the brewskies and go to the shop.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[ausfire]

Nice idea to use the threaded rod, as it give a good grippy handle. I would try that only all my threaded rod of that size is galvanised and I'm not putting that near the forge. Can't sem to get black threaded rod in 1/2 inch.

[mnt]

Thanks all,

 

I will try using a drift on my next one.  And I need to make some better punches.  I can see this becoming a pattern, make a project, make new tools to make the same project easier, repeat.

 

Oh, and the opener works quite well  I am happy to say.  It was going to be a birthday present, but now it is a present for me. 

 

I'll post more pics as I do them.

[beammeupscotty]

I hope you don't mind my offering a few suggestions as I have made a lot of both styles of opener.  When doing a full loop opener instead of slitting I use a 1/8" x 3/4" punch.  I find the loop less likely to split that way.  The next step is to use a tapered drift to open the punched slot enough to fit around the end of the anvil bick.  When I have the loop about 3/4 of the way to the final dimension, I refine the i.d. and make it as perfectly circular as I can on a Pexto #927 stake.  This stake has a long tapered bick. The first opener shown in the photo is made from 1/2" x 1/2" square stock.  When I reach the final i.d. I refine the outside of the loop with a side grinder mounted flap wheel, then I pein the surface to get rid of the grinder marks.

 

If you learn how to draw a taper, you will have the ability to terminate a hook type opener (what I call an open loop opener) a little more elegantly, as in the second pic.

 

Keep working on it.  I sold two openers this weekend that were closed loop style made from re-bar where the handle retained the original re-bar texture, much like your machine screw texture remains.  

[mnt]

Please offer suggestions.  It's hard to learn if you don't hear suggestions or constructive criticism.

 

Thank you for posting.  Really, what I need to do is make the appropriate sized tooling to make this a bit more efficient, and then on to practice and more practice.

 

One question I have then, are you punching the end as it is, or do you upset it or flatten it out some?  I watched Black Frogs video, and have been looking at the various bottle opener posts, and it seems everyone has their own way. 

 

Those openers are great, by the way.

 

Thanks Again

[arkie]

Nice idea to use the threaded rod, as it give a good grippy handle. I would try that only all my threaded rod of that size is galvanised and I'm not putting that near the forge. Can't sem to get black threaded rod in 1/2 inch.

 

You can easily remove galvanizing by soaking overnight in vinegar, or more quickly in dilute muriatic/hydrochloric acid.  I like vinegar...much more friendly to use  :)

[mnt]

You can easily remove galvanizing by soaking overnight in vinegar, or more quickly in dilute muriatic/hydrochloric acid.  I like vinegar...much more friendly to use  :)

That's funny.  I have a couple of big  bolts sitting in some vinegar now, for that exact reason.

[beammeupscotty]

Please offer suggestions.  It's hard to learn if you don't hear suggestions or constructive criticism.

 

Thank you for posting.  Really, what I need to do is make the appropriate sized tooling to make this a bit more efficient, and then on to practice and more practice.

 

One question I have then, are you punching the end as it is, or do you upset it or flatten it out some?  I watched Black Frogs video, and have been looking at the various bottle opener posts, and it seems everyone has their own way. 

 

Those openers are great, by the way.

 

Thanks Again

The Black Frog video is a pretty decent guide as youtube stuff goes but you really don't need any extra material at the loop end if you are working with at least 1/2" stock.  Your guess is correct however,  I flatten the stock out until it is about 3/16" to 1/4" thick before I punch.  There is a learning curve to hot punching but once you get it, it is pretty cool to do.  I love it when that little slug drops out. With the aforementioned sized stock, you should be able to do it in one heat.  Now that I think of it, the Black Frog video is where I got the idea of switching from a slitting chisel to a punch, but he does way too much prep work on his bottle openers before he punches.  All that high speed video looks to me like about 10 or 15 minutes in real time.  It takes long enough to get that loop opened up and sized correctly without all that prep work.  I do all that shaping and sizing after the loop is mostly formed, so I don't have to do it twice.  I also use a handled punch rather than a hand held one. It's safer and easier that way.  You can make a handled punch pretty easily out of a cold chisel.

[mnt]

The Black Frog video is a pretty decent guide as youtube stuff goes but you really don't need any extra material at the loop end if you are working with at least 1/2" stock.  Your guess is correct however,  I flatten the stock out until it is about 3/16" to 1/4" thick before I punch.  There is a learning curve to hot punching but once you get it, it is pretty cool to do.  I love it when that little slug drops out. With the aforementioned sized stock, you should be able to do it in one heat.  Now that I think of it, the Black Frog video is where I got the idea of switching from a slitting chisel to a punch, but he does way too much prep work on his bottle openers before he punches.  All that high speed video looks to me like about 10 or 15 minutes in real time.  It takes long enough to get that loop opened up and sized correctly without all that prep work.  I do all that shaping and sizing after the loop is mostly formed, so I don't have to do it twice.  I also use a handled punch rather than a hand held one. It's safer and easier that way.  You can make a handled punch pretty easily out of a cold chisel.

Great info.

 

Thank You!  I will give it a try.  Hopefully this weekend.

[Black Frog]

Way too much prep work?