Break away beer bottles!

The Instructable you've all been waiting for!

Originally I was going to just buy a few professionally made break away bottles, but I had sticker shock and figured I could just make them myself.

Here is a popular supplier of all things break away glass.

http://www.alfonsosbreakawayglass.com/shop.php

Here is a "Budweiser" bottle
http://www.alfonsosbreakawayglass.com/shop.php?main=Glass&sub=Bottles&subsub=Beer+Bottles

$16.00 each!
But wait how much for shipping?

1 #108 BROWN LONG NECK BEER BOTTLE $16

PACKAGING CHARGE $10

SUBTOTAL: $26

SALES TAX: $2.15

TOTAL: $28.15
Almost $30.00 for 1 bottle!

However you can order up to 4 bottles for the same shipping/packaging price so maybe closer to $20.00 But they don't guarantee the bottles after the package has left their hands and that it will make it in one piece.

So that wasn't the route I was going to take and instead started researching how break away glass was made. After emailing a few people I learned that professionals use a special type of resin instead of "sugar glass". Although either will work.

I recommend watching this video by "Indy Mogul" to get a feel for what's being done. He uses sugar glass but the techniques work just the same for resin. Candy glass is also still a cheaper route to go.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GqkSDkHOots&feature=related

Materials:
1 dedicated cooking pot ( I used a dollar store pan)
1 dedicated candy thermometer
Break Away glass resin
Resin dye (I used brown, comes in a 2oz bottle)
Silicone (tin or platinum cured, don't need a lot, about 6 lbs total)
mold release spray ( there are other options explained later)
foamcore/legos to build the mold (I used foamcore with a glue gun)
glue gun
a timer
gloves
rubber bands
bernzomatic/igniter
measuring cup

I decided to try tin-cure silicone, it's a little bit cheaper than platinum cure and works just the same. It however doesn't last as long as platinum cured.

I purchased the silicone and brown dye from Smooth-On:
http://www.smoothonsecure.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=278_279_281_80&products_id=392&osCsid=45268e37fd4d3661fda645fbed0b87db

The brown dye is translucent and does a real good job of simulating brown beer bottle glass.
http://www.smoothonsecure.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=291_270_28&products_id=541&osCsid=c588d75e90bc12b5c0d34e73fb8e80a3

The resin i used had a generic name of "break away bottle blend"
It's a combination of Piccolastic and Piccotex which are also generic names. Piccolastic is more elastic while piccotex is more brittle. They are all reusable, in the sense that after you break them or if a mold didn't come out perfect you can remelt them. I don't know about how green recyclable they are though. And definitely not edible, very nasty, like a mouth full of sand.

I ordered from a place called "Special Effect Supply Corporation", has a family-run feel, based out of Utah. However I could have saved a lot more money if I had bought locally. On the Smooth-On website I found a distributor for their products that also carried the "break away glass" resin.

Check out a local distributor for smooth on products, chances are they will have the Break away glass resin (Piccolastic/Piccotex) products as well.

http://www.smooth-on.com/distrbtr-2.htm

Here is the resin. One can buy in different quantities. (Buy locally though)
http://www.fxsupply.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=152

I also ordered the DVD on break away bottles. (PM me if you want to see it)
http://www.fxsupply.com/videos/videos.html

Also ordered mold release spray:
http://www.smoothonsecure.com/store/index.php?cPath=278_279_282_304&osCsid=30362f3d080392f208f38ec6c450817f

Here is where I should have ordered the materials. They had everything I needed and cheaper.
http://www.artstuf.com/
However not everything is listed on the website.

They are in fact cheaper than Smooth-On. Smooth-On charges more to encourage it's customer to shop locally.

Now to construct the mold...

Step 1: Construct your mold

After screwing up the first mold I decided to make it easy for myself and construct a two piece block mold. It's the safest and easiest way to go. It however uses more silicone than more advanced techniques.

The DVD I bought utilized "fixatropics", basically it's stuff you add to silicone to make it thicker. You can brush it on to vertical surfaces and it won't run. Regular silicone is runny like honey. If you had the thickener it'll hold it shape like whip cream but it's still thick like honey. Can build it up or brush it on and it will "defy gravity".

Here is a link more about silicone.
hhttp://www.bnglifecasting.com/diy/skin_mold/index.html

The dvd approach also used dental grade hyrdocal as a mother mold. Hydrocal is like plaster of paris. With a mother mold you have a thin innner silicone mold that is encased in the thicker supporting hyrdocal.

The square block mold uses more silicone but it's simplied in a way. The squareness and thickness of the silicone provides support doing away with the mother mold/ And you don't have to worry about fixatropics.

Just briefly I'll describe my mold making in this project. I glued a Budweiser beer bottle to foamcore to secure it. Then built up clay an inch of clay all the way around the bottle stopping at the parting line in the Budweiser bottle. I glued on a plastic bottle top to the inside of the Budweiser bottle. This is the sprue. It will make mold a funnel into the silicone so you can pour in resin in later. I then created keys or registration marks. This will align your silicone mold halves. Then a foam core wall around the entire thing. Originally I built a square box but then realized I wouldn't have enough silicone so I tapered off the top of the bottle.

Mix the silicone thoroughly and in the right amounts. Smooth-Ons Ooo-Moo 25 is nice because it has equal parts, measuring is not necessary. However I must stress mixing thoroughly, if you don't your silicone will fail. It won't ever set. Mix the sides of the mixing pot and then do it again.

After allowing the silicone to dry I then removed the clay on the bottom and poured silicone on the bottom side.

I used two orders of the trial size kits of Smooth-On OooMoo 25.
http://www.smoothonsecure.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=278_279_281_80&products_id=392&osCsid=269879e7f2cdded1956c24f07d091174

$22.00 each, times two, $44 bucks total + $10 shipping, $54.00 total shipped)
($18.00 each, times two, $36 bucks total at your local distributor and save on shipping too!)

The 25 refers to the durometer. The hardness of the silicone.

I had used a silicone with a 40 durometer for the Han Solo in carbonite chocolate bar. It was a much harder silicone. The 25 is much softer and I imagined it helped to remove the fragile resin bottles. Something to take in consideration. Are you pulling out cement or egg shells out of your molds? The resin bottles when dry will be like egg shells.

Comments

[XOIIO]

Is there a way to make them look more like glass, take the sort of chalky appearence off them?

[SlashmasterAeoniX]

Can this be made so that it's clear or green? I'd love to switch it up with vodka and wine bottles/glasses. And can you fill them with liquid, or is it too unstable? A smash&splash would look great onstage...

[bowow0807]

yes if you want a clear one just don't add color but I'm not entirely sure about this and for green just add green food coloring

[lilcotton]

I gotta try and make a small vile or flask for my drama play, and i was wondering if anyone would be able to help me as to how to make it- im not sure what to make the mould out of. As well as where the heck to get a candy thermometer!!

[cowstick]

Sounds like a Metal Gear dilemma in here.

[gateon]

?lol?what do you mean by that?or am i just missing something?

[cowstick]

The liquid and solid talk. Also was playing a lot of MGS4 that month.

[rickymetz]

 So, will this make a hollow or semi hollow bottle, or a solidresin bottle?

[MrL33TPenguin]

It would make a hollow bottle, just like the normal beer bottles.

[turner22]

my friend got a bottle once and filled it up till water was bout an inch from the top and he slammed his palm down on to the mouth of the bottle annd the air pressure inside the bottle made it shatter in his hand. pretty rad.

[Gage987]

sweet

[Sashi]

Nice project! The accidental bubbling gives it that nice cold look from a distance.

[Yerboogieman]

I think you mean, Shaped like south america.

[Madrias357]

I made a couple of these and had fun with them. Nothing better than walking up to a friend who you owe a good whack to and nail them with the bottle. Another thing that's good to do: throw one across a room and hit a friend in the back. Shatters and sends your friend forward out of seats and such due to surprise.

[moesboy]

if you wipe them down with hot water they will look better (on the sugar ones I don't know about the resin ones

[cowscankill]

Anyway I can do this with something not resin? Like some hard drying glue? It doesn't need to shatter, but that would be cool to have.... Even a rubber bottle to hit people with :D

[lifelong-newbie]

Great idea, Nice Project, Well documented, What more to say. Seriously enjoyed this one, good idea for the future, if im bored and want a little side project in the garage, what other things would work well in break away glass?

[chuckr44]

Wow! You could make these yourself and sell them cheaper than other places. How much would you have to charge per bottle to make a profit?

[camb00]

My dad make fibre glas so i maght be able to get some industrail resin

[disturbedreaper]

thats sick and ill try it if you notice towards the top of the green bottle it looks like a skull there

[ERNesbitt]

I did something similar with a wine bottle for a play. I cast the wine bottle upside down and filled with water so that the mold could be one piece. I made sugar glass and poured it in the mold. It was a bit sticky due to high humidity that week, but we could eat the wreckage. I even let my wife hit me over the head with a bottle. Smooth-On makes great mold making silicones. I bought the food grade silicone because it was rated up to 450 degrees.

[SnakeEyes]

Or, you could just swirl a dime or a sharp rock around inside an empty bottle for a few minutes. The sharp edges will score the glass enough that it breaks easily and (generally) harmlessly. For serious, we break them over our heads all the time. Just don't get it in your eyes!

[killerjackalope]

Yeah the guy that hit me with a bottle forgot to do that lol... Pint glasses are fairly inconsequential to the head anything by arcoro doesn't seem to hurt but I've never done this on purpose. Possible other things to make from magic glass: - Lightbulbs -Windows (then have your enemies replace with them and watch them braek in wind... - Crazy glasses - Screen doors (saves lives and if if you run through it you're only saving time) - Safety baubles (the glass ones are kinda dangerous, especially in bauble fights) - Glass boxes to beat mimes with in a non lethal manner - Art - Giant plates of glass to walk about with (it's probably cheaper this way) - Trick coasters and such, even a trick glass coffee table, then make someone buy another for you and have 2

[pocketwatch]

Also, break it right after you score it- after a while it won't work right.

[SnakeEyes]

A valid point. Why is that, anyways?

[DELETED_dannydutton]

(removed by author or community request)

[laserpewpew]

Glass is not a liquid, that is an urban legend. Glass is classified as an "amorphous solid", structuraly similar to a Liquid but by definition it is not a liquid.

[yankee]

You are correct. Glass is an amorphous solid. It's behavior is that of a solid. The distortion seen in old glass is due to the manufacturing process. The waviness appears is from drawn glass and is caused by uneveness in the thickness of the glass caused by difficults in controlling the viscosity across the entire sheet of glass being drawn. The myth of glass flowing down to the bottom of the window pane is from observations seen in an older glass forming method called crown glass. In this method a glass blower spun a gob of glass on the end end of rod making in flare out into a disk. The square panes were cut from this disk. Since the edges of the disk were thinner then the center, the cut panes were thicker on one edge. The thicker edge was typically installed on the bottom of the pane leading to he myth of flowing glass.

[DELETED_dannydutton]

(removed by author or community request)

[laserpewpew]

Yeah, it is a common misconception. I've heard it on numerous occasions. I think the thing that strikes me the hardest is the oxymoron, "solid liquid". It's not correct because you are saying that glass (the matter) is simultaneously holding 2 "states". I guess what I am saying is matter can't be in two "states" it's either a solid, a liquid, or a gas. Anyway, sorry I'm a nerd.

[SnakeEyes]

Cool. Good stuff to know.

[sleepydog]

Amazing Instructable! Thanks for doing all the research and hard work for something just fun!

[23mcharlotte]

dude whats with the bubbles in the bottle? is there any way you can get the bubles not to form

[FreakCitySF]

The hotter the mold the less bubbles. 400+ degrees is deal. Also there are alternatives to this type of resin. Some types you mix together and use once but it has little or no bubbles. Smooth on sells it, Smash plastic sells the stuff to.

[Shifrin]

I Smell Clever Pranks...

[T3h_Muffinator]

That's awesome! Now, go smash some people!

[FreakCitySF]

I know I should probably put some action shots up right? They were a xmas present to my brother, but he's home for the holidays and working full time. I wanna eventually get video of em. I think I'll put up a picture of a broken bottle though, to show its glass qualities. And video in a few weeks.

[T3h_Muffinator]

Yeah man, definitely!

[dbarak]

One of the best planned, most complete instructables I've seen. Bravo! Now you need to burn yourself again to get Madagascar off the coast of Africa. I suggest using a soldering iron.

[FreakCitySF]

haha! I think someone needs to do a scarification Instructable ;)