Key Bottle Opener

by menteral

41K15142

Intro: Key Bottle Opener

I wanted the ability to easily open a beer without carrying an extra keychain or card in my wallet. I don't like bulky key chains and don't like carrying extra stuff.

...So here's how I modified the key to my '92 Honda Civic to moonlight as a bottle opener.

TOOLS & MATERIALS:
- Key (car keys probably work better than house keys - so opening a bottle will be a reminder not to drink if you're driving!)
- Bottle with cap still on
- Dremel tool with cutting wheel and high-speed cutter drill bit
- Safety glasses (protection from the metal dust)

STEP 1: Figure Out the Geometry of Your Key As It Relates to a Bottle

Making a bottle opener out of my Honda key was pretty straightforward. The groove along the top of the key was just waiting to be modified for the purpose. Hold the key up to the bottle and work out where the key needs to grip under the bottle cap and where you're going to get the leverage from.

I'm sure there are dozens of different key geometries that would work just as well.

STEP 2: Cut Away Material With a Dremel Tool (get Under the Cap's Lip)

Based on your key geometry, cut away the material - a little bit at a time - to shape the key to fit the top of the bottle.

I focused first on getting the key under the lip of the bottle cap. I cut a pointed tooth (sharp corners rounded off) that allowed enough of the key head to wrap around to the top of the bottle cap and provide leverage (the next step).

STEP 3: Refine the Shape (get the Right Leverage)

To provide the right grip and leverage for the bottle cap, I had to cut out an indent out of the key head that followed the geometry of the bottle cap.

STEP 4: Drill a Hole for Your Keyring (if Necessary)

Since I had cut open the groove for the keyring, I had to drill another hole near the edge of the key head. Don't make it too close to the edge so that the key's structural integrity is kept relatively intact.

Also, think about what side you want the keys to hang from (while you're opening a bottle and while you're using the key). I didn't want the keys flopping all over the top of the bottle, so I drilled the hole on the same side as the tooth. The keys hang nicely along the side of the bottle.

41 Comments

pancho del rancho 14 years ago

foo u should try with just a bottle cap went i went to mexico this foo uses a bottle cap alone to open and would lanch the beer cap in the air but i didnt ask him how it would be coo if u ind out and post it

morgaash 13 years ago

You can open a beer bottle with anythn hard. Just grip the bottle tightly under the cap and lever off using your holding hand as the pivot

BluePhenox 13 years ago

this is cool but couldn't you just use the back of the key to open a bottle?

kreationism 15 years ago

does that little metal piece across the top bend when used? after being cut it looks kinda thing/flimsy and I'd be fearful that after a few uses it would at least flex, possibly bend. If not, weekend project accepted :)

BarginsTech 14 years ago

The keys that are like the one in the picture are made thicker on the top. It wont be flimsy cause its cut shorter. Just like a shorter thicker stick is harder to break then a long one. :]

Notbob 14 years ago

It probably doesn't, or if it does, very little. This would be because keys need to be made from a hard metal to keep their shape even after being used millions of times.

mg0930mg 15 years ago

Nice. Since I am underage there are only a few things I'd ever need this for. Root Beer bittles, mountain dew bottles, and some birch beeer bottles. We have a super old looking coco-cola bottle opener on the wall in our kitchen. I'll take a picture to show that, and this i'ble later,

mg0930mg 15 years ago

birch beer is amazing. Pennsylvania dutch makes that root beer, and cream soda in a glass bottle. They're cool. I love cream soda, and birch beer.

fwjs28 15 years ago

WOOT! i live in PA, and i think the PA dutch are awesome! especially their sayings...

mg0930mg 15 years ago

hAha. I LOVE PD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

clark 15 years ago

i didn't know mountain dew came in glass bottles....

Kayjay 15 years ago

the really old ones did come in glass infact im looking at one right now

static 15 years ago

I'm sure I still have some old 16 ounce Dew bottles around here yet. Yahoo, it's Mountain Dew! Bottle graphics depicting hill billies and moon shine stills. Would that date me as an old fart?

devophill 15 years ago

Yes. (It's good for yore innards.)

R4Man18 15 years ago

depending on where you live. iirc you can get then in a lot of places up north in the states. you pay to use glass bottles when return em for your cash back. greener than plastic.

dfc849 15 years ago

the only problem with deposits on that is some people cheat by using cans/bottles not purchased in a state (for example, Michigan)
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