Small Storage-units From Bottlecaps

by Dop13

2.1K6412

Intro: Small Storage-units From Bottlecaps

I was looking for a cheap and fun way to store matches, herbs for cooking, tinder etc in a dry way for when I was camping. There were a lot of ready solutions at hand in many outdoor-stores, but I wanted a cheap easy container that I could make myself with simple materials en a bit of effort to make them.

The bottlecaps I took are from small PET bottles from the Lidl. The size of the bottleneck rim is exactly the size of the diameter of a pvc pipe you use for your drains under the sink.

STEP 1: The Materials and Tools

The materials and tools you need are:

two bottles, pvc piping, epoxyglue and sandpaper.

a hacksaw, a vice and a file.

STEP 2: How To...

First you have to cut of the necks of the bottles. Try to saw close to the rim in order to have less filing and sanding down the remaining edge.

Then start flattening your bottlecaps with the file and sandpaper. Be sure to have a flat rim to put the glue on later on.

Then cut of a piece of PVC tube at your desired length. Be sure it is a straight cut ore else the bottlecaps wont fit. (oval to cirkel....)

After sanding the edges, mix your epoxy glue thoroughly. Then apply the glue to the bottleneck rims an place them on the end of the PVC piping.

Wait for this to dry and wash the inside with detergent.

Have fun making and using the units in any way you like!!

Dop13

10 Comments

CameronRobertson 7 years ago

Interesting method of creating a storage container! Could potentially be used to close up a bigger bottle full of things I think! Thanks for sharing your instructable!

agutshall-diaz 9 years ago

Very detailed and easy to follow.This is a neat idea

Dop13 9 years ago

Hello agutshall-diaz,

Thank you for your comment,

Dop13

Creak 9 years ago

Could you get a tighter bond if you left a small lip to tuck into the PVC? Or is the PVC too small to accommodate? Love this, super easy and cheap.

Dop13 9 years ago

Hello Creak,

Thank you for your comment. The PVC tube wall is about 5 mm thick and there is a way of making a tighter bond but it involves using a lathe to take some material from the inside of the tube, and not everyone has got one at hand...
The rim is the strongest pert of the bottle. It keeps it from collapsing and going oval. I suggest to keep this rim because you have a strong fixing and you have a large surface to glue. The bond is very strong when you mix your components thoroughly. I've tested it in a vice an I had to use al lot of force to break it.

Have fun with it, there is a new idea coming up Also using bottlecaps.

Dop13

Deltic 9 years ago

Thank you for a good idea (especially since film cannisters are so hard to come by these days), I will definitely be making use of this for our scout troop's camping trips. A hot glue gun should probably work OK,saving curing time & easier to clean.

Dop13 9 years ago

Thank you for your comment. A hot glue gun will probably work fine as well although this is a much weaker adhesive and less sustainable to hot and cold weather.

Dop13 9 years ago

Thank you, I have some ideas that
I have to work out.

tomatoskins 9 years ago

These are great! I'm sure that they come in very helpful. Welcome to the site and I'm looking for more great things from you in the future.