CRAZY CATAPULT BOTTLE OPENER!
G’day Folks and welcome to my How to Make a Crazy Catapult Bottle Opener Blog Post! Make sure you connect to DIY For Knuckleheads on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook to keep up with all the latest and greatest in the World of DIY For Knuckleheads!
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Here It Is!
My Latest How Make a Crazy Catapult Bottle Opener Video.
Hands up….who doesn’t love an icy cold beer on a hot day?? I for one are a big fan and l personally have a quirky collection of vintage bottle openers which got me thinking…l need a new bottle opener that is a bit out of the ordinary and makes opening a bottle fun and a talking point amongst your friends. Without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to the Crazy Catapult Bottle Opener!!
Now l have to admit that l have seen a few of these types of bottle openers floating around the internet but l just has to give it a go myself. ?
Going with the theme of my last few videos, this is another Scrap Wood Project that utilises limited tools, is easy to make and costs less than $5.00 to make!
The Aim:
Using limited tools, make a Cactus Planter from reclaimed wood and for under $5.00! Now, that’s my kind of project!
You Ready?…Let’s Get This Show On The Road.
Materials:
Scrap Wood (I used pine off an old window architrave):
90mm x 19mm (4’x1’)
1 @ 460mm (Roughly 18 1/8”)
3 @ 360mm (Approx. 14 ¼ “)
Stick of Pine:
35mm x 35mm (1 ½” x 1 ½“)
1 @ 400mm (Around 15 ¾“)
1 @ 110mm x 10mm Cup Head Bolt with nut and two washers.
9 @ 50mm (2”) Counter Sunk wood screws.
Small amount of Varnish. You could also use Polyurethane. In actual fact, this is a budget, scrap wood project so just use anything you can find in your shed ?
Tools:
Electric Sander. If you don’t have one, you could hand sand if needed.
Handsaw if you’re not confident using a power saw.
1/8thDrill Bit.
Cheap Paint Brush.
Pencil.
Please note that all of these tools are available from my Recommended Tools and Resources Page.
Before digging into the Awesome Selection of Tools and Resources l know and trust, an important disclosure:
The majority of the links on my Tools and Resources Page are affiliate links which means that if you choose to make a purchase, l will earn a small…and l mean small, commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you but it certainly helps to keep the lights on here over at DIY For Knuckleheads so that we can afford to keep producing great, informational content for You.
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Step 1:
Cut all the scrap wood to size. Bear in mind that this is personal choice and you can make yours any size you desire.
The Base:
Cut one length of the 90 x 19 to 460mm (18 1/8th”)
The Two Sides:
Cut two lengths of the 90 x 19 to 360mm (Approx. 14 ¼”)
The Top for the Two Sides:
Cut one length the same size as the sides (360mm) which we will cut down to size at a later date.
Step 2:
From the back end of the base, come in 100mm (4”). From here we are going to check-in the two sides to the base. The check-out is the same dimension as the side piece. If you’re a little confused with this step, check out the video at the start of the blog.
Checking-out the rebate using a Mitre Saw. If you don’t have a Mitre Saw, you can make the same cuts with a Handsaw.
Once a series of cuts have been made to the base, it makes it easier to chisel out the waste.
Work your way along the line with the chisel, making sure you tackle it from both sides.
Pro Tip:
Don’t try and take out all the wood in one big hit!! Lightly tap along the line with your chisel, then turn the piece over and tackle it from the other side. That way you won’t blow out the underside of the piece.
That’s how the base looks after those rebates have been cut and chiselled out.
Please note that if you don’t feel confident in performing a check-out, you can simply just screw the sides to the base….it just doesn’t look quite as neat and won’t be as strong….you could call it the Rustic Look ??
Once you’ve completed your check-out, simply glue and screw the sides to the base inside the check-out.
Apply some glue to the joints prior to screwing the unit together.
Screw the sides to the base.
Pro Tip:
To make driving the screws in a little easier, drill a pilot hole first slightly smaller than the diameter of the screw your using. In my case l used a 1/8thdrill bit.
Step 3:
Cut the top for the two sides which will be the size of the width of the base. My base was 90mm wide so the top was cut to 90mm. To add some strength to the joint and to stop any movement, rebate the top so that the sides sit inside the rebated joint.
Once you’ve run a series of cuts with circular saw (to a depth of around half the thickness of the wood) simply chisel out the waste.
If you aren’t confident in cutting out a rebate, you can just simply screw the top to the sides.
The down side to this is that the joint won’t be a strong and it won’t look as good but it will do the job!
Pro Tip:
Countersinking the holes prior to inserting the screws will ensure that the screws finish flush with the surface which gives a much more professional look.
Screw the unit bottle opener together using 50mm (2″) screws. I also spray painted my screws black simply because l think it looks cool ?
Step 4:
That’s the frame for the Catapult basically built. Told you it was easy! Next up we need to install the lever that will be responsible for removing the lid from the bottle.
Place your preferred bottle on the base of the catapult and level across from the top of the cap to the side of the catapult.
This will be the position for the lever. Drill a hole through both sides at this height to accommodate a bolt. I also countersunk the hole for the bolt using a 25mm (1″) drill bit so that the bolt and nut finished flush with the sides of the bottle opener. This is purely for looks….if you don’t want to do this step then that’s ok ?
On the lever, measure along about 140mm (5 ½“) and drill an 8mm (a hole the same diameter as the bolt you’re using) hole through the middle.
With all holes drilled, attach the lever between the sides of the catapult and tighten the nut. Make sure you have a washer on the end of the bolt that has the nut.
Step 5:
One more step to go to finish off the mechanics of the catapult bottle opener. On the end of the lever that faces the bottle, simply drive in a screw and leave about 12mm (about ½“) of the screw hanging out of the end of the lever. This is the part of the lever that will come in contact with the cap on the bottle.
Now that’s it folks, all that’s left is to give it a good sand, personalise it and finish it off with a couple of coats of clear varnish or clear polyurethane.
As you can probably see, l personalised mine with some image transfers. If you’re curious as to how l do these transfers, click on this link which will direct you to this video where l explain the process. It’s a really cool method! The explanation starts around the 5.30 minute mark.
So what do you reckon? I think it looks fantastic and it’s a heap of fun! Simple, cheap and quick to make. Ticks all the boxes in my books! It would make a fantastic gift or would be a great addition to the Man Cave!
And that’s it Folks!! I hope you enjoyed and found this Blog Post useful. As per usual you can find me on all the Socials…just scroll to the bottom of the page for all those links.
Alrighty, be safe, and till next time, l’m outta here..Cheers!
