Tennessee Gun

Tag: bottle

  • How to Build a Wine Bottle Torch

    How to Build a Wine Bottle Torch

    DIY: Wine Bottle Torch
    Buy at Amazon

    Lighting is very important for Preppers, campers, and honestly everybody else.

    Today’s article will show how to make a lamp out of an old wine bottle.

    This works well as a tiki torch, and can be used outside with citronella oil to repel bugs.

    Besides being a source of light and a way to repel bugs, this is a classy piece of decoration as well as an excuse to buy more wine.

    Of course if you don’t want to buy more wine you can always make some homemade wine.

     

    Materials

    • Empty Wine Bottle – Use any kind glass bottle with a 1” diameter neck
    • Teflon Tape
    • Copper Top Plate Connector (threaded for 3/8”-16 thread rod)
    • 1” Split Ring Hanger (threaded for 3/8”-16 thread rod)
    • 1/2” x 3/8” Copper Coupling
    • 1/2” Copper Cap
    • Two Hex Nuts (threaded for 3/8”-16 thread rod)
    • Two #10 x 1” Zinc Plated Wood Screws (if your mounting it to wood)
    • 3/8”-16 Zinc Plated Threaded Rod (a 3’ rod will cut down to 8, 4-1/2” rods)
    • Tiki Replacement Wick
    • Torch Fuel

    Tools

    • Channel lock pliers
    • Adjustable wrench
    • Hacksaw
    • Screwdriver
    • Funnel

    Procedure

    Hanger

    1. Position the Top Plate Connector on your mounting surface and mark the holes for where the screws will go.
    2. Install Plate connector and screw in the 3/8”-16 Rod until it stops.
    3. Thread the two Hex Nuts on to the Rod and tighten one all the way down at the point where the Rod meets the Top Connector Plate. Leave the other Hex Nut at the front end so it can be used to secure the Split Ring Hanger.
    4. Thread on the Split Ring Hanger just enough so that the Rod is flush with the inside of the ring. Turn the 2nd Hex Nut counter-clockwise to snug it up against the Split Ring Hanger.

    Torch

    1. Carefully and tightly wrap the 1/2” end of the Coupling with your Teflon Tape.
    2. Continue building up the tape until it fits very snugly into the opening of your bottle.
    3. Insert the Wick into the Coupling until it sticks out about 1/4”.
    4. The Tiki replacement wicks are about 3/8” in diameter so they fit well.
    5. Unscrew the Split Ring Hanger on one side and position the bottle neck into the ring.
    6. Flip the front half of the ring back into place and tighten down the Hanger evenly on both sides. You may need to loosen the other side to make sure both sides are an even tightness. (Don’t over tighten the Hanger. You don’t want to break the glass.)
    7. Use a funnel to fill the bottle with your favorite torch oil.
    8. Insert the Coupling & Wick into the top of the bottle and twist it snugly into place. Give the Wick a few minutes to absorb the oil before you try to light it.

    Use the Copper Cap to keep the Wick dry when you’re not using your torch.

  • How to Build a Water Bottle Skylight

    How to Build a Water Bottle Skylight

     

    How to Build a Water Bottle Bulb
    Buy at Amazon

    I spend a lot of time looking at appropriate technologies coming from missionaries and other groups that work in third world countries.

    I figure – if it works in areas lacking infrastructure then it will work if we ever lose our infrastructure.

    This idea came from a couple of YouTube videos I saw of people making water bottle skylights out of 20oz soda bottles.

    This is also called a solar bottle bulb.  Either way, the concept is pretty simple I have used this in domes and animal houses several times.

    Most specifically I got it from the video at the bottom of this page.

    I modified it slightly and was quite pleased that two of them gave enough light in my cement dome that I can see what I am doing.

    Actually, if I am in the general area of one of the lights I can actually read by the light.

    This technique was used on my Dome of Doom on Doomsday Preppers and it works very well.  I have a series on how I made my cement EMT dome.

     

    Parts:

    • 1 clear soda bottle
    • Water
      Bleach
    • Plastic roof flashing
    • 2 eyebolts
    • Wire
    • Duct tape
    • Mylar space blanket

    Procedure:

    • Drill two small holes on opposite sides of the plastic flashing, and thread the eyebolts in the holes
    • Fill the bottle with water, leaving enough space that you can add about a ¼ cup of bleach to keep anything from growing in the water.
    • Cut the mylar blanket into a strip approximately 1/3 the height of the bottle.
    • Center the mylar strip in the middle of the bottle and wrap it tightly – you need to leave unwrapped bottle at the top of the bottle to gather light, and at the bottom to release it. – Basically you are making a reflective tube to channel the light.
    • Insert the bottle into the flashing, leaving about 1/3 of the bottle sticking outside the top of the flashing.
    • Wrap wire around one eye bolt, pull the wire tight over the bottom of the bottle, and then secure it to the other eye bolt – this keeps the bottle from dropping out of the flashing.
    • Insert the entire assembly on your roof and calk as needed to prevent leaks.

    Note:

    Over time UV light will degrade the plastic – but since soda bottles are everywhere, it is a simple process to rebuild as needed.

     

  • How to Make a Bottle Cap Fishing Lure

    How to Make a Bottle Cap Fishing Lure

     

    Camping: Bottle Cap Fishing Lure
    Buy at Amazon

    I saw this brilliant idea on YouTube and had to share it. A very smart guy figured out how to make a Bottle Cap Fishing Lure out of a discarded beer bottle caps.

    He even made a business of recycling buckets of beer caps harvested from local bars until he was sued by beer manufacturers for use of their copy-written logos.

    I would link to the website, but it is no longer used as the bottle cap lure guy – it looks like someone else bought it, which is a shame, as the Bottle Cap Fishing Lure is a really cool idea.

    All you need is:

    • Beer/Soda bottle top
    • Split rings
    • BB’s or small split shot
    • Treble hook.
    • Tools are simple also:
    • Hammer and small nail/Drill and small bit
    • Pliers

    Instructions:

    • Using your fingers, press the sides of the cap until it buckles
    • Before pushing the two ends together, place a couple BB’s or shot into the cavity, so that they can rattle.
    • Carefully drill or punch a hole at either end of the folded cap. It may help to slightly flatten the ends with your pliers.
    • Thread a split ring into each hole
    • Thread a Treble hook into one of the split rings
    • Go fishing…

    I would love to post pictures of any catch you have gotten using this piece of DIY fishing tackle.

  • How to Make a Bottle Cap Candle

    How to Make a Bottle Cap Candle

     

    DIY: Bottle Cap Candle
    Buy at Amazon

    As a byproduct of keeping bees, I have a lot of wax, which lead me into candle making. Simple beeswax candles are very easy to make, last a long time, don’t smoke or leave soot, and make a very clear light. However, they can be large and take up too much space to put in small survival or bug out kits.

    Today we will use scrap to make a very small Bottle Cap Candle that fits very well in minimalist kits as well as weighing next to nothing.

    All you need to make this small candle is a bit of cotton or other natural fiber string, a metal bottle cap, and some wax.

    Put your cap upside down on your working surface, and then place a drip of hot wax in the center of the cap.

    Place one end of your string into the wax to set it in place, and then fill the cap up with wax.

    Let cool, and put in your emergency kit with a lighter or other simple fire starter.

    I don’t know how practical this project is, other than putting in a minimalist survival kit.  I do know that this project is fun to do with a kid.