How I Make Bottle Cap Pen Blanks 

With all of your skills and talents, 2 shine above all the rest in my mind. 1st, your patience. You follow the instructions and you don't try to rush the process or take any unnecessary shortcuts. The 2nd thing is your humility. You are human, you make mistakes. But instead of deleting them out of your video's you not only share and explain what you did wrong, you go the extra distance and tell us how you remedied the problem so we don't make the same mistakes. Please accept my sincerest "Thank You" from me and all the rest of the people out there watching your video's.

I know I'm watching this a couple of years after you uploaded it, but I'm glad that you left in your 'mistakes'. It shows viewers what happens in certain situations and what you can do to solve issues. Bravo.

Take a look at a carboy heater used to keep home brew at the correct temperature during fermentation. Its just a heat belt that you should be able to wrap around your pressure pot. Haven't tried it but that was my first thought. Merry Christmas!

you have started another learning curve, can't go back, good job, Jim

I can’t get enough of these videos. So many great ideas!

Bob, What a great idea. The pens look absolutely gorgeous. I always learn something new. Don’t stop making these videos 😀

Thanks Bob for the instruction. Thanks for what you do and for sharing it with us!

(First, a disclaimer - I've only got about a dozen casts under my belt, so I'm still learning myself!) But I usually do my casting in the evening, then bring my pressurized pot inside the house for the overnight. I figure the house holds a more stable temperature than any kind of a heating setup in the shop. Also I have the HF pressure pot just like yours that is rated for 60psi, but I only pressurize it to 40psi so I'm well within the safety margin. Regarding my first statement - I appreciate your videos Bob!!! Thank you for posting!!!

Once again Bob, we live and learn! But I tell you what, when you first took those blanks from the pot they looked fantastic. Get things warmed up a bit and you’ll be on to a winner!!

Nice colours and I am sure wil be ended amazing finished pens Bob!

Loved the video just started turning and love doing pens. It's much appreciated.

Great video! I am just starting this hobby and I always learn a lot from your instruction. Thanks so much for posting.

Enjoy your videos. This one has given me a lot of ideas.

Thanks again Bob for a really interesting and informative video, I will definitely try that at home folks. 👏😍😀😀👍

Great video. Can’t wait to try this.

I don't know how I ended up on your channel, but glad I did! What a great idea for a pen! And, thank you for sharing it with us!

I learn something from every one of.your videos. Thanks

Great job. I will try this.

Thanks bob Ill have to try this after the holidays 😀

I'm assuming the problem has been resolved, but I would say to check out brewing and gardening sites, both use a heated mat for temp control, and may be usefull for this issue.

I use a water bed heater that I set my pressure pot on to keep it warm. It has a thermostat so i can adjust the temp for what I need and it uses very little power . Works great

Bob, once again thanks for all of the great videos. I have done several of these bottle cap pens now. I know the video is a couple of years old, but was wondering if anyone had come up with a better way of cutting the crowns off. This is where I make the majority of mistakes.

Just seen this vid. Great idea on a way to use caps on pen blanks. Might I suggest though, using a table vice to hold the Dremmel tool. Hate for you to have an accident with a spinning cutting device. As far as the temperature in garage. Try adding a air duct from the home furnace into your garage. Don't forget to use a good vent that can close fully so you may close it tight when not working on your projects.

Thanks Bob, hope we get to see you turn them too, take care

Great video thank you

Wow they look amazing what a really clever idea ,your pens are always very nice .Merry Christmas and all the best for your channel in 2019 Cheers Tim from Wood 4 Nothing 🌲

Wooow!!! Súper!!!!

For building composite homebuilt airplanes we had to keep our epoxy pumps warm essentially all the time. I built a 1/4 inch plywood box for the pump with a front door (no seals) and the heating element was a just 60 watt light bulb (not LED). Worked perfectly. You can try different wattage bulbs until you get the temp you want (my 60 watt kept it at about 90 deg F). Warning... A friend used a 10 watt bulb and a Styrofoam cover but when doing a layup the cover was removed and he would switch to a 100 watt bulb and no cover == one time the cover was replaced without changing the bulb and the 100 watt got it hot enough to melt the plastic epoxy containers which was a major disaster - be careful. It seems the air trapped under the bottle cap is a problem. Maybe using some glue (or a pre-smear of alumilite) would eliminate that.

I have to admit I love that fact that you show your mistakes and not just the perfect end results! I’ve made so many mistakes turning, casting and all around. When I first started turning I swear I would get so mad at myself to the point of almost quitting because all you ever I ever saw was the perfect end result on whatever videos I watched. Thank god I didn’t give up because I love turning and as a wife & mother it’s hard to find the time for yourself let alone to do something you love! Hope more new turners tune into your videos to show that we all make mistakes! Thanks again for all your videos and showing the true way to make mistakes but keep trying inspiration!

Fantastic! I had a beer today and I noticed it had an interesting cap and I was thinking of asking you to show how you made yours... What a coincidence!

This video inspired me to start casting. I've been on the fence for a long time but this idea was all it took. I now have a pressure pot and ready to start playing. Thanks for all your great videos.

I want one!

Thanks for the tutorial Bob I have been wanting to do them for some time BUT I was wondering how many times have you cut your Gut doing it like that LOL Thanks again Cheers

Bob - Thanks for the great video. Is it possible to remove crimps from caps that have been opened with the corian squeeze?

best way to do this is with a small lathe; used sherline before but now I've made my own, better cnc one; I just glue cap to a round piece of a wood and carefully machine the cap; pen maker has to have lathe but it is usually wood lathe which would not be a good choice to machine cap; I also use my cnc lathe to work on blanks - you can create much more complicated curves if needed and good if you want to replicate few pen bodies

Great video. How did you keep the resin from filling up the tubes. If they were filled did you drill them out. Thanks again for the video

Another option for a heating element is a coffee warmer. Many times they're cheaper. Also, are you wearing that denim or is that pad? Either way, denim is a great choice. I love that you filmed the "oops" for the casting. Some resins are very particular about the mix as well as the temp they cure at. Great choice for taking them into the house (as I'm assuming it's a bit cool in the workspace that you cast in). I've used JB resin and it's very, very particular about the 72 degree curing temp. A degree or two below, and it's still bendy 24 hours later. But if you demold and let it sit for an other couple of days, it does fully cure ... unless you're a tad off on the mix, and then it will never cure. Why did I try the JB Weld? Because it has UV protection that a lot of others don't. Will I use JB epoxy again? Likely not. It's too particular and we can't get that kind of temp regulation in our 80 year old house. Read ALL of the temp and curing requirements on your resin before purchasing. Also, the bubbles are a great way to demonstrate the difference between a resin that needs a pressure pot as compared to one that doesn't. I only use epoxy resin, like that you would use for crafting jewelry and the like. Bubbles come out easier without needing a pot, drills and turns without fear of blowout (unless you get a bubble, and then it tends to blow out a chunk you can CA glue back in place and continue turning). and tends to turn like butter. Still as strong. Still as brilliant of a shine when finishing. Just not as fragile because it doesn't blow out in shards like Aluminite.

Great video Bob. You may have addressed this in another video but I was wondering ... wouldn't a vacuum pot work better for removing air from the castings?

Love your video's. I'm starting to try to make pens. Does grinding the bottle caps on a CBN wheel damage the wheel by filling it up with soft metal.

I think you were outside working on your kitless, but PG said what he does is keeps everything in a warmed cooler/ice chest at all times. I forget - I think he uses a lightbulb (like someone said below, but don't quote me) :)

in wine making temperature is an issue as well. if you haven't found a solution for heating the pot, they make a heating blanket for wine carboys that may do the trick.

Oh wow, Bob, I like the idea of casting bottle caps. that is something I have yet to try and now you have motivated me. by the way, during the cold weather, I setup my pressure pot and resins in my family room only because I have the space. One question I do have is in your casting video you set the pressure to 80 PSI and your pot looks like the harbor freight model. I thought those only went to 60 PSI, just wondering. Thanks for the great video. OW.

Hi Bob.. Just an idea for the skirt removal. Would love to know how it works if you try it.... Use the drill press with the bit that cuts holes.(forgot the name) :)

Excellent idea where you buy silicone mold thanks.

Love the CBN wheel. How about a sharpening video soon?

hi bob, great video as always! i have a quick question if you dont mind? i was just watching an older video of yours "ring dish" and in that video you used a homemade tenon tool from a 10mm spanner, and i was wondering if you could do a quick video on your process for grinding it? i would love to make a couple of varying sizes as its a superb idea! but have no clue as to where to start. no worries if not shop time is precious for all of us! either way many thanks jon

Walmart sells a chicken light used for keeping baby chicks warm. It has a huge reflector dome. Put a heat lamp or flood lamp in that and put it right on the pressure pot. I had rather try that instead of taking my pressure pot into the house. If you don't want to buy that just use a heating pad to sit under the pressure pot to raise the temperature.

Bob, Wouldn't it also work to put the blanks under vacuum for curing or would that have a tendency to flatten the resin/mould? Cheers, Lyle

I think step one should be find bottle caps that are unused. ;-) I think I have heard techniques where you place something like a coin or washer on top of the cap and work the opener around the cap until its pried off.

Could you do this with a duck call barrel and maybe a dip or beer can

Bob set the pressure pot on top of your toaster oven that will warm up the pressure pot

Have you tried nail polish to paint the tubes

Is that a special mold for making the pen blanks you did? If so where'd you get it?

Is the Nova comet new? never seen you turn on that lathe before.

Do you have to pre-heat it?

Can you tell me where you bought your mold which I would like to purchase?

Did you make the mold? Where to purchase one?

I see a Nova Comet II in the background of this video is that what your using these days? How do you like it?

I would leave the bubbles….makes it look like carbonated soda:)

Bob what type of mold and for what pens kits is that for if you don't mind me asking? also I learned from Zac that the mold blanks need to stay in the pot for at lease 24 hrs, the bigger casting don't have to be in there that long.

Robert, where do you find metal caps anymore. All the soda we drink here have plastic caps. LOL

Question,... Does the pressure pot need to stay out in the shop? Pour your blanks in the shop, but after you put the pot under pressure carry it back into the house. Even if it sits by the shop door it has to be warmer than out in the shop near the roll up door

Newbie question: What are these tubes used for?

Have you tied using a vacuum instead of using positive pressure in the pot?

use a seedling mat with a thermostat

I really appreciate your videos some of the best I have seen, but i wish you would turn up your volume . Sometimes its very hard to hear what you are saying. I have my volume all the up. ty keep up the great work

Couldn't you fit your piece of wood in your drill and have it spin while spraying your paint.

That was a different idea. I haven't seen anyone make anything like this

Couldn’t you do the same process with wood as far as putting the caps on them and use CA glue to attach them to the wood and then use the CA glue over top ov the whole pen

Isn't Nehi carbonated?

HI BOB say this is something a little different that i seen and it reminded me and i thought i would pass it along to you nothing MAJOR i put 2 strong magnets one on each side of my grinder switch and they will stick in place and they will catch a fair amount of the shaving that comes off of your tools and the more they build up the better they will catch the other shaving you probably all ready knew that i was just thinking that and that was all not being a no it all like i said just something different talk to you later my friend and GODBLESS larry

You did this already

Watching you cut off the skirt was genuinely terrifying.