Bottlecap Bartop

[exc503]

Ok so, Im not sure if this goes here, and not sure if this has been covered already. I am building a bar for my house, nothing crazy, don't have the space for crazy, 48" x 20" top. The plan is to set bottle caps into the top, already have the 1000 or so that I need (hard work but somebody had to do it). Trying to find advice, or direction on the epoxy that would work best for this, and would preserve the bottle caps without corrosion, and would be strong enough for a bar top and the abuse it could endure. I see a self leveling epoxy for bar tops, but my assumption with those is that they are designed for a thin layer, of top, not the nearly 1/4" that i need them to fill.

Any thought or ideas.

 

[savannahbrew]

The self leveling epoxy should work well I did something similar with beer labels not nearly as deep but it was probably 1/16 of an inch. I thought about doing something similar and remember reading to be weary of floating bottle caps! I think I found a couple of good links on pinterest.

 

[smagic14]

Did something similar to you. ..it worked just make sure that you have secured down or when you pour you will have a mess

Think mine was 1/4 inch deep about?

 

[Coastiebrewer]

If you search kegerator top build (sorry don't know how to link from my phone) I did the same thing for the top of my kegerator. Hot glued the caps down first so they didn't float. The stuff I used was called envirotex lite and can be found at micheals a craft store. I used about half a container for an area (guessing since I'm away from the kegerator) 3ft by 3ft??? It's held up really well and super easy to clean! Hope it helps!

 

[trboyden]

Nice, I like the beer label idea. I have seen bottle cap tops and haven't been that impressed. What was the best approach to getting the labels off without damaging them?

The self leveling epoxy should work well I did something similar with beer labels not nearly as deep but it was probably 1/16 of an inch. I thought about doing something similar and remember reading to be weary of floating bottle caps! I think I found a couple of good links on pinterest.

 

[exc503]

Hot glue was the plan all along. The variable was what epoxy/resin to use. I see environtex has good reviews.

 

[exc503]

I had thought of using six bad boxes also. Still trying to come up with a plan for thosw. Any ideas would be welcome. Was thinking of mounting them to a 1/4 piece of ply with spay cement, then lacquer in them to it. And using It as a backdrop to the bar as my basement is the corning fiberglass system.

 

[JIMMER3135]

I just did something similar. I used the envirotex from menards:

http://www.menards.com/main/interio...-gloss-finish-128-ounces/p-1462526-c-7964.htm

It went very smoothly. I bracketed a mirror tight underneath our coffee table so that I had a barrier to contain the epoxy. I have approximately 1/8th of an inch over all the caps to get a nice glossy look. it levels out well. I hot glued all the caps down to keep them from floating. I had one that broke off and floated on me during the pour but I was able to seat it back down as the epoxy was getting tacky. I did it in 2 layers.

The epoxy is a 1:1 mixture and you just mix it in a clean bucket. Mix until swirls are gone and it gets clear. If you mix too vigorously, you'll get bubbles but then just take SWMBO's hair dryer or a heat gun and run it over the top of the table and they rise to the surface and pop beautifully. Might need to keep doing that as it cures. should be good in about 24-48 hrs.

 

[tugbucket]

..it worked just make sure that you have secured down or when you pour you will have a mess

I used a grey grout mixed with black paint and spread it thin. Then placed the caps and when happy with the layout, pressed them in some. Let it dry for two days and then poured the epoxy.

 

[Huaco]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I had a similar idea for my collar... minus the grout though. I really like the way the black grout makes the caps pop! Pretty dang nifty man! Good work!

 

[exc503]

Couple of more weeks till I am ready to resin but....

 

[mforsman]

What bottle opener are you all using to keep the caps flat?

 

[exc503]

Unfortunately I did not discover that they made such an opener until after I had all ready saved enough caps. So I have to use a dowel that has been ground to fit the caps and a sort of jig I cut into some stick wood to straighten them.

 

[Spartybrew]

I did a similar project for the bar I built while in college. I considered the epoxy at Home Depot but the price was too high for the budget I had at the time. I wound up securing a thin piece of plexiglass over the top of the caps and it worked out nicely. It didn't have quite the look and feel of the epoxy but for the price and for my use it was great.

 

[MaxStout]

There are some clear acrylic pour-on materials that may be cheaper than epoxy.

I have been tossing craft beer bottle caps in a big jar over that past year or so and have thought about making a table top with them.

Edit: I noticed the Amazon listing has a customer review from someone who built a bottle cap table with the acrylic--might be helpful.

 

[exc503]

That stuff is a resin epoxy. Seems to be the best stuff out there for this application.

 

[rseaney]

Interested as well. Still on my first year of bottle cap collecting.

 

[Rohlk]

As far as keeping bottle caps flat when opening, use a lighter. Hell, you can use anything, really. Just gotta know the method.

 

[MaxStout]

I use this kind of bottle opener. It lifts the cap at two points instead of one and they come off with minimal damage.

 

[DakotaSouth]

Good looking builds in this thread.

 

[mbbransc]

I use this kind of bottle opener. It lifts the cap at two points instead of one and they come off with minimal damage.

I use a similar opener to this one but use a quarter with it. Place a quarter on top of the cap and then open it while the quarter is there. It will keep the cap flat while prying up the sides. Works like a champ and only costs $0.25.