Although plastic bottles or even plastic bags can be modified as a funnel, perhaps the only resource available might be a beer bottle, not something that can be fashioned with a scissors or a knife.

Years ago I wrote an article entitled
“Popping Off Bottle Bottoms By Hand” that includes a link to a video demonstrating the process.

While preparing a bottle to illustrate the photo for this article I had difficulty at first popping out the bottle’s bottom so I reviewed my own instruction video that resulted in success.

Practicing this technique now will prepare you in the event a bottle is your only resource for a funnel in an emergency situation.

This could be a staple in your kitchen that could serve dual purposes, culinary and optical. In fact, when emptied it could be refilled with water or any other clear liquid to renew it’s optical properties.

While my experiment was done in late October it still performed well at the sun’s latitude. I had to catch a trangent opening in the clouds to create an ember.

There are better tools to create fire but this just adds one more way to create a fire in an emergency. Next time that you go shopping you might pick one of these up to experiment with and see if you can create a coal. Keep in mind that a dark material works best as tinder and heats up quicker.

This method uses a 12 oz. bottle for the break out. A dime is small enough to fit inside the opening of the neck and once inserted the bottle is grasped by the neck and the thumb placed over the opening, then the bottle is shaked up and down vigorously for quite a time, perhaps a minute. I was delighted when the bottom finally broke out whole. This is best done over a soft surface so that when the glass bottom comes off it won’t break into pieces when it lands.

I use a tire iron to poke out the bottom of a 40 oz. bottle (because the glass is thicker) but some folks use a nail or bolt to shake in the same manner with this larger size as I did with the 12 oz. bottle and dime. I wondered that if a dime worked, could a small stone work as well. Sure enough, it worked, but it didn’t come out as cleanly as with the dime. I stepped up the test and used a heavy steel nut but the bottom was shattered and broke out in many parts. I’m guessing that there is an optimum ratio of weight-to-glass for best results.

In the end I would call this the “shake” method and it’s good to have alternative methods of removing a glass bottle’s bottom for various uses. Although water can be used for breaking out the bottle bottom (see “Popping Off Bottle Bottoms By Hand“) the “shake” method can accomplish the task when water is not available. Give it a try and share your results.

He proceeded to remove the wrapper off the top of the wine bottle then took a steak knife and pressed it into the top of the cork. This particular cork was the newer plastic foam types but the natural corks would work the same. After embedding the knife about an inch deep he began to twist the knife slowly as he pulled the knife upward. In a sense the knife blade acted as a big screw driver that provided good torque for loosening the cork from the neck of the wine bottle. The area of contact between the knife blade and cork body provided enough friction to pull it upward. A steak knife might have a slight advantage as the serrated edge might add slight additional surface grip. After several twists of the blade the cork emerged to a point where it could be grasped by hand and removed.

I was so excited! I asked if I could give it a try on the other wine bottle. After a few attempts at setting the blade deep enough I too was successful and was delighted to have learned a new skill. On a subsequent day I tried this with my pocket knife and I learned two things; position the blade’s edge away from you for safety sake, and insert the blade with the flat side at a slight angle so that it is less likely to slip out and enhances the lifting capability.

Is this a life saving skill? Maybe. But it could certainly save the day when a corkscrew is forgotten or lost and is a great addition to your McGyver skills. If you want to learn more methods to open a wine bottle check out this link http://www.wikihow.com/Open-a-Wine-Bottle-Without-a-Corkscrew .

Before And After Break

You may have seen a popular craft idea that makes drinking glasses out of glass bottles. The method uses a string tied around the top edge of the bottle body, soaked in alcohol, then lit with a match or lighter. When the flame burns out either cold water is poured over it or the bottle is dipped in a container of cold water. The contrast in temperature causes a fracture that “pops” when it breaks along the string line. The edge is then sanded or ground smooth. (The top part could be used as a funnel.)

My particular application of this method was employed to break out the flat sides of a square bottle in order to use the glass for flint knapping a knife blade. I initially used some jute twine to tie around the side of the bottle but found that the burn time was not long enough so I retrieved a shoe lace that was thicker, thus enabling a longer burn. That did the trick. I was able to break off the remaining sides in similar fashion.

As illustrated in the photo, I placed the bottle in a bread pan in order to contain all liquids, whether it be spilled alcohol from wetting the string or the water that is poured onto the glass after the string burns out. I used “Heet” gasoline anti-freeze as my fuel (obtained from an auto store/department). It is methyl alcohol that burns clean and comes in a yellow bottle with a long neck. I poked a small hole in the foil seal that allowd me to carefully pour the fluid onto the string that was placed on the bottle.

I also have a technique in tying the string. First I tie a small slip knot loop, then I roll that loop over the remaining line. The first loop when tightened cinches onto the main line to make a very stable but adjustable large loop around the glass. Make sure that the string loop when tightened contacts the glass surface.

Final note: the flat pieces of glass from this bottle are quite thin so I am needing to learn a more delicate way to knapp the glass but then that’s part of the fun!

The other day I was scouting for 40 oz. beer bottles whose bottoms I remove and use to make arrowheads. Having found one I placed it in a plastic grocery bag to carry as I continued my search. At the end of my excursion I began to remove it from the bag but noticed that it was oily and coated with grease. Rather than handle the bottle, I decided to keep it inside the plastic bag with only the neck poking out the top. As I inserted the metal rod into the neck of the bottle to poke out the bottom it dawned on me that all pieces of glass would be captured inside the bag and that it was a safer process.

For some people this may have been an obvious approach but for other folks like me it was a great revelation. A slight challenge in this process is that the bottle is not visible while you strike it so it becomes more of a “feel” of proper rod placement while striking the bottom. If you follow the suggestions in “Removing Beer Bottle Bottoms” and with a little practice it should become second nature for this procedure.

Of course, take care when retrieving the bottle bottom from inside the bag. Once removed I recommend tying off the top of the bag that contains the remainder of the bottle parts before disposing it in the trash or recyclable bin.

There are different methods to remove the bottle bottoms. One interesting method used for small 12oz. bottles is by using only your hand as illustrated in “Popping Off Bottle Bottoms By Hand“. Larger bottles become progressively more difficult and I have yet to break out a 40oz. bottle.

For larger sizes I find that a metal rod works well. My friend uses a steel chisel or punch, blunt side down, inside the bottle and shakes it up and down while his thumb covers the top. I prefer to use tire irons and rebars to poke it out. In the past, when I have used a tire iron, I would place the blade parallel with the seam at the bottom to strike it. However, I found that it was easy to punch small holes in the process that could jeopardize the removal. Recently I discovered that I could rotate the blade slightly, say about 15 degrees inward or so and the bottoms would break out quite consistently in a single piece.

Should you have the need for glass, bottles are easily obtained from trash or recycle containers and you can try these techniques for yourself. It’s wise to wear eye protection and perhaps sturdy gloves too. Don’t forget to pick up any glass shards left behind when you’re finished.

Not long ago I made a short video demonstrating how to break the bottom out of a bottle by hand. My original purpose in doing this was to use the glass bottom as material with which to practice my knapping skills while making arrowheads. Each time that glass disc would pop off the bottom I would mention to onlookers that without further work, this was a tool unto it’s self. It has a very sharp edge that could be used for cutting and potentially skinning and dressing out an animal.

As survivaltek readers may attest, I’ve been known to harvest astragalus bones from deer roadkill. On such an occasion I decided to test out my theory with this improvised cutting tool from a bottle. To my delight and amazement it cut clean and easy! After the initial incision I began to separate the hide from the carcass. Although I didn’t pursue the meat and organs, I’m sure that it would accomplish the task. That further work will be a project for the future.

Although most folks are not accustom to butchering, it’s good to know that in an emergency situation and without conventional tools, you can accomplish this task that could be a key part to your survival.

My interest in removing bottle bottoms is that it provides material that I use to develop my flint knapping skills. Admittedly, a 40 oz. bottle is preferred because it provides the most glass to work with but requires a rod of some sort to strike it out from within the bottle. But a regular 12 oz. size bottle still has usable material for practice and is much more plentiful to acquire.

There are other uses for the remaining bottle. For instance, when inverted, the bottle becomes a funnel and can be strategic for adding fluids to your automobile in an emergency situation. Another use is as a stationary or mobile candle holder complete with integrated chimney and handle.

How do you remove the bottom? Begin by filling the empty bottle with water until it is 2 inches from the top. With one hand, use your thumb and fore finger to surround the lip of the bottle while holding the neck, and with the other hand strike the opening with the butt of your palm. It’s best to do this over a soft area like a lawn to prevent breakage of the released glass and to absorb the spilled water. Be sure to pick up any remaining glass shards that fell to the ground during the process. It’s important to note that thin glass bottles might crack upwards while releasing the bottom. I have had no problems from this but you should take any safety precautions that you deem necessary.

With a little practice you should experience success. I’m still working toward larger bottle sizes with hope of overcoming the 40 oz. barrier of resistance.Click HERE to view a short video demonstration.

The neck of the soda bottle makes a great funnel, and the body of the bottle makes a great cage. In essence, if you reverse the neck direction to face the body, what goes in the funnel lands in the cage. So, with a knife or scissors, pierce the side of the bottle at it’s widest point below the bottle neck and cut around the circumference of the bottle, then remove the neck, turn it around and insert it into the body, and viola!, you have a fish trap. You might be tempted to fashion an interlock at the cut line, but careful placement with a supporting rock will do. And speaking of placement, you’ll want to observe the water where you will be trapping for the presence of minnows or crayfish, and where they like to travel or hang out. In a stream, you’ll want to place the trap in slow water, with the bottle bottom facing upstream. You may also want to create a rock tent around it that will both secure it and provide a shaded fish haven. And don’t forget to put in bait first. In the trap shown in the photo, I placed a small worm and caught a crayfish. In this case, the crayfish could be an appetizer, or perhaps better used as bait to catch a bigger meal. Give it a try and let me know about your results.