If you’re on a hike or caught in a survival situation, it is helpful to have containers that are lightweight and weather resistant. In this project let’s turn a couple of empty soda bottles into compact, waterproof canisters.
10
SODA CAP CONTAINER
SAFETY KEY:
+ Sharp objects
SKILL LEVEL:
EASY
INTERMEDIATE
ADVANCED
APPROXIMATE TIME:
20 minutes
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
+ Hotel key
+ 2 plastic soda bottles
+ 150-grit sandpaper
+ Two-part epoxy (a two-component adhesive that comes in one dispenser)
+ Bench vise
+ Hacksaw
LET’S BEGIN
BUILDING YOUR SODA CAP CONTAINER
1. Clamp a soda bottle upside down in your bench vise. Using the bottom side of the flange as a guide, cut off the bottle at the neck as cleanly as possible with a hacksaw. Repeat with the second bottle.
PRO TIP: Use two bottles with different-colored caps so you can easily differentiate the compartments.
2. Sand down the rough plastic edges so the lids will fit together perfectly. Sand the hotel key as well—the grit will allow it to bind better with the epoxy.
3. Carefully trace one of the caps with a marker onto the hotel key. Cut out the plastic circle. This will be the divider between the two compartments.
4. To make it as strong and lightweight as possible, bond using two-part epoxy. Blend the epoxy thoroughly and quickly and apply a liberal amount to the base of each cap, then carefully set the round divider on top, and press it into place. In about two hours, your container will be firm enough to handle, and a few hours after that it should be fully ready to use.
PRO TIP: For an even stronger bond, clamp both caps using a bench vise, set of bar clamps, or rubber bands so they set together under pressure.
ALSO TRY: An even simpler container can be made with two caps and some hot glue. It won’t be as strong, but you can make it in under three minutes from start to finish. This version is still super lightweight, water resistant, and works well for storing things like pills or small candies.
PUT IT TO USE! The container weighs a mere half ounce, unscrews from both ends, and is completely waterproof. You can utilize it to store compact items like materials to start a fire or any other type of emergency kit! Whether you’re simply organizing your backpack or find yourself in an apocalyptic situation, these little capsules make life a whole lot easier.
FUN FACT: People around the world buy one million plastic bottles every minute. These bottles take four hundred years to decompose. So, instead of throwing that bottle away, you can recycle it to make a cool container that’s waterproof, airtight, and will last for four hundred years.