These tumblers are made from old beer bottles – I think it’s a really neat idea, but the price is a little steep ($25). What you could do is collect old / weird bottles and use a glass cutter to make your own tumblers, cups and classes for super cheap. Link.
16 thoughts on “Recycled beer bottle tumblers”
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Actually, it is difficult to get a clean cut on bottles with a glass cutter. A better way is with NiCr wire and a rheostat. Make one loop with the wire and quickly heat the wire to red hot. The glass should crack cleanly where the wire touches. Be careful!
This kind of glasses made out of empty bottles isn’t new in Mexico. They can be found in some markets and stores. And certainly don’t price them at $25.
I used to have a glass out of a whisky bottle.
Thanks drbtk with that cutting trick. I’ve been trying to figure out how to cut a nice cobalt blue bottle down to get a cylinder out of it, and your suggestion sounds easier than making a jig to keep the glass cutter tight across the curving glass.
I’ve had god success with a blowtorch and a bucket of water. Practice on an old bottle first.
Take your dry empty bottle, and tie a bit of string or wire round the neck, then set it spinning round with one hand, whilst lifting it off the floor with the other. Take your blowtorch and heat where you want the cut, and let the bottle spin for a minute. (This is far easier than moving round the bottle or something!) Now plunge that bottle straight down into the bucket of cold water. You will hear a “ping” as the bottle cuts cleanly round at the place you heated.
Dead simple, and safe. ish.
All of those ideas seem easier than using a standard class cutter. However, the easiest solution is found here:
http://www.khue.com/dept/cutt/bott.htm
It isn’t a super cheap gizmo though, so I have been thinking of how I can just make one from cheap parts at a Home Depot.
What it is is a glass cutter mounted in a rack type assembly, so you just place the bottle in there, push down, and roll it. To get the top to break off, you heat the cut with a candle, and then run it under cold water.
All of those ideas seem easier than using a standard class cutter. However, the easiest solution is found here:
It isn’t a super cheap gizmo though, so I have been thinking of how I can just make one from cheap parts at a Home Depot.
What it is is a glass cutter mounted in a rack type assembly, so you just place the bottle in there, push down, and roll it. To get the top to break off, you heat the cut with a candle, and then run it under cold water.
A tile saw will chop right through glass, you can usually rent them, something like this MK Diamond
I remember when I was a kid, my mom had one one of those bottle roller cutters. She used to use it on wine or beer bottles, then sand down the sharp edge, and use the resulting container for her homemade candles.
This was about 30 years ago.