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Basement Bar - Bottle Cap Bar Top Using Epoxy (1 Viewer)

ClownCausedChaos2

ClownCausedChaos2

Footballguy
I'm starting to plan a bar in my basement and well, you can read the thread title.

I've got hundreds of bottle caps saved over years.  I plan to use a piece of painted plywood as the bar top base (with some type of lip around it), super-gluing the bottle caps to the plywood, then sealing it with expoxy for the bar top.  I've read a bunch, and of course everything makes it sound so easy.  All the epoxy I've found is "self-leveling as long as it's mixed right!" And I know that a blowtorch is helpful for bubbles.

I'm nervous as all hell though, because I know that I only get one shot at this.  If I screw up, it's not like I can start over.  

Does anyone have any experience with this?  Is it as easy as they say, as long as I follow the directions and work carefully?  Any tips?  Things to keep in mind?  Links to videos or articles that are helpful?

 
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ClownCausedChaos2 said:
I'm starting to plan a bar in my basement and well, you can read the thread title.

I've got hundreds of bottle caps saved over years.  I plan to use a piece of painted plywood as the bar top base (with some type of lip around it), super-gluing the bottle caps to the plywood, then sealing it with expoxy for the bar top.  I've read a bunch, and of course everything makes it sound so easy.  All the epoxy I've found is "self-leveling as long as it's mixed right!" And I know that a blowtorch is helpful for bubbles.

I'm nervous as all hell though, because I know that I only get one shot at this.  If I screw up, it's not like I can start over.  

Does anyone have any experience with this?  Is it as easy as they say, as long as I follow the directions and work carefully?  Any tips?  Things to keep in mind?  Links to videos or articles that are helpful?
Click to expand...
reddit.com/r/diy

Lots of examples there.

 
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I've done it, but not on that big of a space.  The mixing is crucial....there are some you tube videos out there to help.  

 
I did this exact same project for our new bar. I had hundreds of rare bottlcaps I had collected since I was a kid -- Genesee, Piels, Schlitz, etc. I did exactly as was suggested above -- did a small sample to make sure it would work. Came out awesome, so I went ahead with the final product. It was an utter disaster, all bottlecaps ruined, lots of crying, wife and I ended up separating, etc.

 
McGarnicle said:
I did this exact same project for our new bar. I had hundreds of rare bottlcaps I had collected since I was a kid -- Genesee, Piels, Schlitz, etc. I did exactly as was suggested above -- did a small sample to make sure it would work. Came out awesome, so I went ahead with the final product. It was an utter disaster, all bottlecaps ruined, lots of crying, wife and I ended up separating, etc.
Click to expand...
So it all ended up good in the end.

 
I've never done this, but just thinking logically, I'd think the biggest hurdle and disaster situation would be that you place all caps where you want them and in the correct direction, etc. and then when you start pouring the epoxy over, the caps move, lift, shift, etc.

May be an extra pain in the a$$ step, but I would go through the effort of laying down a thin layer of glue first, placing each cap where you want it and then letting that dry. THEN pour the final epoxy coat over.

ETA: for the gluing step, just do small areas....square of glue and then 5-10 caps.  Then just keep repeating this until bar covered.  You don't want the glue to dry up before you place caps (or feel like have to rush through placing all the caps to beat glue drying).   

Other thing to think about is close to a wall....you don't want a big gap there because the space is too small to fit a full cap.  Have a gameplan to fill that..maybe with a trim piece of wood or something.

 
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offdee said:
I've never done this, but just thinking logically, I'd think the biggest hurdle and disaster situation would be that you place all caps where you want them and in the correct direction, etc. and then when you start pouring the epoxy over, the caps move, lift, shift, etc.

May be an extra pain in the a$$ step, but I would go through the effort of laying down a thin layer of glue first, placing each cap where you want it and then letting that dry. THEN pour the final epoxy coat over.
Click to expand...
Yep.  Many things that I've seen have said that a few drops of super glue on each of the caps is a necessary first step.

 
How high of a bar top are we talking? I Bet you can't leap on top of this thing from a standing start.  

(Post a video to prove me wrong).

 
I'd think you'd want to fill in the space underneath each bottlecap.  There is going to be an air pocket in there, possibly allowing bubbles to form in the epoxy as it dries.  I've seen this type of thing done with pennies - but there you don't have that air pocket under each one.  And I doubt you want to fill that entire space in with super glue when you glue then down....but you may want to.

 
Here is the space I'm using for the bar.  I'm putting in a very simple L-shaped bar.  Im tearing up the carpet the length of the tile on the right side of the second picture, all the way across.  I'm putting in a dark espresso laminate floor there.   The closed side of the bar will be nearest tile.  The opening will be under the television.

Beginning Workspace https://imgur.com/gallery/euEAj

ETA:. So why won't the link work?

 
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I'd probably spend most the time reminiscing over each precious bottle cap and getting pretty emotional over how much awesomeness they once held inside a bottle and then made the sacrifice to share their contents. 

Other than that, offdees idea sounds good. 

 
Isn't your poor wife subjected to enough embarrassment simply for choosing wrongly so many years ago?  Now you're going to torture her with a "bottle cap bar?"

:no:

 
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My sister made me a bottle cap table when I was in college.  I think my dad helped her with the epoxy, and there was a corner that didn't settle right.  It was kind of mushy.  I guess make sure you mix it as best as possible.

 
Quez said:
My sister made me a bottle cap table when I was in college.  I think my dad helped her with the epoxy, and there was a corner that didn't settle right.  It was kind of mushy.  I guess make sure you mix it as best as possible.
Click to expand...
The one with the cool commercials?

 
I've a project in mind where I fill a bottle cap with some liquid that hardens and then attach a thin sticky magnet to the back so I can put them on the sides and front of my bar refrigerator.  I'm not into crafts but I assume there is some kind of acrylic/resin that would do this?

Something like this maybe?

 
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Godsbrother said:
I've a project in mind where I fill a bottle cap with some liquid that hardens and then attach a thin sticky magnet to the back so I can put them on the sides and front of my bar refrigerator.  
Click to expand...
Just super glue a thick magnet inside each cap. No need to waste time filling the cap with anything first 

 
I've done zero research into this, but I guess my DIY gut tells me that the point earlier posters touched on would be the hardest part - Pouring Epoxy and not having it mess up your caps, and having caps float. 

I'd try several practice runs.  What I'd test for:

1 - If you have your surface, and you pour a very thin layer of epoxy, and then push caps into it, is the epoxy viscous enough to hold the caps in place?  If it is, I'd pour a thin layer of epoxy, push your caps in place, let that sit a little, then pour another thin layer to cover.

2 - If the above doesn't work, and the epoxy is too thin to hold them in place, what if you do the same thing, but let the first layer set for a few minutes.

3 - If that doesn't work, I'd use glue...If I was going to be really picky and wanted it to turn out 100% right, I'd try and glue the cap to something and then glue that to the table.  The stacks of glued pennies is awesome, but tedious.  You could get wooden dowels and probably do the same thing.  Cut the dowel to the thickness of the cap (slightly higher maybe), glue cap to dowel, glue dowel to table.  Involved, but that would ensure it doesn't move.

I wouldn't do a thin visible layer of glue, then epoxy on top.  No idea how glue would react with the epoxy - it could cloud up, or just not work well.

I'd also worry about bubbles in the epoxy.  I've read a lot of different things on keeping bubbles out of things like that.  Two things tend to come up - vibration and heat.  So either duct tape a big vibrator to the board (order it from Amazon, let your wife open the box), or you can use a torch to heat up problem areas and it will release the bubbles. 

That's my :2cents:

 
Fat Nick said:
I've done zero research into this, but I guess my DIY gut tells me that the point earlier posters touched on would be the hardest part - Pouring Epoxy and not having it mess up your caps, and having caps float. 

I'd try several practice runs.  What I'd test for:

1 - If you have your surface, and you pour a very thin layer of epoxy, and then push caps into it, is the epoxy viscous enough to hold the caps in place?  If it is, I'd pour a thin layer of epoxy, push your caps in place, let that sit a little, then pour another thin layer to cover.

2 - If the above doesn't work, and the epoxy is too thin to hold them in place, what if you do the same thing, but let the first layer set for a few minutes.

3 - If that doesn't work, I'd use glue...If I was going to be really picky and wanted it to turn out 100% right, I'd try and glue the cap to something and then glue that to the table.  The stacks of glued pennies is awesome, but tedious.  You could get wooden dowels and probably do the same thing.  Cut the dowel to the thickness of the cap (slightly higher maybe), glue cap to dowel, glue dowel to table.  Involved, but that would ensure it doesn't move.

I wouldn't do a thin visible layer of glue, then epoxy on top.  No idea how glue would react with the epoxy - it could cloud up, or just not work well.

I'd also worry about bubbles in the epoxy.  I've read a lot of different things on keeping bubbles out of things like that.  Two things tend to come up - vibration and heat.  So either duct tape a big vibrator to the board (order it from Amazon, let your wife open the box), or you can use a torch to heat up problem areas and it will release the bubbles. 

That's my :2cents:
Click to expand...
Some good thoughts here.  Thank you.

 
matttyl said:
I'd think you'd want to fill in the space underneath each bottlecap.  There is going to be an air pocket in there, possibly allowing bubbles to form in the epoxy as it dries.  I've seen this type of thing done with pennies - but there you don't have that air pocket under each one.  And I doubt you want to fill that entire space in with super glue when you glue then down....but you may want to.
Click to expand...
This. My wife has been researching the same concept, but using seashells instead of bottle caps. One of the suggestions was to start by turning the shells upside down and filling them with epoxy, shaking out the air bubbles. Then you have a flat bottom with no air gaps once turned over. Glue them in place, cover rest with epoxy. 

Looked easier then then trying to shake out all of the air bubbles when in the final position.

 
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