Just finished up my son-in-laws Christmas present. They just got married 2 weeks ago, so this will be his first Christmas as an official member of the family. Hope he likes it.
Christmas Present Making Finished
- Thread starter Smilingreen
- Start date
And I'm sure YOU enjoyed coming up the parts to make it. Empty Jack Black bottles are hard to find, so you have to empty them yourself, right?
Yep. I emptied that bottle a couple of years ago. One of my buddies that deer hunts on my farm brought that to me full, for letting him hunt. I kept the bottle, thinking that one day it would make a cool lamp for my man cave. It's now going to go into my son-in-laws man cave. Might have to buy me a bottle that size and drain the contents so I can make another one like it for me. Toughest part was diamond core drilling through the glass bottle for the cord set to feed through. Worked like a charm in the drill press.And I'm sure YOU enjoyed coming up the parts to make it. Empty Jack Black bottles are hard to find, so you have to empty them yourself, right?
sebastiantombs
Known around here
Did you use a lubricant/coolant, like water? What about pressure on the bit, light, medium, hard? I have a bottle of Lee Greenwood bourbon that would make a great lamp when it's empty. It's shaped like a WW1 canteen.
I used water. Just enough that there is a small puddle around the core drill bit. Just don't run it dry. I used very light pressure with the drill press. The spindle speed was running @ 200 RPM, very light downward pressure and once it gets close to breaking through, virtually no downward pressure. (You don't want to run the core drill at high speed.) I let the bit do the cutting and that way you don't get a broken shards of glass on the inside when the bit finishes going through. All together, cutting time was maybe 40 seconds max.
This is the set I used. I utilized the 10mm core drill and then inserted a rubber grommet in the hole afterwards so the cord isn't rubbing on a potentially sharp, hard surface.
This is the set I used. I utilized the 10mm core drill and then inserted a rubber grommet in the hole afterwards so the cord isn't rubbing on a potentially sharp, hard surface.
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sebastiantombs
Known around here
Thanks. I'll probably pick up that bit set, just like never have enough cameras I never have enough tools, and give it a try on a bottle before trying the Lee Greenwood bottle.
The bottle I used is the 1.75 liter size, which I believe is the largest one they sell. The smaller bottles wouldn't have enough weight to them and with the lampshade and fixture on top, they would be top heavy and prone to tip over if bumped.
I have a couple of nice Gentlemen Jack bottles, but they are too narrow to make into a table lamp.
I have a couple of nice Gentlemen Jack bottles, but they are too narrow to make into a table lamp.
A friend in another state many years ago had made a similar lamp using a bottle (been too long, can't remember the bottle's prior contents) but I do recall it was top heavy and he enlarged the base by affixing with epoxy an inverted, clear glass saucer on the bottom of the bottle. Walmart has some 6" or 8" dia. ones real cheap.
Or a nicely finished, stained round wooden disk would do. Hobby Lobby sells sanded ones with routed edges but I think they're are clear pine or alder wood.
Or a nicely finished, stained round wooden disk would do. Hobby Lobby sells sanded ones with routed edges but I think they're are clear pine or alder wood.
sebastiantombs
Known around here
I was thinking of filling it with sand to give it some weight. The inverted saucer idea is good, too, if I can find one the right size and shape. The bottle is an oval about six or seven inches on the wide side and three or four on the narrow side. Worst case a hand made wooden base,
Sand, polished rocks, polished rocks the color of the dearly departed liquid, etc. I have even seen guys put old rusty nuts and bolts on them. The possibilities are as big as your imagination.
I found one in the crawl space years ago, it was definitely an old bottle, I should have flipped it when I had a chance, its long gone in a landfill somewhere on this planet 
And I'm sure YOU enjoyed coming up the parts to make it. Empty Jack Black bottles are hard to find, so you have to empty them yourself, right?
Many years ago, I was doing some electrical work in the basement section of a Nuns Convent. You wouldn't believe all the Whiskey Bottles that were stashed above the false ceiling!I found one in the crawl space years ago, it was definitely an old bottle, I should have flipped it when I had a chance, its long gone in a landfill somewhere on this planet
I also found a wooden whiskey barrel in the crawl space. All there was inside was dust, I don't know if back in the day they used these as mouse traps
