Jump to content

Making Bottlecap Geocache Containers


Recommended Posts

Does anyone have any instructions for making the bottlecap cache containers? I would like to make a few and was wondering how they were made.

 

I have instructions in a microsoft word document. Drop me an email and I will send it to you. I made it up because of everyone asking me how I made them when I had a quarter series out.

 

Odie

Link to comment

Sorry no pictures in this version;

 

How to make a Soda Top Geocache Container.

 

Items you will need:

• Empty soda bottle with cap

• Second soda bottle cap (preferred to be same color)

• Scissors

• Crazy Glue (hot glue works but not as easy)

• (optional) Can Crusher for pressing.

 

Step #1

Your first step will be to wash the bottle and lids to make sure they are clean. Let dry completely before going to Step 2.

 

Step #2

Once parts are dry, cut the top of the soda bottle just below the neck of the bottle where the bottle starts to flare out. Cut completely around the bottle to remove the top of bottle. Do not worry about the excess at this time.

 

Step #3

Now is when you will take your scissors and trim off the excess bottle around the neck leaving just a little bit of a lip to hold onto the second bottle cap.

 

Step #4

Now remove main bottle cap by unscrewing it from bottle remnant. Take remnant and place onto the second bottle top. You may need to force it just a bit depending on how much of a lip you left after cutting. Don’t worry if it does not go all the way on at this point.

 

Step #5

Now it is best if you have some kind of press whether it be a soda can crusher or a vice, either one works best and saves your hands from the squeezing. Screw the main bottle cap back onto the remnant to form your container. I used a can crusher for my press, but you can use whatever you would like. Place container into the press and squeeze gently together applying just enough force to push together. Be careful because to much force can cause the second lid to crack.

 

Step #6

This is your final step in assembly of your container. With both lids on the now pressed container, take your crazy glue and run a small bead of glue around the bottom (part that does not unscrew) of the container between the cap and remnant. This will help hold the container together better and also create a water tight seal. Set aside and allow glue to dry. I know most crazy glues are fast acting, but I generally allow mine to sit for at least 30 minutes. Once dry you can unscrew and add your log sheet to the container. Your Geocache Container is now ready to be hidden anywhere your heart desires.

Link to comment

Got a picture?

 

Here's a photo of a couple that I made recently. I've put out about a dozen containers including multi stages and had a couple that got wet inside so I'd suggest some under water QC testing before putting them out.

 

a54fa7e4-32bc-4ba8-a87d-88114daef0c9.jpg

 

PS... Odie 442 shared this idea with me some time ago and I've since changed the production process just a little for mine. I use a belt sander to finish off the edge of the cut bottle neck and a vise to force the glued cap onto the neck.

Edited by edscott
Link to comment

Got a picture?

 

Here's a photo of a couple that I made recently. I've put out about a dozen containers including multi stages and had a couple that got wet inside so I'd suggest some QC testing before putting them out.

 

http://img.geocaching.com/cache/log/a54fa7...8114daef0c9.jpg

 

Ed, I take it they are holding up okay? I also found out if the glue was not settled correctly (or the lids didn't have the rubber seal inside) they would leak sometimes.

 

Odie

Link to comment

Does anyone have any instructions for making the bottlecap cache containers? I would like to make a few and was wondering how they were made.

 

Though I dislike giving some of my secrets away, I have done hides using the metal caps from frozen orange juice concentrate containers. These are the round metal caps which pop off when you pull a plastic strip from around one end.

 

I wash each and set them to dry above the sink. Later I take a pocket knife and scratch away an area of the plastic coating on the concave side, at three points equidistant near the edge, which would form an equilateral triangle if connected by lines. Mix a small amount of epoxy and use it to cement three 1/8" x 1/8" x 1/8" rare earth magnets in place over the scratched areas. A good idea to cover as much surface area on the magnet as possible for a good grip. I tried superglue, but it doesn't last, epoxy is very strong.

 

Cut out log strips from rite in rain paper, about 1.25" wide, fold one up and insert in tiny ziploc bag and place. Painting the exposed surface of the cap may help camo match what it's attached to.

Link to comment

i was really hoping this was going to be about beer bottle caps (altho the instructions given are appreciated, but i am going to figure out how to make a hide suitable for Bottle Cap Alley in College Station, TX - that's about 40 years of bottle caps that make up the ground here:

 

rachm13.jpg

 

Wow... that's pretty neat. Could still be used though. Just find a red primer and some textured paint. I doubt any of the locals would notice and it would still be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Link to comment

i was really hoping this was going to be about beer bottle caps (altho the instructions given are appreciated, but i am going to figure out how to make a hide suitable for Bottle Cap Alley in College Station, TX - that's about 40 years of bottle caps that make up the ground here:

 

rachm13.jpg

 

Wow... that's pretty neat. Could still be used though. Just find a red primer and some textured paint. I doubt any of the locals would notice and it would still be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

 

Needle in haystack caches now get a big fat Ignore from me. I've wasted too much time on these un-fun concept caches.

Link to comment

Got a picture?

 

Here's a photo of a couple that I made recently. I've put out about a dozen containers including multi stages and had a couple that got wet inside so I'd suggest some QC testing before putting them out.

 

http://img.geocaching.com/cache/log/a54fa7...8114daef0c9.jpg

 

Ed, I take it they are holding up okay? I also found out if the glue was not settled correctly (or the lids didn't have the rubber seal inside) they would leak sometimes.

 

Odie

 

Yes they seem to last longer than the O rings in bison tubes. I replaced an existing bison tube and an existing nano with these to cut down on maintenance visits.

Link to comment

.....Yes they seem to last longer than the O rings in bison tubes. I replaced an existing bison tube and an existing nano with these to cut down on maintenance visits.

I soak the o-rings in my micros in Armor-All for a few days before setting out in the wild - they last a lot longer.

Link to comment

i was really hoping this was going to be about beer bottle caps (altho the instructions given are appreciated, but i am going to figure out how to make a hide suitable for Bottle Cap Alley in College Station, TX - that's about 40 years of bottle caps that make up the ground here:

 

rachm13.jpg

 

Wow... that's pretty neat. Could still be used though. Just find a red primer and some textured paint. I doubt any of the locals would notice and it would still be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

 

Needle in haystack caches now get a big fat Ignore from me. I've wasted too much time on these un-fun concept caches.

 

yup, me too. Especially in an alley where the GPS signals would bounce all over the place.

 

Rocks in a rock pile get a quick drive-by.

Link to comment

i was really hoping this was going to be about beer bottle caps (altho the instructions given are appreciated, but i am going to figure out how to make a hide suitable for Bottle Cap Alley in College Station, TX - that's about 40 years of bottle caps that make up the ground here:

 

rachm13.jpg

 

Wow... that's pretty neat. Could still be used though. Just find a red primer and some textured paint. I doubt any of the locals would notice and it would still be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

 

Needle in haystack caches now get a big fat Ignore from me. I've wasted too much time on these un-fun concept caches.

 

yup, me too. Especially in an alley where the GPS signals would bounce all over the place.

 

Rocks in a rock pile get a quick drive-by.

 

Gotta agree with you on this one. A NIH hide is not as much fun as a root canal. The rock pile cache probably wouldn't be bad if it was an ammo can or other reasonable sized cache.

Link to comment

One of the primary reasons I dislike rock pile caches is the necessity of disturbing wild life by re-arranging the rocks to try finding the cache. Some of that very wild life includes bity black spiders, which could be Black Widows. Other times there are salamanders, crickets, sow bugs and many other little critters who do not benefit from the turning over of the rocks.

 

As for "Find the bottle cap in the alley of 10,000 bottlecaps," that's just designed as a timewaster and deserves to be ignored.

Link to comment

One of the primary reasons I dislike rock pile caches is the necessity of disturbing wild life by re-arranging the rocks to try finding the cache. Some of that very wild life includes bity black spiders, which could be Black Widows. Other times there are salamanders, crickets, sow bugs and many other little critters who do not benefit from the turning over of the rocks.

 

As for "Find the bottle cap in the alley of 10,000 bottlecaps," that's just designed as a timewaster and deserves to be ignored.

again, jaded. did I say that is what i was going to do? i would like to do a bottlecap themed container, but i wasnt planning on just chucking it out there in the middle of the alley.

Link to comment

you can certainly tell how jaded people become after they find a few hundred caches, but i would like to say that not all noobs are idiots and could actually come up with some clever hide that may appear to be like looking for a needle in a haystack when it isnt.

 

Hey, I agree with you.

A NIH hide isn't imaginitive but clever can be disguised as a NIH hide.

 

An example based on the image above.

You create a magnetic bottle cap cache and stick it to the wall in the alleyway. People would think that it's a bottle cap on the ground when it's completely out in the open all by itself.

 

Also, like LPCs. I like to hide caches CLOSE to the obvious spot. So a cache near a lamp post would actually be something else. See the lamp post in the parking lot and drive by? OK, it's your loss because the cache wasn't UNDER the lamp post skirt.

Link to comment

you can certainly tell how jaded people become after they find a few hundred caches, but i would like to say that not all noobs are idiots and could actually come up with some clever hide that may appear to be like looking for a needle in a haystack when it isnt.

 

Hey, I agree with you.

A NIH hide isn't imaginitive but clever can be disguised as a NIH hide.

 

An example based on the image above.

You create a magnetic bottle cap cache and stick it to the wall in the alleyway. People would think that it's a bottle cap on the ground when it's completely out in the open all by itself.

 

Also, like LPCs. I like to hide caches CLOSE to the obvious spot. So a cache near a lamp post would actually be something else. See the lamp post in the parking lot and drive by? OK, it's your loss because the cache wasn't UNDER the lamp post skirt.

thank you for some vaildation. the reason why i even ask things on here is to get a better idea of what is and isnt appreciated, but there is an awful lot of people that dismiss an idea categorically. i have not placed any caches as of yet, because i dont plan to have 300+ caches laying around that suck. you wont ever see my name associated with mediocracy. which means you may never see me actually hide a cache. :D

Link to comment

you can certainly tell how jaded people become after they find a few hundred caches, but i would like to say that not all noobs are idiots and could actually come up with some clever hide that may appear to be like looking for a needle in a haystack when it isnt.

 

No slight on noobs here. Some of the most prolific cachers I know hide some of the worst caches I've seen.

Link to comment

Also, like LPCs. I like to hide caches CLOSE to the obvious spot. So a cache near a lamp post would actually be something else. See the lamp post in the parking lot and drive by? OK, it's your loss because the cache wasn't UNDER the lamp post skirt.

 

And knowing that there are a scant handful of those hides out there is not enough incentive for me to waste time with the hundreds of LPCs I'd have to check just to find that one alternative. Not to mention that few of the alternatives are any more interesting than the LPCs that they are using as a misdirection.

Link to comment

one thing i will say about LPC - on my first day out caching we had no idea what we were doing. couldnt figure out how to use the GPSr, so started mucking about using maps and clues. managed to find 3 with no problem. when going for the 4th one we were at a loss. going off the logs and the title of the place we thought for sure we knew where it was but couldnt find it. now, any seasoned GCer would know exactly where it was. messed around with the GPSr and figured out how to watch the coordinates to get close. it moved us about 50 feet from where our misguided geosense told us to go. at that point we started another search of the correct ground zero and after a while noticed you could move the skirt. we were triumphant and then completely hooked on the sport. when i got home and talked to an old school cacher, she told me how common and annoying they were. i was crushed. but dadgum it, we figured it out ourselves. most ideas have probably been done and overdone, but there will always be people that it will be new to.

Link to comment

one thing i will say about LPC - on my first day out caching we had no idea what we were doing. couldnt figure out how to use the GPSr, so started mucking about using maps and clues. managed to find 3 with no problem. when going for the 4th one we were at a loss. going off the logs and the title of the place we thought for sure we knew where it was but couldnt find it. now, any seasoned GCer would know exactly where it was. messed around with the GPSr and figured out how to watch the coordinates to get close. it moved us about 50 feet from where our misguided geosense told us to go. at that point we started another search of the correct ground zero and after a while noticed you could move the skirt. we were triumphant and then completely hooked on the sport. when i got home and talked to an old school cacher, she told me how common and annoying they were. i was crushed. but dadgum it, we figured it out ourselves. most ideas have probably been done and overdone, but there will always be people that it will be new to.

 

Ok, I will admit to that first LPC being cool beyond reason. This line of conversation got me to look at your joined date. It won't be long and you to will be at least a bit "jaded". You will come to realize that there are things you prefer in a cache.

Link to comment

im already jaded as to how much trash caches there are, but i look at it as nice way to let the kids have fun, good to introduce new people to things, and a good learning experience for myself. my gripe here is that people dont say - hey, that idea has been done, make sure you make it interesting by doing x, y, and z, instead of "all caches like that suck".

 

ive been posting on message boards proficiently since the 90s and all kinds of boards denigrate into a horde of angry @##$%&* and i myself have participated in that a lot, but i dont get why a site like this which is supposed to be educational and not snarky seems to have such a negative nelly attitude****.

 

****be sure its only some posters, there is lots of great info and discussion in amongst the muck****

Edited by Chig-gar-roo-gar-rem
Link to comment

im already jaded as to how much trash caches there are, but i look at it as nice way to let the kids have fun, good to introduce new people to things, and a good learning experience for myself. my gripe here is that people dont say - hey, that idea has been done, make sure you make it interesting by doing x, y, and z, instead of "all caches like that suck".

 

ive been posting on message boards proficiently since the 90s and all kinds of boards denigrate into a horde of angry @##$%&* and i myself have participated in that a lot, but i dont get why a site like this which is supposed to be educational and not snarky seems to have such a negative nelly attitude****.

 

****be sure its only some posters, there is lots of great info and discussion in amongst the much****

 

That will likely get you a warning as soon as a mod shows up. It certainly is no way to faster better social ethics among cachers.

 

Edit-faster shoulda been foster. Oops.

Edited by GOF & Bacall
Link to comment

im already jaded as to how much trash caches there are, but i look at it as nice way to let the kids have fun, good to introduce new people to things, and a good learning experience for myself. my gripe here is that people dont say - hey, that idea has been done, make sure you make it interesting by doing x, y, and z, instead of "all caches like that suck".

 

ive been posting on message boards proficiently since the 90s and all kinds of boards denigrate into a horde of angry @##$%&* and i myself have participated in that a lot, but i dont get why a site like this which is supposed to be educational and not snarky seems to have such a negative nelly attitude****.

 

****be sure its only some posters, there is lots of great info and discussion in amongst the much****

 

That will likely get you a warning as soon as a mod shows up. It certainly is no way to faster better social ethics among cachers.

Yup. I saw the bomb too. Only a matter of time before the fallout.

Link to comment

First I use plastic Beer bottle caps. :D They are black to begin with and easier to hide. I cut the bottle about a quarter inch below the other cap. THEN I put a good line of Gorilla Glue on the plastic and screw the second bottle cap on. That moves the glue in good and tight all the way around the lid. Gorilla Glue expands so it generally fills all the voids. If excess comes out inside the caps it is easily scraped out.

 

My QC was to put it under water for a day. It did not leak. I have one attached to a stick, under a rock that has been out for over a year. It has not leaked.

 

I found this hide ( see pic ) in Maryland and really liked it. It is a bottle cap container with a GOOD magnet epoxied to the one end and a reflector to the to the other. Great for high muggle areas. These fit on sign posts really well and nobody but a Cacher would see it or know what it is. I have one on a sign post that has been out for 6 months. Everybody loves the hide.

 

780311783_jGh7C-L.jpg

Link to comment

im already jaded as to how much trash caches there are, but i look at it as nice way to let the kids have fun, good to introduce new people to things, and a good learning experience for myself. my gripe here is that people dont say - hey, that idea has been done, make sure you make it interesting by doing x, y, and z, instead of "all caches like that suck".

 

ive been posting on message boards proficiently since the 90s and all kinds of boards denigrate into a horde of angry @##$%&* and i myself have participated in that a lot, but i dont get why a site like this which is supposed to be educational and not snarky seems to have such a negative nelly attitude****.

 

****be sure its only some posters, there is lots of great info and discussion in amongst the much****

 

That will likely get you a warning as soon as a mod shows up. It certainly is no way to faster better social ethics among cachers.

Yup. I saw the bomb too. Only a matter of time before the fallout.

 

I find it funny that my choice of letter replacing symbols was used in the edit. Trying to make it look like it didn't happen? :D

Link to comment

i honestly didnt know (no, i didnt read ever T&C) and dont see the point of it being okay to use symbols or misspellings but not the word even tho everyone knows what word it is (plus, i assumed a board with this much traffic would have filters set up).

 

I don't think it is acceptable using the symbols except for the fact that I didn't want to repeat you. Normally there are filters in place but it appears that they aren't working at the moment. At any rate it is much better to avoid such outbursts in the first place.

Link to comment

i honestly didnt know (no, i didnt read ever T&C) and dont see the point of it being okay to use symbols or misspellings but not the word even tho everyone knows what word it is (plus, i assumed a board with this much traffic would have filters set up).

 

I don't think it is acceptable using the symbols except for the fact that I didn't want to repeat you. Normally there are filters in place but it appears that they aren't working at the moment. At any rate it is much better to avoid such outbursts in the first place.

again, my apologies. i have seen plenty of faux-curse words used on here so i wrongly assumed it would not be considered an 'outburst'.

Link to comment

i honestly didnt know (no, i didnt read ever T&C) and dont see the point of it being okay to use symbols or misspellings but not the word even tho everyone knows what word it is (plus, i assumed a board with this much traffic would have filters set up).

 

I don't think it is acceptable using the symbols except for the fact that I didn't want to repeat you. Normally there are filters in place but it appears that they aren't working at the moment. At any rate it is much better to avoid such outbursts in the first place.

again, my apologies. i have seen plenty of faux-curse words used on here so i wrongly assumed it would not be considered an 'outburst'.

I didn't see it as an outburst either, unless you had capitalized all those @&%# symbols!! Haha (if they can do it in the Sunday Comics, surely we can do it here)

 

Now can we get back to Bottle Cap Cache Containers?? I'm going to try these with the wider 1.25 inch soda lids!!

Edited by WRITE SHOP ROBERT
Link to comment

i honestly didnt know (no, i didnt read ever T&C) and dont see the point of it being okay to use symbols or misspellings but not the word even tho everyone knows what word it is (plus, i assumed a board with this much traffic would have filters set up).

 

I don't think it is acceptable using the symbols except for the fact that I didn't want to repeat you. Normally there are filters in place but it appears that they aren't working at the moment. At any rate it is much better to avoid such outbursts in the first place.

again, my apologies. i have seen plenty of faux-curse words used on here so i wrongly assumed it would not be considered an 'outburst'.

I didn't see it as an outburst either, unless you had capitalizes all those symbols!! Haha

 

Now can we get back to Bottle Cap Cache Containers?? I'm going to try these with the wider 1.25 inch soda lids!!

 

That should be good for a micro that could hold a geocoin.

 

Tell you what Chig. I'll go to my fridge and get a beer. You got to yours and do the same.(If age is an issue make it a rootbeer) Then we can just call it good. OK? cheers.gif

Link to comment

i honestly didnt know (no, i didnt read ever T&C) and dont see the point of it being okay to use symbols or misspellings but not the word even tho everyone knows what word it is (plus, i assumed a board with this much traffic would have filters set up).

 

Might I suggest you read the Terms and Conditions now.

 

This isn't your average discussion board.

Link to comment

i honestly didnt know (no, i didnt read ever T&C) and dont see the point of it being okay to use symbols or misspellings but not the word even tho everyone knows what word it is (plus, i assumed a board with this much traffic would have filters set up).

 

Might I suggest you read the Terms and Conditions now.

 

This isn't your average discussion board.

 

That's right, we're above average OK.gif

 

I rather liked those containers made from soda bottle tops. It so happens I have about 10 water bottles in the back of the Geo-Bunny destined for recycling and a brief inspection of the tops and necks of the bottles mean a few are going back into the house for a bit of work. B)

 

These bottles have 30cm necks which would make fairly nice micros. Time for some R&D.

Link to comment

 

I rather liked those containers made from soda bottle tops. It so happens I have about 10 water bottles in the back of the Geo-Bunny destined for recycling and a brief inspection of the tops and necks of the bottles mean a few are going back into the house for a bit of work. B)

 

These bottles have 30cm necks which would make fairly nice micros. Time for some R&D.

You'll probably still have no trouble on the recycling end when you're done.

Link to comment

We've found a few like this. Quite interesting when they're in the middle of the woods with ferns all over the place.

 

well, i know i want to see a bottle cap in the middle of the woods, even with ferns all over the place. i would think it was trash and just throw it away.

 

geocache thoughtfully, don't be responsible for more trash.

Link to comment

Got a picture?

 

Oh man bottlecaps? I hope our local cachers don't hear about this - we already have enough caches hidden amongst piles of broken beer bottles .....

 

Still, this could be interesting if the correct spot is chosen .....

I found one. it was a bottlecap glued to a mini test tube pressed into the ground. pretty tough if you don't know about them.

Link to comment

well, i know i want to see a bottle cap in the middle of the woods, even with ferns all over the place. i would think it was trash and just throw it away.

 

geocache thoughtfully, don't be responsible for more trash.

 

What makes a bottle cap cache any different then any other form of plastic made cache container? Do you have any other suggestions for micro containers? I am open for suggestions. Also the way I look at it at least these bottle caps are placed there on purpose and eventually a lot of people will know about it being there. If you pick up trash on your way to and from your cache locations then I would see that as being responsible for less trash.

Edited by kywaterfowler
Link to comment

We've found a few like this. Quite interesting when they're in the middle of the woods with ferns all over the place.

 

well, i know i want to see a bottle cap in the middle of the woods, even with ferns all over the place. i would think it was trash and just throw it away.

 

geocache thoughtfully, don't be responsible for more trash.

 

And while enjoying a walk in same woods, seeing an ammo can just seems like a "natural occurence". Quite the distinction you make!!!

Link to comment

Made 5 of these little things from 1 gal. water bottle tops. I seal the bottom cap with silicone aquarium sealeant, which seems to hold quite well. Scoring the Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET/PETE) body and the High Density Polyethylene HDPE lid helps the sealant gain a better footing.

 

Score the outside with an abrasive scrubbing pad before painting helps the paint hold on.

 

These produce nice little container about 1.25 inch/33 mm ID and 1 inch/25 mm height, about the sise of two Oreo Cookies stacked. Large enough for a log and a few small trade items or small geocoins.

 

A magnet can be attached to one lid with the same silicone sealant after scoring the area, again for a good footing for the sealant.

 

Had my Proof of Concept specimen with me while out caching the coast on Saturday when I came upon one of 50sumtin's caches in dire need of assistance. The cap piece fit the bill, though needed to be a different color to blend in. It's there for now, until I get a different colored container up there to take its place.

 

The 4 pieces I made on Sunday are ready to go in a variety of colors. Now I just need a place to hide them. :tongue:

Edited by DragonsWest
Link to comment

**** Moderator note ****

 

This thread is about how to make these, not about quality.

*** end Moderator note ***

 

If a person were to walk by and see a piece of trash (not a geocache), I would hope they would pick it up and toss it in the garbage.

 

If this (or other man made object) were to become exposed by the weather or a curious rodent, then it could be mistaken for a piece of trash.

 

Make sure that someone that comes across your container can easily identify it as a geocache. Just so it doesn't get blown up.

 

We now return to our regularly schedule topic.

Link to comment

Okay I have made 4 of these thing and I used quick set epoxy and I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using a hot glue gun or anything else?

 

No hot glue here. I wonder how well the epoxy is working out. I tried some but it doesn't seem to like HDPE caps. Comes off like water off a duck's back.

Link to comment
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...