Contoured Wood and Nail Bottle Opener

Instructions

1. 1Choose the Wood

   Find a new or old scrap hardwood board that is at least 3/4" thick (I recommend 7/8"), 1 1/2" wide, and 5" long. I chose a scrap piece of spalted cherry.

2. 2Design and Cut

   Draw out your design. Using the bottom right corner of your piece, make sure you leave straight edges at least 1 1/8" long up and also to the left of your bottom right corner. You need those two flat surfaces and the 90 degree angle for your nail and bottle cap (see picture for reference). Be sure to leave enough handle to support the large nail that will be inserted. Try out your custom grip design on a piece of scrap and see how it fits your hand first. Once you find that perfect design, use a scroll saw or band saw to cut the shape.

3. 3Mark the Nail Path

   Square up your handle at 90 degrees and mark a line down the center as a reference to where your nail will fit. Mark the front end as well when you find your center line.

4. 4Punch the Nail Hole

   Find the center of the front face and mark where that intersects the center line you just made on the last step. Punch a hole at that spot to help guide your drill bit.

5. 5Drill the Rear Hole

   Before drilling out the nail hole, use a 5/32" bit to drill a hole in the rear for your leather strip, paracord, string, etc.

6. 6Find the Nail Diameter

   Test out different bits on a piece of scrap wood to see how your nail fits. The hole should be loose enough to pry the nail out after pushing it in, but snug enough to where it will take a little effort to get it back out. I ended up using a 1/8" bit for my nail.

7. 7Drill the Nail Hole

   Clamp it up (I used a vise) with the center line facing towards you for reference. Drill down the center 90 degrees from the face.

8. 8Sand and Finish the Handle

   Sand the edges until your hand fits comfortably in the grip. Once done, apply a finish before inserting the nail.

9. 9Mark the Nail

   Bending the nail correctly might take some trial and error before getting it right. Do a mock-up with your handle, nail, and bottle. Once you get the head of the nail under the bottle cap, mark the nail at the top half of the hole. See picture for reference.

10. 10Bend the Nail

    Using a vise, align the mark on the nail with the top of the jaws and hammer it over at a 90 degree angle.

11. 11Test It

    Insert your bent nail into the handle's nail hole. Push it all the way in and try to open a bottle with your opener. If it doesn't work well, pry it out in a twisting motion with pliers. Get another nail, make adjustments, and try again.

12. 12Finish the Job

    If your nail is still in the handle, twist it out with pliers. Insert some super glue into your nail hole and hammer your bent nail back in there. After that, tie your leather strip, paracord, etc. through the rear hole and you are FINISHED!

13. 13Choose the Nail

    I used a 2 1/2" nail, but i would recommend a little thicker and longer 3" nail. Also, try to find a nail with a head that has a sharp 90 degree corner where it meets the shank. Many nails will have a curved transition between the two. I've made the curved-type work, but a nail with a sharp corner works better.