Inspiration

With this project, I set out to create a bottle opener inspired by my favorite town. I selected Pacifica, my mom's hometown and where my grandmother lived. I spent much time there while growing up, and love the sound of the ocean and the small-town feel. 

Design

I modeled my bottle opener after a wave - the beach is what I love most about Pacifica, and the pointed edge of the wave would provide useful for opening a bottle. I prototyped a number of different forms with laser-cut acrylic, exploring what proportions were necessary to successfully remove both a pop-off and twist-off bottle cap.

3D Modeling

I rendered my design in Solidworks, then created a piece of stock for my part to be cut from. This was design to work with a fixture plate. I then used HSMWorks to create a program to machine my bottle opener, paying attention to necessary feeds and speeds to use with my tools and my material, stainless steel.

Manufacturing

My fixturing for the bottle opener consisted of a pin hole, a pin slot, and two bolts. I left room to machine more than one bottle opener from my stock. 

Final Product