How to make a magnetic bottle opener

If you’re looking for a cool DIY gift, a magnetic bottle opener is a unique gift that is really easy to make! The cool part is using hidden high power magnets that catch the caps as they fall. Uncle Lou will think it’s magic!

Watch the video tutorial or read on!

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To make this DIY Magnetic bottle opener you’ll need the following:

MATERIALS

Wood approx. 4 x 11
Bottle opener http://amzn.to/2BWKa0k
Neodymium magnets http://amzn.to/2BYcVtB
Krazy glue http://amzn.to/2C87WYc
¾ inch screws
Wood stain http://amzn.to/2AhJodY
Silicone (optional) http://amzn.to/2ykgrMV

TOOLS

Forstner bit (same size as magnet or bigger) http://amzn.to/2ykdDPB
Countersink drill bit http://amzn.to/2imH4Lk
Drill http://amzn.to/2Af75nb
Orbital Sander http://amzn.to/2iNdH5M
Palm router http://amzn.to/2i1cNFu
Round over bit http://amzn.to/2A2WzSK
Nitrile gloves http://amzn.to/2iqLjpz

Prep the Face

For this project I used a leftover piece of 4 x 11 poplar that I pulled from my lumber storage cart.

I started by making countersunk pilot holes centered at 1/2″ from the top and bottom of the piece of wood (this is for mounting the plaque to the wall).

Next I centered the bottle opener in the top third of the plaque and made pilot holes.

I then used my palm router with a 1/4″ round over bit to profile the edges and finished off by sanding down the plaque until smooth.

Make the Magnet Holes

In order for the bottle caps to magically stick to the plaque, I used powerful magnets called neodymium magnets. You can used one really strong magnet, or several small magnets. I ended up using two 25 mm x 5 mm magnets with a pulling force of 19 lbs. each.

Flip over the plaque and make holes for the magnets using a Forstner bit. I made the hole as deep as possible without punching through. Ideally you want to use a Forstner bit the same size as your magnets, but the closest I had was 35 mm, so I went with that.

Assemble

Now that all the holes are made, you can apply the finish of your choice. I went with just my favorite stain, Early Amercian.

After the stain had dried, I used a dab of Krazy glue to set the magnets into place. I then filled the rest of the hole with some silicone for good measure.