Railroad Spike Bottle Opener – A DIY Xmas Present

If you've got the skills and/or moxy to try it, why not take a stab at this easy to make bottle opener. It'll be homemade, really cheap, but the wow factor a recipient will give you compares to no other.

Yes, you're going to need or develop some skills for this, but it's basically playing with fire and grinders. You can do it.

First, you're going to need a railroad spike. I'm sure someone, somewhere knows where you can buy them, but odds are, like in my hometown, there's a huge pile of them along the tracks. Sometimes you're allowed to harvest from the pile, other times it's considered theft. Definitely look for posted signs to keep yourself in the clear.

Second, it would be ideal to have a forge for heating your material, but you can also do this with a torch. The blue plumbers butane isn't going to get the job done, but I've had luck with propane over the years. You can get cheap torch kits at Harbor Freight, Home Depot, Lowes, etc...

Having a grinder will help, but these spikes are pretty soft. You can do the grinding work with a file if you so choose. Either way, you made something.

Keep in mind, you're going to mess the first one up. So when you're getting your spike, snag an extra.