Light bottle cutter

Tutorial de avatarNomade des Mers | Categories : Tools

With this bottle cutter it possible to make a plastic rope from plastic bottles. It is simple to make and can be carried everywhere.

License : Attribution (CC BY)

Materials

  • A piece of wood
  • One cutter blade
  • 2 screws
  • 2 washers

Tools

  • A wood saw
  • A drill
  • A screw driver

Step 1 - Choose the piece of wood

The piece of wood used in this tutorial is 22 x 2 x 2 cm. You can use one a bit larger but you do not need to use a longer one.

Step 2 - Cutting of the longitudinal slot

Draw a line about 6 cm long, well centered. Cut along this line. The bottom of the slot must be straight




Step 3 - Cutting of the transversal slot

Draw a transverse line, perpendicular to the previous slot. The depth of this slot must be less than the width of the cutter blade.

The cutter blade fits in this slote and it defines the width of the wire you will cut. For a 4mm wide wire, make the cut at 4mm from the bottom of the longitudinal slot.




Step 4 - Insert and block the blade

Insert the blade into the slot, back outside. Place the washers to block the blade without hiding the slot. Mark the center of the holes for drilling. Drill the holes. The drill bit should have a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the screws. Screw in the screws and washers.



Step 5 - Plastic rope production

The bottle cutter is ready, it is now necessary to prepare a bottle and to cut it: Cut the bottom of the bottle. The cut must be clean and straight. Cut out a primer with scissors. Insert the primer and cut the wire.

Step 6 - Uses and features

The rope from plastic bottles is more or less resistant depending on its thickness and the nature of the plastic.

This rope has two great advantages: it is heat-shrinkable and ages well outdoors.

It can be used to make lattices (for staking plants) or to hang objects. It is also possible to weave it.

Whatever its resistance, this wire is not standardized and cannot be used to support or ensure the safety of people.


Step 7 - Which knots for the plastic rope?

The plastic rope from the bottle is closer to the strap than the string because of its flat profile. Just like straps, not all nodes work on this support and some are more suitable than others.

Here is a list of nodes working perfectly with the plastic wire:

To close a ring or to splice two strands:

  • strap knot

To create a loop at one end:

  • full knuckle
  • double eight knot

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