Beer Can Filling For Handles

[Richard Kirkman 1Participant @richardkirkman1]

Hi all- This may be slightly off-topic for an engineering forum, but I hope someone may be able to provide some material advice. More like arts and crafts, but I still have to machine some threaded inserts.

For the local Micropub(where I used to work), I have been making some custom handles from weird and wonderful objects. They serve all sorts of weird beers, but generally from some repeat breweries.

(Old picture, some have been updated/changed since (eg. there is now a whisk, a reamer, a tap wrench, an old telephone handset, and a manakin hand)

I would like to take some beer cans, drain them (a real chore), fill them with some pourable material set, and create a rigid can into which I can glue a threaded insert.

I attempted this earlier in the year using Spray foam as that sets up quite solidly. However, it went terribly and all just oozed out of the can creating a very sticky mess.

Ideally, I would like to avoid cutting the can open more than just an 18mm(or so) hole in the bottom and a few smaller vent holes, so something I could pour would be good.

Does anyone know of a suitable solution? I have considered using plaster of paris but I do not have any experience with using it, and have doubts about pouring it in such a large amount, although it would be very cheap. It is almost definitely too heavy (Should work out at around 1kg per can)- could there be a solution in adding a filler like wood chips, polystyrene, or vermiculite?

Currently out of the country until mid Dec so will have to test once I’m home. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

PU resin would do it and not get hot like some others. For those sort of volumes it can be bulked up with various fillers.

Pure cement (no sand) would also do it at a lot less cost, just mix to a pourable consistanct and place your insert before it sets.

Plaster of Paris is a bit soft so insert may pull out, gets hot when a large volume cures and will dissolve if it gets wet.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

Epoxy resin bulked up with polystyrene balls?

Rob

[OldironParticipant @oldiron]

I would just go with a cement mix as said by JasonB. But I think adding a little sand would help to retain an insert better than plain cement which can become crumbly after some time.

[Stuart Smith 5Participant @stuartsmith5]

As Jason said, PU resin . I would mix it with dry sand to bulk it up. ( As used for electricity cable joints)

Stuart

https://www.cableservices.co.uk/product/prysmian-three-part-polyurethane-sand-filled-ldpu-resin/

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

That looks like a very useful product, Stuart … thanks for posting the link

I have downloaded the data-sheet for future reference.

MichaelG.

[VicParticipant @vic]

RTV rubber should do the job. You could drop some suitable size objects in it to bulk it up as it’s not that cheap.

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

I’ve never done this, but you can buy tiny glass balloons to add bulk to the resin without adding much weight LINK. Note that a 500g pack comes in a 5l container! They probably cost less than the equivalent amount of resin/epoxy too.

[Michael Gilligan]

On Michael Gilligan Said:

That looks like a very useful product

A couple of other supply options for this are TLC Electrical (SW JKRESIN) or Yess Electrical (YCJKRP550 plus two smaller sizes). The sand used is silver sand, commonly available as kiln dried sand. Also available inside a broken yellow site transformer.

The insert’s strength in weaker material could be increased by making it longer – a piece of M12 studding, drilled and tapped M6, would be difficult to pull out.

In principle, the spray foam should work. The issue is that the process of applying/injecting it as shown in the photos is not controlled. It is oozing over the top because the trigger has been held in too long. Gun grade foam is a lot more controllable than the other option. Some simple experiments would determine the correlation between fill percentage and pull time. If that was too difficult, hot glue a piece of 15mm plastic pipe to the top (base) of the can to contain the overspill (just like a riser on a casting) and then break it off once expansion has stopped and solidification has taken place.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I’m not sure expanding foam would have the compressive strength for continued pulling of pints and the insert could soon become loose

[DC31k]

On DC31k Said:

A couple of other supply options for this are TLC Electrical (SW JKRESIN) … […]

Thanks !

… easy availability in suitably small quantities is certainly helpful.

MichaelG.

.

Ref. https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/SWJKRESIN.html

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Drill your 18mm permitted hole. Fit insert into hardwood 18mm dowel that is exact length. Cut other bits of wood, preferably lightweight like balsa or perhaps plastic tubes that will go around the hardwood dowel to fill in some of the empty space, small enough to go into the hole of course but full inside length.
Glue the ‘other bits’ in a couple at a time with can on its side leaving central hole. Finally put some foam in and quickly push in the main dowel before it sets.
To stop foam overspill sticking to outside coat with thick candle wax.

[Michael Gilligan]

On Michael Gilligan Said:

On DC31k Said:

A couple of other supply options for this are TLC Electrical (SW JKRESIN) … […]

Thanks !

… easy availability in suitably small quantities is certainly helpful.

MichaelG.

.

Ref. https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/SWJKRESIN.html

Thanks for that link Michael, it looks really a useful material.

Looks ideal too for the OP’s purpose. Rather than bonding in an insert I suggest the insert is installed in the end of a  tube that is about the same length as the beer can, a few holes in the tube will allow the resin (or whatever) to flow into the tube bore and key the whole thing together. Resin (the correct amount with allowance for the tube/insert) could be introduced through the 18mm hole and the tube then pushed into place.

I wonder if the handle-to-pump fixing method is just a thread (OP mentioned insert) or whether is it a bit more sophisticated to stop the handle revolving so the brewers logo is customer facing.

Ian P

 

 

 

 

[Richard Kirkman 1Participant @richardkirkman1]

Hi all, Thanks for the advice and inspiration so far, some interesting thoughts!

Weight is perhaps the biggest factor here. The cans should be as solid as possible, without making them too heavy-Ideally as light as possible.

Cost is also a factor. I’m not being paid to do this so It would be good to keep the costs low, or use materials I already have.

The resin is an interesting material but would cost a fair bit for what the project is worth to me. I will be buying some cheap ebay epoxy resin to try and make some micarta at Xmas, so I can experiment with the leftovers from that.

I think cement will be a better option for me, as I have some at home already. Plus (according to a quick google, I’m no material expert) it is actually less dense than plaster of paris so will work in my favor.

Nick- Those glass bubbles seem very cool and a good option for use with resin. I wonder what kind of decorative effects could be made with them too! Another interesting material, however, the site suggests only 15-20% by weight, so I may just be better off sticking a few pieces of wood in there.

I do think the spray foam would work with a much larger hole, but it made such a mess. I did try plugging it and spraying smaller amounts but the results were not good. I do not want to go down that road again!

As for the mounting thread, the taps on the bar have a male 3/8x16tpi UNC thread, around 20mm long. For past handles I turned some female inserts of around 12mm dia, with a larger shoulder. The mounting threads also have locking rings on, which can be used as a kind of jam nut, so the rotation of the handle can be adjusted to the right location (and can logo shown appropriately).

My current thought is to make a 20mm hole in the can. Then prepare a few lengths of wooden dowel at a similar diameter. From there I can insert 7 dowels. 6 around the edge and one in the center of the can. Then somehow I need to fill the remaining space with some cement. Then I can drill a hole in the center dowel and glue in an insert.

This should reduce the weight significantly and keep costs as low as possible as I have scrap wood, cement, and some scrap aluminium I can use too.

Does this sound like a straightforward plan? I have not worked with cement before, but having watched some of Chris borgs videos it looks like cement can get into small gaps and make a good filler.

Advice is appreciated as always.

https://youtube.com/@borgedesigns?si=bNrTJ2BBtXyh4gm3

[mark smith 20Participant @marksmith20]

I would have thought that perlite and cement would do fine. I back filled behind a cast iron open fire with it a year or two back and the test piece i did before doing it was very lightweight but quite strong, so if contained in a beer can i would have thought it would be fine and cheap.

[OldironParticipant @oldiron]

A thread or some grooves on the OD of the insert would help to hold it in place.

[Ches Green UKParticipant @chesgreenuk]

Richard,

If using a foam, first attach some ClingFilm around where the foam oozes out. Hold it in place with a light glue eg Pritt stick.

Once the foam hardens then it can be cut off near the film and the remainder coaxed off along with the film.

And, as Oldiron notes, put a thread or grooves on to the external surface of the inserts – the deeper the better.

Ches

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