A few months ago, a special someone told me they were going to be traveling to Petaluma and asked if there was anything I would like them to get for me. As it so happens, one of my favorite beers is brewed in that area: Oyster Stout by HenHouse. Unfortunately, it isn't possible to get Oyster Stout in a bottle. Fortunately, the beer is available in a growler . :)
Wow, what an absolutely amazing and delicious gift! It didn't take more than a weekend to empty the growler and imbibe the glorious nectar. Having a growler from HenHouse Brewery, while being quite awesome, is also somewhat depressing. The growler was empty and it would be a long time before I had the opportunity to fill it again. Obviously I needed to do something to the bottle...
"lamp fever" seems to have infected me lately, so... uh... why not make a lamp?
Okie Dokie!
Cut the bottom off
Sometimes, the urge to make a vessel designed to hold liquids no longer have the ability to hold liquids is just too much for me to handle. Time and a little patience go a long way towards cleanly removing the bottom of a 64oz growler.
Put the cap back on
Everything was flipped upside down, and the cap was filled with a thick layer of J-B Weld. After the J-B Weld had cured, a hole was drilled through the center of the cap. J-B Weld cures quite hard. To make the drilling easier, a ceramic/glass bit used.
Fill the inside
Just to be on the safe side, some high temperature white paint was used to coat the inside of the growler bottle. Without paint, too much light passes through the glass. By diffusing the light with the light paint, the logo doesn't get over powered and will still be quite visible when the lamp is turned on.
Electronics
Kits for a simple hanging lamp are about $18 at most hardware stores. The kits contains a socket with a pull switch, about 15 feet of cord, and some chain for hanging the lamp.
A bit of twisted copper and the original label that came on the growler were added to the pull switch.
Let there be light!
After hanging the lamp in the lamp testing spot by the dart board, the power switch was pulled. Hot damn, that logo looks nice!
All in all, this was quite a fun project, and a soon to be birthday present.
Now quite reading, and ...um... bring me some beer. :)