shaping bottles

[Brian]

how do you change the shape bottles. when i saw the scale model rockets swashy was making i felt like making my own scale model rockets. but it's curved like the pic below and i dont realy know how to do it. does anyone know how?

and there should be a compertition on rocket looks.

[october sky]

stick it on your launcher get a heat gun, put some psi in it and melt the plasic. it will get bigger BUT BE CAREFUL THE BOTTLE WILL BLOW UP IN YOUR FACE IF YOU MELT IT TOO MUCH

[Tim Chen]

how do you change the shape bottles. when i saw the scale model rockets swashy was making i felt like making my own scale model rockets. but it's curved like the pic below and i dont realy know how to do it. does anyone know how?

and there should be a compertition on rocket looks.

From what I can tell most peeps get their scale modele to look accurate by cutting the bits from different shaped bottles and gluing or splicing them together to make the final shapes. I think other guys are good at making bottles shrink to a shape they want by applying heat to small areas. It's an art form and reminds me of glass blowing in reverse.

[dwrrule]

I have had a good turn out on shaping bottles.
I fill the bottle with hot tap water NOT boiling up to the start of the neck. Then put a cap with a tire stim on it. When you pump it up to 40 psi the water will drop about a inch. after 5 or so minutes i put it in cold water for another few minutes . Then i release the air an the bottle holds its shape.

[Tim Chen]

I have had a good turn out on shaping bottles.
I fill the bottle with hot tap water NOT boiling up to the start of the neck. Then put a cap with a tire stim on it. When you pump it up to 40 psi the water will drop about a inch. after 5 or so minutes i put it in cold water for another few minutes . Then i release the air an the bottle holds its shape.

Can this way be used to round out the "claw" on the bottom of bottles?

[dwrrule]

I use a heat gun an slowly turn the bottle an that works pertty good. when i do this theres no water in the bottle.

[Spaceman Spiff]

If you don't need to hold pressure remember that bottled water often comes in bottles that are almost flat on the bottom and you can make them round a lot easier than bottles with the pentaclaw legs.

[JohnC]

Use a bottle cap with a valve stem. I found that pumping the bottle to 70 psi works better than 40 psi. I hold the pressurized bottle over the gas stove, constantly spinning it, kind of like a glass-blower would. If the shape comes out asymmstrical, you can even it out by heating the other side. Use low heat and take your time. When it get to the shape you want, run the bottle under cold water. After a few tries you'll get the hang of it. And if you do get the bottle too hot or too close to the flame, it just makes a small hole and the air leaks out: phssssssssssst. No explosion.