# Some wooden bottles I made



## Erik T

I saw a thread a while ago on wooden bottles and so since then I turned and carved a few of my own because I thought it was the coolest thing. I'm not sure if this is the appropriate section for this thread and if it isn't mods feel free to move it.

 I'm 15 and so my knowledge of power tools isn't very expansive but I am pretty ok with hand carving. These bottles I turned on a wood lathe, then carved if needed, I then drilled out the neck of the bottle. Finally I sanded them with 320 grit and burned in details then stained and rubbed on polyeurethane and sprayed on lacquer.
 The rawleighs med was left rougher to give it more of an antiqueish look.
 Normally I only carve fish so this was pretty different for me.


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## Erik T

close up of the front sides


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## Erik T

Close up of the backs


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## GuntherHess

very nice

 I could see bottle clubs buying those to give out as awards...


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## Dansalata

looks like you are a pretty talented person very nice, i am a construction worker and i appreciate good craftmanship, you could make some  rare bottle copies for gifts to sell etc, totally cool!!!1


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## Poison_Us

I think you got a wonderful idea there.  You need access to some rare pieces and make those.  I think you found a way to supplement the hobby! []

 Create some inventory and make a website, contact some clubs and direct them there.  Custom orders for awards, special occasions, etc.

 Man I miss the wood lathe.  It is so much fun.  Lucky you have access to one.


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## idigjars

Nice!  You did a great job Erik.  Thank you for sharing the pics with us.  Paul


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## Erik T

Thanks for the suggestions! I probably wont start selling these (if I did) untill I do a fair amount of them. I was thinking of making the rare bottles or even some ginger beer stoneware bottles. I could do this without the bottle but I would need a full size picture and measurements of certain parts so it would be a bit more difficult. I will update this with a few more bottles. Thanks!

 Any suggestions on what bottle I should do next?


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## GuntherHess

> Any suggestions on what bottle I should do next?


 
 an Indian Queen bottle would probably keep you busy for a while[]


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## cyberdigger

I say Eric, you are a VERY talented kid!!! Let's see a Hemingray 45...


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## madpaddla

Oh wow...this is definitely a niche you could do very well in.  Hmmm for bottle suggestions....some of the bitters, historical flasks, and old sodas would create a lot of interest.  Good luck.  Those are amazing.  If you ever make any for sale or custom producing  I would be interested......Keep up the hard work.  The detail is amazing. 
 Very pleased......
 Madpaddla


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## RED Matthews

Well Ben I had to come in on this showing.  However my main message is to Erik T.  I wanted to tell him that if the glass bottle industry was still alive, he could quickly get a job in a pattern shop, where they mad hundreds of wooden bottles every year to be used as salesmen s samples and samples to be tested in product handling mechanisms etc for the bottle customers.  Erik if you PM me your address, I will track down an old wooden bottle model to send to you.   I appreciate your skill and thoughtful creativity.  RED M.


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## beendiggin

Nice job!!


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## JOETHECROW

Erik,...Those are seriously cool items,....Very nice job,.....quite professional and still have a lot of personality, I'm impressed.   
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





  Way to go.


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## deacon_frost

thats one of the coolest things ive seen in a long time.....you have some serious talent


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## old.s.bottles

AMAZING


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## old.s.bottles

AMAZING ...sorry for the double post


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## Wangan

My suggestion is to do the $68,000.00? Bryant`s bitters bottle.You do excellent work! Maybe you could make a torpedo bottle and cut it in half and hollow it out and hinge it for a jewelry box (with a flat spot to keep it from rolling) because it has to lay on its side.I can see them selling at shows as the "unbreakable" bottles of Erik T!


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## bottle_head9

I agree with Wangan, Eric. Do some really rare bitters or medicine bottles.You could probably get some pretty good money for them.Very nice work!![]


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## Indianabottledigger

Nice Job EriK, thats way cool.... I'm sure everyone on this site has at least one bottle that would love to have made like this I know I do. Keep it up and post some Pictures.


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## woody

Very Nice.... I especially like the Rawleighs!!!!


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## woody

I'd like to see some of the fish you've carved.


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## blobbottlebob

These are really neat Erik. Nice job and excellent craftmanship.


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## Erik T

Thanks everybody! I just turned a bim G. Fauman crown top so that should be ready in a few days. Thanks for the offer Mr. mathews about the wooden sales bottle but I wouldnt want it to be an inconvenience for you and my mom is limiting the amount of bottles coming into the house recently so can't accept your offer at the moment. The idea with the torpedo that breaks open into a box it great and I will probably do it in a bit once I get an example of a torpedo to model it after. And the indian herb bitters...................well I could do it but it would take a while 
 I will be doing some rare bitters bottles and my favourite bottles (blob top sodas and beers especially ones that are'nt crude) once I get some pictures or aquire one into my collection.

 If you would like to see a certain bottle (they won't be for sale for a while but just to see what it would look like) please e-mail me a picture of the bottle beside a ruler on all sides top sides and bottom so that all lettering is visible and I can make the bottle accurately.

 This is one of my better fish but it is still unfinished as it has not been mounted and the pectoral fins are missing. This took a while even though its so small.


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## woody

Nice...... Looks like a brookie.


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## jskirk

I would say you Erik are a true Artist, That fish is cool, the bottles a really nice.  Jay


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## bottle_head9

Very nice Eric, that`s a lovely trout.Awsome detail.Your very talented.[]


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## bikegoon

Those are cool!


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## Erik T

Thanks everyone! I will post a few pictures of some more bottles later. I have about 11 more blocks of wood ready to be made into bottles.


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## Wangan

Excellent Trout! You must have air brushed that,or else you handle a hand brush like a Japanese cork sculptor! You should be doing work for Cabelas,L.L.Bean or any of the big sporting outfitters.Amazing! Please show us more when you can![]


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## old.s.bottles

> ORIGINAL:  Wangan
> You should be doing work for Cabelas,L.L.Bean or any of the big sporting outfitters.Amazing! Please show us more when you can![]


 
 True story


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## Erik T

Thanks! i'm almost done doing my next batch of bottles. I have been thinking about doing some realistic muskie baits..................


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## Erik T

Ok This is probably the last update for this thread because I don't want to keep bumping this one.

 Here are some of the latest bottles I have done:


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## Erik T

Gingerbeer I made for a local tackle shop that is shutting down after over 50 years of serving out community


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## Erik T

A repro of a milk I found


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## Erik T

And finally my first hutchinson!


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## cyberdigger

The wood ones are nicer than the originals, and more interesting.


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## woody

great job, Erik!!!


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## GuntherHess

You should try one of those beehive or ribbed  pepper sauce bottles.
 http://www.theoldbottle.com/images/peppersauce2.jpg


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## rockbot

very nice lathe work and calligraphy! way to go.

 Rocky


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## idigjars

Erik, you are so talented!  15 years old?   You are very gifted.  I love the wooden bottles you have produced, what great attention to detail.  

 I really, really, like your fish, he looks fantastic.  Did you spray him or brush paint him?

 My 13 year old Grandson and I joined a local woodcarving club and one of the members taught a class to make fish decoys.  None that I saw turned out as nice as yours.  

 Congratulations on your work and thank you very much for sharing all these pics with us.  Paul 

 Here is a link to our woodcarving club if anybody is interested.  Best regards.  Paul 


 http://counciloakwoodcarvers.com/


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## Erik T

Thanks everyone! Yeah I think they look a bit better than the originals because you can see the embossing more clearly. I will try a ribbed/behive peppersauce if I find one in my travels It looks like it would be quite interesting to turn! I decided to learn how to use an airbrush this spring because I just couldn't get the blending of the colours by brush. Those woodcarving courses are great I actually did a fish decoy course last december and that started off my love of woodworking but I wanted to make fish that looked slightly more realistic. Thanks! I'm hooked on turning hutchinson bottles and soon I hope to do a few quart milks as well as case gins and meds!


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## blobbottlebob

Fantastic! I love the hutch but all of them are really neat. Great job.


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## Arob

*Erik debuts wooden bottles at the Oct 16th Four Season's Bottle Collectors club general meeting*

Erik T himself was in the house last night at the Oct 16th Four Season's Bottle Collectors club general meeting! and so the legend begins... 







 Everyone arrived at the *Four Seasons Bottle Collectors* club meeting on Oct 16th and saw the curious wooden soda bottle replicas on one of the display tables, and thought ' huh' that's weird...  And when we took off our coats and we looked around we saw a nervous young teenager sitting by himself ( with his mother) and we thought huh... that's kinda unusual. But i sure didnt connect the two things until such time as the Show and Tell portion of the event began...

 Erik presented himself and his passion / obsession with anything or everything relating to antique glass bottles, which includes carving them out of wood. When he told us that he 'd turned the wood himself, and the first was made from walnut that he'd selected... well..our jaws collectively dropped.

 Read about the whole event on Dumpdiggers, Erik T hand-carved wood antique bottle replicas debut at FSBC club meeting in Toronto.


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## JOETHECROW

*RE: Erik debuts wooden bottles at the Oct 16th Four Season's Bottle Collectors club general meeting*

Erik,..Sure glad you got some recognition and credit for your really well done creations,...I'm glad to see someone of your age taking such an avid interest in bottles, and your passion shows in the great job you do on your wooden replicas!


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## blobbottlebob

*RE: Erik debuts wooden bottles at the Oct 16th Four Season's Bottle Collectors club general meeting*

Way to go Erik! As we've noted, those things are awesome. Glad to see you sharing them with other collectors. Were they impressed?


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## Erik T

*RE: Erik debuts wooden bottles at the Oct 16th Four Season's Bottle Collectors club general meeting*

Thanks! yeah they were fairly impressed. Maybe at the next meeting I'll have a couple up for sale.


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## cyberdigger

*RE: Erik debuts wooden bottles at the Oct 16th Four Season's Bottle Collectors club general meeting*

Rock on Erik! I'm so very glad you aren't wasting your youth on video games..!!


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## GuntherHess

*RE: Erik debuts wooden bottles at the Oct 16th Four Season's Bottle Collectors club general meeting*



> glad you aren't wasting your youth on video games..!!


 
 yea carving video games would be boring...


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## cyberdigger

*RE: Erik debuts wooden bottles at the Oct 16th Four Season's Bottle Collectors club general meeting*

..not quite what I meant, but true enough.. []


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## dollarbill

*RE: Erik debuts wooden bottles at the Oct 16th Four Season's Bottle Collectors club general meeting*

Wow! Great stuff Erik .These guys are right about making money and at something you like doing . Great work on both the bottles and fish .Ever think of carving fishing lure's. Agian very cool.
    bill


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## Erik T

*RE: Erik debuts wooden bottles at the Oct 16th Four Season's Bottle Collectors club general meeting*

Thanks! LOL nice one hess. I actually did turn and carve a few lures a while back and I screwed up a fish carving so im gonna turn it into a lure.


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## jvharp

*RE: Erik debuts wooden bottles at the Oct 16th Four Season's Bottle Collectors club general meeting*

Very impressive to say the least! Please show us all of your new works as they become available!


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## Poison_Us

*RE: Erik debuts wooden bottles at the Oct 16th Four Season's Bottle Collectors club general meeting*

Awesome!  Way to go Erik.  Keep it up!  You definitely have a potential business opportunity here.


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## glass man

*RE: Erik debuts wooden bottles at the Oct 16th Four Season's Bottle Collectors club general meeting*

FAR OUT!!! JAMIE


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## RICKJJ59W

> ORIGINAL:  Erik T
> 
> Close up of the backs


 
 That is cool !!  You have a talent there kid. Can you do historical flasks?


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## cowseatmaize

> Ever think of carving fishing lure's.


 Those are amazing, I have zero talent or eye for art. Well, except recognizing good craftsmanship. 
 Duck decoys would be something else. There's a lot of all but lost art out there that people want.


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## Stardust

What a talented 15 year old. I liked the, Star Bottle. []


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## Erik T

Thanks I'm starting to do doubles now so I will have enough to sell at the Toronto bottle show.


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## Stardust

Eric these are so cool. How much are you selling these for?  Have you heard of Esty? Also, do you have a facebook page, as you can have Esty on your FB page and people can take orders. You can set up for free as long as you make your own goods and you can also sell some other vintage goods. I'll post the link for you. I have friends who now sell right from their facebook page and it works out very nicely. []  Good Luck ~

 star ~


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## photolitherland

Dude, you are like the Michelangelo of the bottle carving world. I am super impressed.


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## Erik T

> ORIGINAL:  Stardust
> 
> Eric these are so cool. How much are you selling these for?Â  Have you heard of Esty? Also, do you have a facebook page, as you can have Esty on your FB page and people can take orders. You can set up for free as long as you make your own goods and you can also sell some other vintage goods. I'll post the link for you. I have friends who now sell right from their facebook page and it works out very nicely. []Â  Good Luck ~
> star ~


 
 I will be selling the large crown/blob/gingerbeer bottles for between $30-60 depending on the type of wood and how complicated the bottles are. Im selling the rectangular meds for around $40 because they involve so much more work and the round meds i.e. bromos for around $10-$20 bucks. Art deco bottles are around $50 because they require a lot more hand carving. Large Milks=$40-$60 smaller milks=$20-$30. Inkwells=$10-$30 case gins I will be doing soon for around $40-$60. Anything else I can give a price estimate after seeing the bottle and the wood type. Price varies but is almost all under $60.
 (its a bit expensive but I want to get my times worth.)

 I probably wont be selling much till after christmas when I have made a bunch more. Hopefully I will get a table at the toronto bottle show next year.

 No I have never heard of esty but it sounds pretty awesome nor do I have a facebook page for this. thanks for the help! I will probably use that then to sell them.


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## Poison_Us

I would contact one of (if there are more than 1) bottle magazines and they may do an article on you, have your etsy page started by then so they have a place to point their readers.  This way your targeting the appropriate people.


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## Erik T

sounds like a good idea I will try to have it up by late december then after I have most of my doubles done


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## the ham man

hey have you ever thought of making embossed bottle with the letters going out instead of in. what i mean is making the surface of the bottle like a cm deeper then the lettering. i think that would look awesome. just a thought though. love what your doing. they look fantastic.


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## LC

Been wondering about the following ever since i saw your work Erik , which is indeed nice . But i have to ask out of curiosity , are you using some kind of a copying engraver to do the incising , or are you doing it by hand ?


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## Mr.Silver

[]Amazing work


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## Erik T

> ORIGINAL:  L C
> 
> Been wondering about the following ever since i saw your work Erik , which is indeed nice . But i have to ask out of curiosity , are you using some kind of a copying engraver to do the incising , or are you doing it by hand ?


 unfortunately i do not have a copying engraver to do the embossing and so i gotta burn it by hand. i have thought of raising the embossing but it would be extremely hard as i would have to carve quite a bit unless I inlay, good idea but very hard.


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## LC

Thanks for the reply Erik , if you are doing this by hand , you have some real talent . As for attempting embossing , it would take hours to perfect such a task . We will see where you go with it at time goes on . I am a wood worker myself , but would not even attempt what you are doing , I could turn round bottles on a lathe , but my perception as for the script would be lousey ! Good luck with your endeavors .


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## Erik T

Thank you. I am now thinking about raising embossing through inlaying wood on a few bottles.


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## LC

Will look forward to seeing them .


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## ghosthunter

> ORIGINAL:  Erik T
> 
> I saw a thread a while ago on wooden bottlesÂ and so since then I turned and carved a few of my own because I thought it was the coolest thing. I'm not sure if this is the appropriate section for this thread and if it isn't mods feel free to move it.
> 
> I'm 15 and so my knowledge of power tools isn't very expansive but I am prettyÂ ok with hand carving. These bottles I turned on a wood lathe, then carvedÂ if needed, I then drilled out the neck of the bottle. Finally I sanded them with 320 grit and burned in details then stained and rubbed on polyeurethane and sprayed on lacquer.
> The rawleighs med was leftÂ rougher to give it more of an antiqueish look.
> Normally I only carve fish so this was pretty different for me.


 
 2 and 3 realy good

 i have an idea to paint cocacola bottle in red classic colors for full effect


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## bne74honda

Erik,

 Those are fantastic!! You have just created an entirely new and strikingly unique art/collectible genre. You certainly do possess an amazing talent. 

 Brian


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## Stardust

And he's only just begun.... []
 I love art and artist ~
 Man does he have talent!
 Keep up the great work.
 Ebay had free business cards
 the other day I thought it was for the week
 where if you wanted you could upload your own pic.
 This would be great for bottle shows or where ever
 you meet folks ~ 
 I don't have the name now, but I think I might have saved it if you want it.
 Best of Luck again selling.
 star ~


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