Tigh's bottles: An inexpensive DIY BSG prop

Anti

New Member
About two years ago I was enjoying some bourbon, getting meaner with every drink, and I asked myself, "Who's the meanest frackin' drunk I know? Who, in my drunken stupor, do I wish to emulate?" Saul Tigh, of course. And if you're going to emulate Saul, you'd better be drinking out of one of these

View attachment 42713

or one of these

View attachment 42714

So I set out to make some bottles and after some trial and error came up with the following method. You'll need a Brilliant Vodka bottle, a template, label paper, masking tape, Armour Etch, x-acto knife, a wire brush (or some silver paint), and some patience.

For a template I used this from Scotchfairy

View attachment 42715

This template is still posted over at ASAP. I tinkered with the size and printed it on mailing label paper. Now, you COULD just stick the label right onto your bottle, but in order to get a decently opaque etch I wanted to double etched everything. Which is to say I applied etching cream, waited, rinsed with water and repeated. I found that label paper, by itself, would not withstand a rinse. It comes off in the water, no matter how gently you try to rinse. Masking tape, on the other hand, adheres well enough to get you through a rinse and a second etching. Masking tape also cuts easily and gives you nice sharp lines.

So, I applied a layer of masking tape, then affixed the printed mailing label template. Using an x-acto knife, I then cut out the pattern like so:

View attachment 42716

Here you see a mason jar ready to be etched with the season one logo. I used the same template to create season two logos (you just cut away different sections).

I applied the etching cream per the manufacturer's instructions and then rinsed, being very careful to not pull up the tape. I then used the x-acto knife to scape away the etching cream residue, being careful to leave myself a clean surface so I'd get uniform contact between the glass and the etching cream on the second coat. Again, I had to be very careful to not pull the tape up.

The finished jar came out like this:

View attachment 42717

Using the same method I made this bottle:

View attachment 42718 View attachment 42719

and this one:

View attachment 42720 View attachment 42721

I included two pics of the first bottle to show how different the etch can look in different light. I included two photos of the second bottle to show what happens if you are not careful. In the second pic, dead center, you see a smudge. Somehow, I got some etching cream glooped on as I was doing the final rinse. I don't think it was there more than a few seconds.

I did each image separately. So that was 4 etching runs for 2 images on the first bottle, 12 etching runs for 6 images for the second bottle.

The only remaining trick was to change the color of the cap. The bottles I found had black enameled caps. I removed the cap and the ring that's left behind and polished the black off the caps with a power drill/wire brush. Be careful if you choose this method, as the caps are thin and it wouldn't take much to go all the way through one. Painting the cap silver would probably look just as good and if I had it to do over I might try that.

Also, in hindsight, I don't know WHY I took the cap rings off (you know, the ring of metal that's attached to the cap but perforated, so when you take the cap off the first time the perforated ring stays behind). I should have left them on. They lend some authenticity. I'd advise polishing or painting the cap and the ring BEFORE you take the cap off for the first time, while they are still attached to each other. Live and learn.

--------------------------------------------

Adama: Listen. I'm not gonna defend what she did, especially the cracks about your marital problems. But you did kick over the table first.

Tigh: I did not. (pauses) Unless I did.

Adama: You did.
 
This thread is more than 13 years old.

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

  1. This thread hasn't been active in some time. A new post in this thread might not contribute constructively to this discussion after so long.
If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.
Back
Top