Force Required to Cap a Bottle?

[tayarimoto]

Does anyone know the force required to cap a bottle with standard, non-twist, crowns/caps?

 

[grrickar]

Not exactly, but I can say at least with my wing capper that I cannot cap Fuller's ESB bottles. The force exerted seems like it will break the bottle (even though they seem VERY well made). I'd go with a bench capper if you plan to bottle long term.

I sold my kegging hardware years ago and have been bottling the last few batches. It is my least favorite part of the process. That and waiting for the bottles to carb up.

 

[tayarimoto]

I want to make a pneumatic capper, but I don't want to get a cylinder that's too strong or too weak.

I've tried three bench cappers. The red plastic ones (you know which I'm talking about) both broke. The third is a metal rack and pinion (arbor press) style bench capper from about 50 years ago, which is very inconsistent and mars and dents the caps.

 

[bsad11]

The information could be calculated from sheet metal bending/ drawing application. Plenty of online references in those operations

 

[RedRaiderDavid]

I have found that its not about force. If your having to use too much force crimping the cap it isn't seated well and you are going to break the neck because you are crimping it on the ridge (lack of better term) than under it. If you get the cap seated well by applying a decent amount of downward pressure it doesn't take much effort to crimp the cap.

 

[Spartan1979]

Have you tried this type:

?


I've had one for years and it's always worked very well, but I don't do a lot of bottling.

 

[Stehag]

This is what I found in DIY projects
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f256/pneumatic-bottle-capper-just-because-168286/

 

[tayarimoto]

That's the exact capper I used that I had two, of which both broke. I actually came across that last post by searching google...funny how it didn't pop up when I used the forum search before making this thread.

Thanks, everyone!

Edit: I also found the most recent patent for a bottle cap (they really aren't that old) and, according to the patent, they're designed to take about 450 psi for standard caps, and about 500 for twist-offs.