Dual-function bottle opener for a 2D machining study.

Project Length: 3 weeks
Focus Areas: Product Design, Fixture Planning, 2D Machining
Material: 304 Stainless Steel

This piece was my first foray into real CNC work for the computer machining class taken in my final Stanford quarter.  Every student was required to make a bottle opener, but design using personal inspiration and significance was highly encouraged.  I chose Oregon as my focus - the state I lived in at age 21, and arguably one of the most beer-loving states in the U.S.

The natural curves of Oregon's border translated nicely to a lever-type opener, while the 'O' in the state abbreviation perfectly housed features for a handling a twist-off.  Many iterations of the relative positioning and size of the state outline and internal lettering were attempted before settling on the final compact design for style and simplicity.

Aside from function, this project was also a great exercise in fixturing.  Extreme care was taken to ensure perfect alignment of the workpiece.  It was a challenge to work with stainless steel for the first time, though the material provides good stiffness during machining and allowed for the use of small removal tabs.