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PVC plumbing inverts used to make bespoke drink container holders for a car console.
The project
I love my Frank Green drink bottles. I tell everyone I know to buy a Frank Green bottle. But there has always been a problem. The bottles are too big for cupholders, like comically too big (which isn't to say a bad thing, because it's exactly what I wanted for a bottle).
So, when a certain TikTok video went viral, I was onto it the second I could to get down to Bunnings and stock up on some PVC adapters. But there was one problem. Aesthetically, PVC doesn't really gel with the interior of a car, so it was time to roll up my sleeves and get into some D.I.Y.
Tools and materials
All of these products can be purchased at your discretion, however, to have the cupholders steady you do need to purchase the specific taper size listed below.
- PVC 100 x 65 taper level invert (cupholder)
- Black spray paint
- P2 face mask
- Safety glasses
- Garden or safety gloves
- 180 grit sandpaper
- Acetone
- Clean up rags.
Steps
Step 1 - Let's sand some PVC
After YouTubing some videos around how to paint PVC, the clear recommendation was to sand down the PVC and apply some acetone to remove any remaining dust, etc. The theory of this is sound due to the fact that PVC generally has a coating to stop things like water from adhering to the PVC.
Just remember to use your gloves and safety glasses at this point to avoid any acetone contact on your skin and eyes. That being said, if I had my time over, I would probably avoid this step as the use of spray paint probably made this step redundant as the spray paint was fairly forgiving.
Step 2 - Get spraying
It's time to start spraying the PVC at this point. It's highly recommended to make quick sprays across the surface from around 15 - 20cm away from the surface. I was pretty happy with this method and the final finish is pretty good for a first timer. I ended up going with about two coats as this particular product had a 10-minute drying time so it was easy to apply a few coats.
A few of my initial sprays were a bit too close to the PVC which caused the paint to run, so the 15 - 20cm distance is highly recommended for a quality finish.
Step 3 - These bottles aren't going anywhere
This final step took some trial and error, but I really wanted to make sure that the bottles wouldn't move around too much in the PVC when driving. Using some furniture surface protector felt that I had lying around the house, I cut off three fairly thin strips that I then stuck into the inner part of the taper fitting.
Now the first run of this was not ideal. This made the bottle far too tight and when lifting it out of the car cupholder, the bottle came out still connected to the fitting. So, a quick trip to Bunnings and some thinner pieces of felt have absolutely done the trick.
Step 4 - Enjoy all the water in your car
After a quick and simple bit of D.I.Y. I've now got my trusty 1l Frank Green bottle in my car. Finally.
More inspiration for storage projects
Workshop member Edward turned an old hole in his living room wall into a wooden drinks cabinet for fireplace niche.
Community member nparella95 wanted to tidy the backyard as well as store drinks and built this handy timber outdoor storage box with built-in drinks cooler.
Keen to start your own project but not sure where to begin? Start a discussion and we'd be happy to help.
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