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Author Topic: Looking for sturdy aluminum cans for making cola pens  (Read 843 times)

Offline ColaPen

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Looking for sturdy aluminum cans for making cola pens
« on: June 23, 2021, 09:22:16 pm »
This is my first post, but you all seem like experts in all things beer so I'm hoping you can help!

I practice calligraphy, and we make pens from aluminum cans. We call them "colapens" as originally they were made from a Coke can. The recent thin cola/pop cans just buckle when you use them, so now we experiment with beer cans.

A few years back I collected some Guinness Draught cans and just recently turned them into some pens that work great! My friend in Puerto Rico can't get Guinness in cans, so I sent him my stash thinking I could simply replace them. Unfortunately, in the intervening years, the aluminum in the Guinness cans seemed to have thinned - at least, the new Guinness Draught Stout cans I bought yesterday seem thinner.

Here is the link to the pens I made with the older Guinness can: https://experimentalartist.com/beer-pens.jpg


So I'm looking for advice! Are there any beer cans currently on the market that might have the same quality as the Guinness Draught from a few years ago?

And do you know what that thickness might be? I can buy sheets of aluminum on Amazon, but I have no idea what I should be looking for. (I've ordered a tool to test thickness so may be that will help.)

The beer guy stocking the Walmart beer aisle today recommended Sapporo beer from Japan from Total Wine. But the small 12 oz cans (canned in Canada) are nowhere as sturdy as the current Guinness Draught Stout. My husband (who is doing his part by drinking the beers I bring home...) said Sappora make a tall can that is shaped - perhaps that has the better aluminum? I see on their website a taller can - is this sold in the USA?
https://sapporobeer.com/our-history/

Thanks for any clues! I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and there is a Total Wine in town, if that helps.


« Last Edit: June 23, 2021, 09:36:59 pm by ColaPen »

Offline fredthecat

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Re: Looking for sturdy aluminum cans for making cola pens
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2021, 11:54:15 pm »
im not sure if i notice any aluminium cans are sturdier than any others.

i would consider other food product cans perhaps if you are lookign for something firmer? like some kind of tinned food product can.