Vacuum sealer attachment for salad dressing bottle

thingiverse

My favorite salad dressing (Marzetti's, found near the produce section) comes in a glass bottle, resulting in a large collection. I also possess a vacuum sealer for various tasks. To make use of empty bottles, I thought it would be cool to create a sealable container. This is what I came up with. I printed the attachment upside down, using supports and 100% infill, since it needs to be airtight or nearly so. For the seal, I used Oomoo 30, a rubbery silicone mold compound. Other types of rubber with similar properties should also work. (Silicone caulk did not work for me; it simply separated when I tried to remove it from the mold.) Fill the mold up to the top of the vertical section - the angled part is just there to make it easier to fill. Once the silicone has set, carefully remove it from the mold, then cut away any excess. You can likely reuse the mold as long as you clean out all leftover silicone bits. To use, place the cap on the bottle loosely. Press the attachment onto the cap until it wedges inside. Twist to remove the cap from the bottle. Place the seal onto the bottle with the split side facing down - the same way it was in the mold. Replace the attachment and cap back on the bottle and tighten slightly, just to ensure the cap is aligned properly. Push the seal up until it's completely within the attachment. Plug your vacuum sealer attachment hose into the top of the attachment. Operate the vacuum sealer according to the manufacturer's instructions. You might need to hold the attachment in place during operation - I keep my hand around it and press down with my thumb. When the vacuum seems to have maximized (I go by the sound of the motor), turn the attachment to tighten the cap onto the bottle. If you wait until it's done vacuuming, it will probably start to lose pressure immediately. Once the cap is tight, continue turning the same way while also pulling upward. This will remove the attachment from the cap. Give the cap a final turn by hand to ensure it's fully tight. Remove the seal and place it inside the attachment for safekeeping. Caveats: - These bottles are not designed for holding strong vacuums. My vacuum sealer doesn't pull enough vacuum to be hazardous, but if yours is stronger, it might be. Do not use with bottles that you suspect are weak or damaged. Do not use with vacuum equipment stronger than a kitchen vacuum sealer. Use at your own risk. Neither I nor this website are responsible for any harm or damage caused by use or misuse of this device. - Some of these bottles have slightly different sized caps, therefore not all of them will work with this device.