Nuka Cola Bottle Cap (#Thangs100k)

This is my take on a Nuka Cola bottle cap. There is a version with a Nuka Cola logo on top (great for multi-color prints) and a version without text for painting.

Models like this exist, but many of them are thick or completely solid because real bottle caps are very thin and difficult to print. A real bottle cap is ~.22mm thick. To create the most accurate model possible, I researched bottle cap manufacturing and changes between the 40's and today. The Fallout universe is steeped in 1950’s science fiction and aesthetic. Prior to the mid-1960’s, caps had 24 aliases or ridges along the edge and were 6.75mm tall. I used those measurements instead of the modern 5.97mm bottle cap with its 21 ridges.

In-game models and official merchandise use 21 and 24 ridges interchangeably.

The resulting 3D model is delicate. They print best with a 0.25mm nozzle and 0.1mm layer height. The printed model is only a few layers thick. The caps are so light it takes little effort to heat and deform them. I used a heat gun to bend, crush, twist, dent, and smash the caps to create much more convincing post-apocalyptic currency.

It is best to print these with a 0.25mm nozzle and 0.1mm layer height. You can print the no-text version with a 0.4mm nozzle, but they will be extra delicate (if they complete).

#thangs100k