Following are a number of frequently asked questions and their answers. Answers are typically based on actual experiments.

Q: I'm trying to find out at what pressure my bottle will burst, but I can't find it here, where can I find out?

A: Even though you may not have an identical bottle to the ones presented here, you can usually find a close match to it and get a general idea of the burst pressure. The burst pressure is mostly affected by bottle diameter, material type and wall thickness. Look for a bottle listed here of the same capacity and diameter. If your bottle is made of the same material and weights approximately the same as the closest matching bottle, then it is also likely to burst at around the same pressure.

There is of course no substitute for the actual test with your particular bottle, but it can be used as a guide when deciding which bottles to use. If you don't have the right equipment, you can submit a request to find out the burst pressure.

Q: What's the best glue to use for splicing bottles?

A: Assuming you are using PET bottles to build your splices, the best glues are polyurethane (PU) based.  There are three main properties to look for in a glue to be used for splicing:

a) PET adhesion - The glue should bond well to PET plastic.
b) Flexible bond - The cured glue should remain slightly flexible to allow the bottles to expand without cracking.
c) Porosity - The glue should not be too porous otherwise leaks may develop in the splice.

As with most glues, bottle preparation is also important to ensure highest possible adhesion of the glue to the substrate. This means the bottle needs to be clean and free of grease. Lightly sanding the surface can also improve better bond strength.

The best glue so far that has been used for splicing is PL Premium, however, this is only available in the US. PL is slightly porous, but has very good adhesion and strength properties.