Introduction: Recliner Straw

By Portfolio
About: I'm an inventor / maker / designer based in Portland, OR. My background is in residential architecture, film set design, animatronics, media arts, exhibit design, and electronics. I use digital design and fabr…

What's the point of relaxing with a drink when you have to constantly sit up straight to enjoy it? Enter the recliner straw! With a few dollars and a couple of hand tools, you can stay reclined while you sip your tasty beverage.

This instructable includes a 3' long flexible straw and a spill-proofing block to keep your bottle from tipping over while you're drinking.

Step 1: Parts & Tools

PARTS

1. 2X6 lumber (at least 5 1/2" long)

2. 1/2" OD flexible plastic tubing

TOOLS

1. Hand drill with hole saw

2. Tape measure, pencil, ruler

3. Sand paper

4. Scissors

Step 2: Spill Proofer

First cut your block into a square. A 2X6 is 5 1/2" wide (why isn't it 6" wide? it's a long story...), so mark out 5 1/2" on the length of the board and cut it square.

Next, draw an X on the square block from corner to corner. This is a quick way to find the center point.

The bottle is about 2 3/8" in diameter at the base, so use a 2 1/2" hole saw to give it a little wiggle room. Clamp up your wood and hole-saw through the center of your X.

When you've cut through the wood, use a sanding block or a palm sander (I used 80 grit) to smooth out the splintery edges of the block.

Step 3: Cut the Straw and Relax

Suction means pressure, and the longer the tube, the more pressure is needed to suck the liquid through. You don't want to have sore cheeks at the end of your day off, so test out whatever length is comfortable while still being useful for drinking while reclining.

I started with a 5' length of tubing- it's better to start long since you can't add if you cut it too short! The comfortable length I came up with was 3'.

Relax and enjoy!