Bottle Stoppers

Diana Kell

Member
Messages
1
I am new to making bottle stoppers and I have made the first few without problems but now I am having trouble with them when I put them on the 3/4 mandrel the stopper becomes loose and hard to turn. I drill the holes with a drill press and the recommended drill bit size but I keep running into the same thing. Is there a secret to this or am I just doing things wrong?
Diana
 
Hey, Diana.

First welcome to FWW. Always room for more girls.

You likely will get more responses if you repost in the turning forum. Just click on the Forum box on the upper left and scroll down to the Turning Forum.

...and we like pictures. They're full of ever so many more words. :)
 
Hi Diana and welcome!
When you say "becomes loose" is the blank un-threading or is the morse taper coming loose from the headstock?
 
Welcome to FWW Diana. Glad you found us. It might be helpful if you post a few pictures of your set up. Possibly start out with the blank on the mandrel but also between centers (bring the tail stock up to help hold the piece). Once you have the blank roughed/rounded you can back off the tail stock and continue turning. The initial roughing without tail stock support might be the problem. Just guessing though.
 
depending upon the material youre using, acrylic, hard wood, soft wood, you might have to pay attention to the size bit youre using.
if you just go down using a bit 1/64th less, it will be harder to thread, but will not loosen up on the mandrel.
 
Welcome to the forum! It would be helpful to see your set up, like mentioned. If your blank screws onto your mandrel, like a Ruth Niles mandrel, it can be helpful if you screw the blank on, then screw it off, coat the threads with some thin CA to make them stronger and when the CA dries, screw the blank back on. This applies if you are using wood for your bottle stopper. A slightly smaller bit helps also, as stated.
 
I don't post much but when I do bottle stoppers I can't think of one reason why to drill a hole, thread the hole with a tap and screw the stopper into that hole. Everyone I've asked that uses this method I asked how many of them took the stopper apart after making it. The answer was zero.

A local friend has improved this method tremendously ... You don't need to buy a special mandrel, a drill or a tap.

He made a Bottle Stopper Pen Mill that uses a "Z" drill bit that you drill the hole, epoxy the SS304 stem into the hole and then turn. Used the standard silicon stopper from CSUSA or Woodcraft.

9725398SS304_016_002.jpg


3940875SS304_020_006.jpg
 
Top