My FIRST bottle stopper!!

Nancy Laird

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Rio Rancho, NM
This is from a piece of walnut that John Hart slipped into my order--had a bad place on one end which I incorporated into the turning.

Hubby drilled the mandrel hole what he thought was the right size and tapped it, but it stripped as it was being turned, so the stopper is being held onto the wood by about 18 turnings of teflon tape at the moment (this one will go into my "first attempts - don't look at them" box). I really like the shape and design of this one, but this wood was a BEAR - lots of tearout and although I tried and tried to sand it, and put some CA on it, I just couldn't get all those little crevices filled, so it's not real sleek and smooth as I'd like for it to be.

But...for a first attempt, what do you think?

Question: I did not turn the base of this one down to the size of the bushing, but left it quite proud. Should they always be turned down to that size or can you leave them proud like this? I looked at Frank's tutorial, and the one he shows looks like he did not turn the base down to the bushing size, but I can't really tell.

Critique, please. And don't hold back.

My first stopper - 1 - 4-14-07 (600 x 450).jpg

My first stopper - 2- 4-14-07 (600 x 450).jpg

My first stopper - 3 - 4-14-07 (600 x 450).jpg

Thanks for looking.

Nancy
 
I think its cuter than a bugs butt Nancy!
Wait until you see my first attempts. It will make you feel real good. :rofl:

DT
 
Looking good, Nancy. :) I have a lot of the same problems you mentioned with walnut, especially when it's dry. I suspect it's in my tool sharpening and presentation, but I get it as good as I can, then resort to the 80 grit gouge. As my skills grow, I'm resorting to sandpaper less and less, though.

On most of the bottle stoppers I've made, I've tried to match the base and the bushing as close as I can. Then again I turned them with simpler lines than yours, and I was using the more wedge-shaped stopper kits. (Here are a few examples.) I think with the shape of the metal part of yours, leaving the base of the turning a bit proud works just fine.

Goob job, especially for a first. :thumb:

Oh, and the threads on my first bottle stopper stripped much like yours. :eek: I ended up epoxying it to the end of my knockout rod (which was missing the handle), so now I have a very schmancy tulipwood-handled rod for my lathe.
 
Nancy I'm glad to see you jump in.I love bottle stoppers they make great inexpensive gifts and everyone can use them for wine ,oil and many other things around the kitchen.I have done many and have had problems also by not drilling the hole first they land up off center like the three on the right of the picture.Also a word from experience I have forund that the metal bottle stoppers do not close as well on a bottle of wine laying on its side in the wine cooler. They then to work their way out and when you open the door you know what happens,also they tend to rust. I have switched over to the plastic base one and they seal very well but don't look as good.As far as drilling the hole drop down one size and use ca glue if all else fails.I try to get the base the same size as the fitting but sometimes it don't always workout ,but only you know that not the recepient. Good looking stopper for your first one . These stoppers were my first attempts back in 2005. the second picture I have used a dowel rod 3/8" inserted into the stopper and then drilled a cork and glued it on ,these also seal good.
Ken:thumb: :thumb:
 

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Stoppers are fun and neat gifts. All here lookin' good. Down to bushing, or not down to bushing, I believe is a matter taste. It's not like pens that need to fit to look right. Nancy's way is one, and Vaughn's is another. Stopper police will not come after either one of you. I've made a number for gifts but unlikely I will make many more, the market for selling them isn't very big.
 
Nice Job Nancy...

Hello Nancy,

Very good job on your first stopper! Sometimes you run into a piece of wood that just refuses to cut cleanly. You persevered though and for that, you are to be congratulated! I've always felt that you learn more turning pieces that challenge you in one way or another, than from those that turn easily.

Here is a picture of a couple of my inlaid stoppers that you may be interested in seeing. The first is Nigerian Ebony with a 25-mm Crazy Lace Agate inlay. The second is Nigerian Ebony with a 25-mm Rhodochrosite inlay and 2.5-mm White Cubic Zirconias set in 14K yellow gold.

I wrote an article on turning bottle stoppers that you may wish to have a look at. You can find it here: http://www.woodturningvideosplus.com/bottle-stoppers.html

The article deals with turning stoppers with cork bottoms, but much of the overall turning information may be of interest to you. Good luck to you and best wishes in all of your woodturning endeavors!
 

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One of these days I'm going to approach the Bottle stopper and see what I can create, You guys have some really neat ones. Problem is... around here, folks I know... once the bottle is opened, there is not much need for a stopper, if you know what I mean....:dunno:

Will they keep the fizz in a Coke? :rolleyes: Thats all we open around here ...:rofl:

Seriously folks.... I like each and every one of your bottle stoppers and have booked your designs into my mindless mental storage chamber for future reference. I love your posts, send more.
 
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