# Bottle Stoppers: Esentials & How to?



## ElMostro (Jan 30, 2008)

Can anybody post a list of the essentials to turn bottle stoppers.  Before Ed jumps in, yes, I already have a lathe, basic turning tools, and plenty of wood.  So what I need is the; How to attach the wood to the lathe, the screw thingy that attaches the wood to the metal stopper etc.  

And yes, I did a site search on stoppers, I found a lot of info but not sure I captured all the requirements...I am a little slow [:I].

Thanks in advance, Eugene


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## maxwell_smart007 (Jan 30, 2008)

All I use is a drill chuck and the bottle stopper mandrel.  The Berea kits use a very flimsy mandrel, and the nouveau kits (with the black rubber and ice cream cone shape) use a beefy threaded mandrel.  

I also use a threaded bar and a wing nut to keep the drill chuck firmly in the morse taper...

Andrew


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## ed4copies (Jan 30, 2008)

Eugene,

Do you have the kits?

There are at least two different sizes -heck I have two sizes that both came from PSI, I believe.

I used to use the mandrel with 3/8" threading.  SOME would "Catch" and the threading was shot.  So, I now use a 5/16" wood dowel, in a Jacobs (Drill) chuck.  Then, redrill and thread after the piece (usually plastic) is turned.  Also allows me to paint the threads if the final product is too translucent.

Does this help??


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## fiferb (Jan 30, 2008)

This is pretty basic but has a good drawing:

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/woodturners/Images/pdfs/bottle_cone.pdf

And this has a really good pictures with the instructions. Instructions are at the very bottom of the page.

http://www.arizonasilhouette.com/Bottle_Stopper_Kits.htm


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## Woodlvr (Jan 30, 2008)

Thanks Ed I just read about using a dowel and you answered my question before I asked it. Are you a mindreader?

Mike


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## SuperDave (Jan 30, 2008)

> _Originally posted by ElMostro_
> 
> Can anybody post a list of the essentials to turn bottle stoppers.  Before Ed jumps in, yes, I already have a lathe, basic turning tools, and plenty of wood.  So what I need is the; How to attach the wood to the lathe, the screw thingy that attaches the wood to the metal stopper etc.
> 
> ...



Eugene,

If you use the threaded 3/8 x 16 tpi stoppers, you can turn a simple mandrel that is held in a four jaw chuck, if you have one. Insert a 3/8 x 16 bolt from behind and epoxy or hot glue it in, leaving about 5/8" of threads exposed.

Drill an appropriate size hole in your blank. Tap the hole with a 3/8" x 16 tap. Thread the blank onto your homemade mandrel, bring up the tail-stock and have at it. Once you are nearly done, back off the tail-stock and clean up the top of your stopper and finish as you normally would.

Thats what I use to  make these stoppers. I can e-mail you a picture of my mandrel if you want.

Dave


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## airrat (Jan 30, 2008)

I use 2 different mandrels,  I have the drill chuck one I got from AS and use a stop block on the tail stock side.  To me there are some safety issues with this method.  The chuck can come out if you are not careful.   I just bought the PSI bottle stopper mandrel that screws onto the headstock and is firmly mounted.   I have decided to make this my main one due to safety.

for Ruth's stoppers I made a bushing for sizing of them.  It is not exact but it does not have to be, just gets me in the ballpark and I take it from there.


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## Firefyter-emt (Jan 30, 2008)

Guys, one trick with the threads is to drill and tap them first, then soak them with thin CA and re-tap them.  This will harden the threads and keep them from stripping.

I used this all the time and when I built my drill-press table I used this trick to install the screws in the T-track.  I had screwed them in, but removed them to sand and finish.  (as you know, this is not good to do with MDF)  With the thin glue soaked in the holes from the screws. I cut the "wood mound"  off to make the hole flush again and put the t-track in again. I broke a freaking screw off in a predrilled, and pre-screwed hole in MDF!


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## ElMostro (Jan 31, 2008)

Thanks all for the input.  

Ed, yes your input helps.  I was leaning towards the threaded one but your point about a catch ruining the threads is an issue for me since I am a newbie.  Question though; how do you manage to center the whole again?  

Dave, thanks for the offer, yes please do send picture.

Thanks, Eugene


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## SuperDave (Jan 31, 2008)

> _Originally posted by ElMostro_
> 
> Thanks all for the input.
> 
> ...



Eugene,

I will try to get some to you today. As for the threads and a catch, I use dense hardwoods and Exotics, mostly, and I under-size the recommended pilot hole, a tad bit, for the tap... especially in woods that might be a bit "softer". I have had some catches and not had any issues with stripping the threads. 

REMEMBER: The recommended hole size from the tap manufacturers is for metal not wood. Metal needs a closer tolerance between the hole size and the tap diameter. HOWEVER... when you tap wood, no matter what species, it is going to be much softer than metal and more forgiving on the hole-to-tap diameter ratio... so drilling an undersized pilot hole in wood is a good thing! It is when people drill the pilot hole diameter recommended for metal, that they begin to experience potential stripping of the threads. 

LASTLY: Keep the tail-stock in place until you are done with EVERYTHING (sanding, finishing, etc) except the final treatments to the top of the stopper where your live center made contact. Having a catch without the tail-stock in place, increases your chance of knocking something out of alignment and messing up your threads.

Dave


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## pipeyeti (Jan 31, 2008)

Here is what I do when I use a jacobs chuck in the headstock without the tailstock to support it. My #2mt on my chuck has a hole with threads for a draw bar. Measure the distance thru your head stock to the threaded hole on the taper and go to the hardware store and buy a bolt long enogh to fit thru the headstock to the chuck. Screw the bolt thru Headstock into  the MT and viola no more chuck vibrating loose. Just be careful the bolt only needs to be snugged up not torqued. That will prevent any damage to the headstock.


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## Mudder (Jan 31, 2008)

I use a different method that has served me quite well.

My Cork stoppers are some of my lowest priced items so I need to knock them out quickly. What I do is drill a 3/8" hole in my blank and run a 7/16-14 tap into it. Then I thread the chunk of wood onto a piece id 7/16-14 threaded rod that you can buy in most any hardware or big box store. After I've turned and finished the stopper I cut a piece of 3/8" dowel and glue it into the threaded hole. The threads leave me room for glue and I've never had one fail. Pop on a cork that you can buy from Woodcraft or Craft Supplies and you're good to go.


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## SuperDave (Jan 31, 2008)

Eugene,

Here are a couple of quick photos of the homemade mandrel.

The washer on the front is very close to the diameter of the stopper base and I use it for a gauge.

The bolt also has a washer in the back for the head to compress against. You can use a nut on the front to tighten the bolt so it remains relatively straight when you glue or epoxy the head in the back. After the glue sets, remove the nut, true the mandrel on your lathe and you are set.

The nice thing about this is, I can make 30-40 mandrels from scrap wood and .10 to .15 cents worth of bolts and washers (per mandrel) for the price of one $4 commercial mandrel... not counting shipping... and I can leave a stopper mounted for whatever reason and load up another mandrel and stopper in a few seconds and continue on.

If you do not have a jaw chuck, then perhaps one of the other methods would work best for you. This is what works for me based on my equipment and turning techniques/style.

Dave


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## MDWine (Feb 1, 2008)

> _Originally posted by SuperDave_
> 
> ...If you do not have a jaw chuck, then perhaps one of the other methods would work best for you. This is what works for me based on my equipment and turning techniques/style.



That's beautiful!
Thanks!


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## richstick1 (Feb 1, 2008)

How Dave describes the homemade stopper "chuck" is exactly the way Ruth does on her torne lignum site.  I think this is probably the best way to go...


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## ElMostro (Feb 1, 2008)

All, and especialy Dave, thanks for the info.  I guess you'all know what I will be doing this weekend


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## Aderhammer (Feb 1, 2008)

Dave the only problem i might see is that if the wood shifts over time, it might not be perfectly true.


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## SuperDave (Feb 1, 2008)

> _Originally posted by Aderhammer_
> 
> Dave the only problem i might see is that if the wood shifts over time, it might not be perfectly true.



Andrew,

This could be an issue with some woods. I make mine from dense hardwood scraps (Oak, Purple Heart, etc) so the tendency to change is lessened, not to mention that the surface of smaller pieces also reduces the movement potential. However, because they are so inexpensive to make, all I have to replace is the scrap wood and re-use the bolt and washers.

I forgot to mention previously, I tap the homemade chucks as well... and ratchet the bolt down, with the nut temporarily on the front during the gluing. The glue from the back keeps the bolt from backing out... also eliminates the need for lock washers, etc.. 

This gives me additional strength when using the chuck. The Purple Heart chuck in the photos is over a year old and all I have had to do is trim it for additional clearance for some of my more recent designs.

Dave


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## avbill (Feb 1, 2008)

What you need: 

Drill size:	11/32â€ 
Tap size:	3/8â€ 



1.	Mark the center of the stopper blank and drill a 11/32â€ dia. hole 5/8â€ deep.  A smaller drill may be needed if the stopper blank has a soft wood.

2.	Tap the drill hole with a 3/8â€ tap

3.	Be sure to have the Washer installed on the mandrel shaft before installing on the drill chuck. 

4.	Mount the mandrel into the drill chuck that has been installed in the headstock of the lathe. And tighten.  Screw the stopper blank onto the mandrel ensuring that the block fits flat against the face of the mandrel.  Bring the tail stock with a live center installed, up to the blank and lightly tighten (donâ€™t apply excessive force as the pointed live center could cause the blank to crack.  A flat-nosed live center works the best. 

5.	Using a sharp gouge turn the bottle stopper by taking light cuts.  Finish the top of the stopper with the tailstock-live center moved away from the blank.  Go through your usual sanding and finish with your choice of finish. 

6.	Assemble by removing finished stopper from mandrel and screw onto the threaded stud of the bottle stopper. Check for a flat, flush fit.  The stopper and the top can be secured with thick CA glue or epoxy.


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## jttheclockman (Feb 2, 2008)

SuperDave


Nice work on the stoppers. What do you use for a finish on your stoppers???  Do you do acrylics like YO-YO Spin???


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