# bottle stopper help



## cowchaser (Jan 5, 2008)

For those of you that turn bottle stoppers I need some help. When I pull the tail stock away I get pretty bad vibrations. Gets so bad at times the chuck vibrates out. I have tried light cuts, deep cuts and all kinds of other things. Also when turning on basically the end grain like that do I gold my skew at a different angle. Starting to tick me off.


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## exoticwo (Jan 5, 2008)

Dustin, First I would need to know if the vibrations are in the Lathe or the wood you are using. Could be your chuck is not "locking in" when you screw it on.
 If it's the wood then it's possible your wood is loose on the woodscrew if thats what you are using to hold with. You might want to drill the hole one size smaller and see if that helps.
 If your just using a chuck to hold the wood then it's possible that you do not have a good mating surface on the wood for the chuck to hold. I happen to like the Bottle stopper chuck from PSI. 
 As for the skew, I cant help. I use a flat roundnose scraper.


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## airrat (Jan 5, 2008)

I use a block on the tail stock to hold the stopper anytime I am making cuts (other then end cuts).  When I tighten up the tailstock it pushing the chuck in enough that it will not vibrate out.  


A picture of your setup might help.


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## karlkuehn (Jan 5, 2008)

I see the same behavior when I remove the tail stock on mine. I'm not sure how to fix it. What I've been doing is basically finishing the whole stopper as far as I can before moving the tail stock, leaving only the very end (top) of the stopper to finish. As for the end grain, I'm still learning, too. I've been having good luck on the end grain using a scraper like Albert said. I use a skew on the sides and a parting tool to rough out the shape of the top, cutting from the side. Hope this helps


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## cowchaser (Jan 5, 2008)

I am using the mandrel from AS. I do use a block of wood until I am ready to finish the top. I finish as far as I can and as soon as I remove the tailstock the vibration starts. Everything is nice and tight as far the the stopper to the mandrel. I'll try and get a pic of my set up. Maybe I need to add some sand bags to my lathe stand legs to try and reduce some vibration. I don't have to much problems with wood. It's PR that is killing me. And PR isn't real fond of a round nose scraper. At least for me.


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## exoticwo (Jan 5, 2008)

Dustin, A secure base with some WEIGHT is always a good thing. Also, you might be turning too fast. I use a Delta Midi lathe attached to a homemade mobile stand and only get vibration when I turn large, off center pieces and have the lathe running too fast.
 I hope this helps.


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## Buzz (Jan 5, 2008)

There are obviously many different ways of doing bottle stoppers.  Is the AS mandrel something specifically made for stoppers?

I've eventually settled on using my collet chuck to do them.  I glue the threaded rod into the blank and mount it using an appropriate sized nut locked in the collet.  I make sure that the nut is positioned straight in the collet by using a bolt to align it with the tailstock centre.

A couple of flat washers on the threaded rod before screwing it into the collet gives me enough clearance between the blank and collet.


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## cowchaser (Jan 5, 2008)

Sorry buzz it is this mandrel from Arizona Silhouete.

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


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## ed4copies (Jan 5, 2008)

Dustin,

PR is difficult for stoppers.  So, cheer up, you are NOT alone.

Now, sounds like your jacobs chuck is coming out of the Morse taper, is THAT correct?


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## cowchaser (Jan 5, 2008)

Yes Ed sometimes during the vibration it will just come right on out. [B)]


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## ed4copies (Jan 5, 2008)

OK, that's the first problem to try to solve.  If it is not seating firmly, you will NEVER be able to turn USING A TOOL!!!

HOWEVER, you CAN use a sanding disc in your hand drill.  You are then putting DIRECT pressure BACK toward the headstock.


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## ed4copies (Jan 5, 2008)

IF you do this, WATCH OUT for heat.  Also, I am assuming (my bad) that you have a dust collector, cause you WILL generate SOME DUST.

But, this method will work.

Better: Do you have a scroll chuck?  This can be adapted to hold a jig that holds a dowel that holds your bottlestopper.  I use undersized dowels (5/16 - I think - haven't done one in several months)  After turning the stopper, redrill and tap hole, then you have not put any stress on the threads while turning.

THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY - so list a few of the things you own that will hold stuff on the lathe (even faceplate CAN be used).  Better if they screw on, instead of using the taper for this application.


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## cowchaser (Jan 5, 2008)

Well I guess that would make it a Jet faceplate that came standard with my 1014 lathe.


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## ed4copies (Jan 5, 2008)

Attach about a 1" thick piece of scrapwood to faceplate - you can use screws, but not drywall screws - they will break.

Turn round, so it looks pretty and doesn't hurt you with corners that stick out.

While it rotates, mark center.  Drill hole through with hand drill (stay straight as possible.)  VERY LOW SPEED on drill, also have lathe running slowly, will assist you in staying straight. No vibration, you're straight.

Now, insert a dowel (smaller diameter than the hole you will ultimately have to drill in your bottlestopper - some mechanisms have different hole sizes).

Once you get it so you can run your lathe and the dowel is spinning "true", glue the dowel in the wasteblock on your faceplate.  Now, make a hole in the material you want to use for the stopper (same size as the dowel) and turn your stopper.  As always, use tailstock as long as possible, but the faceplate won't slip - you CAN break the dowel, but you have more dowel stock and more waste stock, start over if you can't just drill out the dowel and use a new one.

IF you get slippage, insert toilet paper (You keep a roll of this near your lathe at all times, don't you?) as a spacer to "snug up".

Try it, it worked for me until I got a scroll chuck.

(Idea courtesy of Dick Sing - this particular application is mine)

Good Luck, have fun, be careful in drilling - you CAN get hurt if you don't pay attention.


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## cowchaser (Jan 5, 2008)

Well you know, since we are on scroll chucks I have actually been saving for one. I have 200 bucks right now. Any suggestions? Planned on buying it for trying bowl ect... later in the future and figured I could use it now for other things.

Also for anyone that knows and maybe I should move this question up to penturning. Should I hone my skew on a we stone or diamond stone after sharpen it. It isn't what I would call sharp enough to cut me.


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## karlkuehn (Jan 6, 2008)

> _Originally posted by cowchaser_
> 
> Also for anyone that knows and maybe I should move this question up to penturning. Should I hone my skew on a we stone or diamond stone after sharpen it. It isn't what I would call sharp enough to cut me.



I grind the tools down on a grinder and then hone them on a 1000 grit water stone. They should be sharp enough to grab your finger/thumb nail when you lightly test the edge, pushing the cutting edge against your nail at the lowest angle you can. Hope that makes sense! Don't cut yourself! [B)]


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## ed4copies (Jan 6, 2008)

OR, drop a piece of paper (looseleaf will do) and attempt to cut it as it falls.  IF you succeed, go to wood shows, which is where I saw this done.

HOWEVER, it is safer than trying it on you finger and suing Karl for cutting yourself.


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## Texatdurango (Jan 6, 2008)

Using the same mandrel, I probably have turned a few hundred stoppers and early on I found that if I used the recommended drill to drill out the blank that some woods would hold tight on the mandrel and some would start to "wobble" loose after a bit of turning.

I started drilling a slightly smaller hole then threading the stopper onto the mandrel and it seemed to work great with far fewer wobbles.  That, and I probably got better, having fewer catches, which were probably the cause of the wobbling to begin with.


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## airrat (Jan 6, 2008)

I agree with you george, I drill different based on how soft the wood is.  If it is soft I will go slightly smaller to make a tighter grip, this also helps hold the stopper base on.


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