Thread: Simple little thing: turning a bottle stop?

You'll be needing one of these

I bought one at the show Nathan stupid idiot I was get ye to your hardware store take bottle stopper with you and buy a bolt with non-threaded area and a nut cut of head of bolt put nut on instant mandrel

Thanks DJ and Wheelin,

I will use both of your suggestions. Wheelin, I used your idea and found a bolt with the same diameter as the screw on the bottle stop. This worked very well!

DJ, I will still buy a bottle stop mandrel when I am next out. The bolt worked well, but had a little flex. For the sake of six bucks I will try the mandrel and see if it flexes less. And I'll probably be less inclined to lose a mandrel!

Ah well, here's my first bottle stop. Its Tassie Myrtle finished with the magnificent Ubeaut EEE followed by the magnificent Shellawax Glow!

I'm just getting into turning so others may see these as simple (which I guess they are - this was 35 mins start to finish with my beginner skills), but because this one is rather plain with a simple pattern on the handle, it shows grain off nicely... similiar to people turning eggs I guess.

Ta da!

Cheers,
Nathan.

Nicely done, Nathan - you're off to a great start. These stoppers are a great way to use small bits of rare and highly figured wood, and they make great presents.

You might like to experiment on bits of scrap hardwood (you can always unscrew the threaded rod from the blank if you get it wrong) and try different shapes - for example, I really like a "flame" shape, which curves the other way from the one you did, with a "bulb" shape at the base curving up to a point at the other end. It can be quite tricky to get the right curve - the flame can easily become a teardrop - but it's good practice, especially if you use a skew chisel.

Have a look at this online tutorial to see what I mean: http://www.woodworkersguide.com/2008...topper-topper/

Also, there's a very good article on Turning a Flame Bottle Stopper by David Wilkins in Issue 15, Fall 2007, Woodturning Design magazine.

Nice looking bottle stoppers Nathan

I love turning these because they are quick and make great gifts but I have never herd of the mandrel so all I have ever done is mount a scrap peace of timber in the chuck with a hole drilled into it the same diameter as the screw/treaded rod that comes with the stopper then drill a hole in the blank and screw together their is no wobble because they are screwed up tight. Just a thought.

Looks great Nathan

still yet to use the mandrel I bought

and when the Rose engine is done I hope to turn them like this

http://www.ornamentalturners.org/for...geViewsIndex=1

Interesting reading all these posts, thanks guys!

I haven't made any stoppers yet and I hadn't heard of anything other than a pen mandrel until I read this thread.

Was given some stopper blanks... but they all have a bit of dowel glued in them. Would you suggest that I put the dowel in a scroll chuck or is there a different method please? Then after I have turned the stopper how do I remove the dowel? My guestimate may be by turning out the dowel so I can insert the metal stopper bolt... or whatever it's called! Is that then glued in?

Thanks for your patience with my questions!

Cheers,
BB

Originally Posted by Rum Pig

Nice looking bottle stoppers Nathan

I love turning these because they are quick and make great gifts but I have never herd of the mandrel so all I have ever done is mount a scrap peace of timber in the chuck with a hole drilled into it the same diameter as the screw/treaded rod that comes with the stopper then drill a hole in the blank and screw together their is no wobble because they are screwed up tight. Just a thought.

Originally Posted by bowerbird

Interesting reading all these posts, thanks guys!

I haven't made any stoppers yet and I hadn't heard of anything other than a pen mandrel until I read this thread.

Was given some stopper blanks... but they all have a bit of dowel glued in them. Would you suggest that I put the dowel in a scroll chuck or is there a different method please? Then after I have turned the stopper how do I remove the dowel? My guestimate may be by turning out the dowel so I can insert the metal stopper bolt... or whatever it's called! Is that then glued in?

Thanks for your patience with my questions!

Cheers,
BB

The type you have may be for cork stoppers where the dowel is fitted into the cork and glued in as in this type http://www.cws.au.com/cgi/index.cgi/..._id=1107452144

Nathan appears there is more than one size thread I got the mandrel I bought at SWWS from McJings out yesterday and the stoppers I got from Wood-eze mandrel is to small

so out came the bucket of bolts and an old Toyota M8 will fit fine already cut the head off and cleaned it up going to turn a bit of a buffer and glue it on the shank.

ok thank you wheelin. i wondered whether it might be for corks... but good to have it confirmed and now i know the right way to go about it!
Cheers,
BB

Originally Posted by wheelinround

The type you have may be for cork stoppers where the dowel is fitted into the cork and glued in as in this type http://www.cws.au.com/cgi/index.cgi/..._id=1107452144