Popular Woodworking 2002-12 № 131, страница 55

Turned

Bottle

Stopp

Here's what you need to know to get started and a few great ideas for what's possible when making these fun projects.

ers

Your choice of wine is thoughtful. The taste and bouquet are pleasing. But what if you don't finish the wine, and you want to save it for later?

Do you push the cork back in? Aluminum foil? Plastic wrap with elastic bands? Plastic soda-bottle caps?

There is an elegant solution: Unique, beautiful and functional bottle stoppers that are made on your lathe and are appealing to the eye.

The following information tells you how to choose the right materials and set up your lathe to turn these stoppers. I've also included a few photos of stoppers I've made to spark your imagination.

Choosing a Stopper Insert

There are several types of stopper inserts available now: cork, silicone and metal-plated (chrome or nickel) with rubber ribs or O-rings. They can be purchased from suppliers such as Penn State Industries

and The Woodturners Catalog (see the Supplies box for more details). Many of these supply houses also sell exotic wood that you can use for turning blanks.

Cork is an authentic and traditional material. Cork inserts with mounting dowels cost about 35 cents each. The metal-plated stopper inserts are eyecatching and durable but they are the most expensive at $3.50 to $7 each. Silicone stoppers with dowels are about 85 cents each.

Pick Your Materials

My favorite woods for making bottle stoppers are cocobolo, padauk, walnut and zebrawood. (Be sure to use a face mask and dust collector because the sawdust will cause allergic reactions in some

by Charles A. Turnage

Charles A. Turnage is a professional turner in Worcester, Massachusetts.

62 Popular Woodworking December 2002