Making Wine Stopper or Bottle Stopper kits,Stainless steel

WINE or BOTTLE STOPPER KITS

I recently purchased some stainless steel bottle stoppers from Arizona Silhouette. The wine stoppers are made of stainless steel and should not corrode for any reason. These are the best kits on the market
The wood is turned in the usual way. I drilled and tapped the hole to create threads on which the stopper could be mounted. The tap was sized at 3/8" to fit the stopper.
Here are some of the pictures from my new stoppers.
Please visit my web site for more on turnings with a mini lathe
http://nokeswoodworks.com/

Wine Stopper or Bottle Stopper

Turning a wine or bottle stopper is similar to turning a pen. Use the same lathe, same turning tools.

Start with a blank of wood 1 1/2" X 1 1/2" X 2".
This will be placed in a drill press vise ready to drill, you may want to start with a Foster 3/4" drill bit to recess
the hole depending on type bottle stopper you are using. If you do recess the hole, then center Fostner bit on
the blank and drill down 3/8 of an inch.
Next insert a 6mm drill bit and drill down 1". This will be the first step if you decide not to recess the hole.

You will need a bottle stopper mandrel, attach the mandrel to the head stock. Then screw the stopper onto the
mandrel using the 6 mm hole just drilled. Now pull up the tail stock and tighten to secure.

Using a skew and spindle gouge turn the stopper to desired shape. Sizes and shapes may vary.
Remove tail stock and finish turning. I use a spindle master for most of my turning work.

Now sand using progressive grits of sand paper to 600 grit. Apply finish, this can be wax, sanding sealer, wood
turners wax or a CA finish.

Remove the turned piece and glue the head to the stopper with thick CA glue. I always use epoxy

There are a couple of different types of stainless steel stopper. Some people use a dowel in the hole and glue a
cork to the other end. See my web site for more on turning.

Randy
http://nokeswoodworks.com

Lathe Speed, Pen Making and Bowl Turning

What speed should you set your lathe to when turning different projects.
I have guidelines that I use when selecting what lathe speed to use. The speed you use should allow the blanks to turn with little or no vibration. So if you turn the lathe on and there is vibration, shut it down and lower the speed.
I always wear a face shield, which is a good safety practice.
My guidelines for turning wood are as follows:
Pen Turning 3000 RPM or higher
Stock smaller than 2" can turn at 3000 RPM
Stock which is 3" can turn at 2000 to 2800 RPM
Stock which is 5" can turn at 1200 to 1800 RPM
Anything over 6" should be turned at less than 1000 RPM
When sanding I always slow my lathe down to 500-600 RPM
When applying finish, I set it to it's lowest speed. Which for me is 500 RPM
These guidelines are for wood, if you turn other material, these may not be right for you.
These are only guides, try different things and see what works best for you.
Always wear a face shield or at least safety glasses when turning. And if it doesn't feel right shut it down. Do not turn wood with defects, cracks or knots.
http://nokeswoodworks.com/

Mini Lathes projects

I have a Jet Mini lathe. When I first bought it, I was sure I would not use it that much.
It has become a very useful tool in my shop. I use it for pen making. I have made hundreds of pens using my lathe. I have made them from wood and plastic and horns.
I mostly give them away but I have sold a few.
I have made bottle stoppers,game calls,knobs, and letter openers. I have made mini birds house to hang on the Christmas tree, as well as wood christmas decorations. I have made several shaker candlestick tables. See picture above. I have even made a custom walking cane. I have made a number of small bowls.
Turning is fun and can be additive. Once you buy the lathe, the next big purchases are the tools with which to turn. Chucks or mandrels will also be needed. Please email me if you would like more information on lathe tools. I have made a lot of projects using my mini lathe.