Old Dog, New Trick - My First Bottle Stoppers

[Steve Schlumpf]

About a week or so ago I got my bottle stopper starter set from Ruth Niles. It consisted of a mandrel, that also serves as a tap for the stoppers, the proper size drill bit and 10 of her low profile stainless steel stoppers. Everything looked great! I checked out a few of the bottle stopper posts here to get some ideas and then gave it a try. The first thing I realized was that I didn’t remember diddly squat about spindle turning! Finally grabbed my Thompson 5/8” V bowl gouge and made it happen! Guess it’s all in what you are used to!

Didn’t take long to figure out the process and things moved right along! The mandrel sure made everything easy! It was a lot of fun and I will be making more as my wife wants to give them away as Christmas gifts this year. Sure is a great way to use up some of those small pieces of wood!

A lot of you have tons of experience turning stoppers – so please don’t hold back your critiques or comments! I always appreciate the feedback!

Curly Maple – finished with Minwax Wipe-On Gloss Poly
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Walnut – finished with Deft Gloss Brushing Lacquer
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Curly Birdseye Maple – finished with Deft Gloss Brushing Lacquer. This was my first time applying a finish on the lathe and then burning it in. Took a couple of tries to get the hang of it but it sure is a labor and time saving method of applying finish to small items!
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A big thanks to Ruth Niles, her quality products and the design and procedure assist she included on her website! You can check it out here: http://www.torne-lignum.com/stoppers.html

As always, comments, opinions and critiques are welcome!

Thanks for looking!

[Kirk Miller]

Hey Steve they all look great. Bottle stoppers are a lot of fun to turn, and people really like them. I gave some out at Christmas this year now I have people wanting to buy them.

[Stephen Massman]

Look great.

[Robert McGowen]

Looks good Steve. You might want to try putting one on a wine bottle and checking to see if there is room for it to stand up in the 'fridge. I am sure that I will get some flack from all the wine purists out there, but most people put opened wine in the 'fridge and probably would like to stand the bottle upright. Just my thoughts and why I make my stoppers a lot shorter in height.

[alex carey]

looking good, i especially like how you show the work.

[Bill O'Conner]

Maybe next we'll see some pens out of you Steve

[Steve Schlumpf]

Robert - very valid point! The only problem I have is that we do not drink wine so I have nothing to gauge height with. All of the maple stoppers are 2 1/4" - the walnut are a lot longer at 3 1/2". I will have to go bother the neighbors and see if I can 'borrow' one of there wine bottles! What length of stopper would you recommend?

Bill - about the only thing I can say on that idea is 'don't hold your breath'.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great looking stoppers Steve. Well done. Those have been great sellers for me. I had to do the same thing and have the neighbor save me one of their empties so I could try them out.:D

[Don Carter]

Great looking stoppers, Steve. I do make my stoppers short. Seems the LOML not only likes white wine but we buy the large bottles and do store some in the frig. That is why I began to make stoppers with the "cork" inside the stopper.
Don't worry, anyone would be very pleased to receive what you have made. Should I send you my address?;)

[Roger Alexander]

Hi Steve, They do look nice. But around here we use the stoppers for more than just wine. How tall is up to you or care to make and where it may be used. I do not use much wine myself. Maybe two bottles a year. One thing I do not do on them any more is. ( Putting a point on the top) HEHE, can be bad news.

[Mauricio Ulloa]

Really nice stoppers!

I've been selling these stoppers for a while and here is an unrequested advise: The hardware that I see in the pick shows two stripes of the sealing material (rubber I guess...?). My customers tell me that they don't like this. They prefer the hardware that has more rubber because the one with the two stripes does not seal the bottle well and they get spills and spoiled wine. Woodcraft and some other suppliers sell them..... as well as some other renowned suppliers!

Hey, don't forget to keep the wood shaves flying!

[Harvey M. Taylor]

You asked for designs, here is a couple:Make it like a wine keg with the bands around it and look at a barrel or keg larger in the middle and scoop out the top and leave a rim around it. Another: I call it a party hat, looks like a stovepipe hat like Abe Lincoln wore. Make the'stovepipe' smaller at the brim and graduate it larger as you go to the top, for a cartoon effect.
A couple designs to'chew on'.Max

[Rasmus Petersen]

Very nive Steve...

I like your finish, shiny :-) In terms of design, shape is very nice, but IMHO they lack something that shows clearly that they have been hand made. I acually dident read the part where you told us that they have been made with a bowlgouge. that was clear to me imediatly, i have a frind that turns only with bowlgouges (for everything) and his spindelwork has the same design issu. You need something sharp, a v cut, cove, edge something that says clearly that it cant be made on a CNC machine...

Other than that very nice :)

[Steve Schlumpf]

Max - appreciate the design ideas!

Rasmus - no excuse on my part but most of the tools I have are for bowls/hollow forms and not much that I can do in the way of detail work. I plan on picking up some mini/micro tools next week and may be able to do some minor design changes.

Been thinking - seeing as how I like hollow forms - to turn a stopper that is a small SW style HF. Probably not real functional but it would be unique! Will have to make some really small tools to fit on my captured system for that! LOL

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Those are very nice and fun to do!

One thing I found out at a show is that you have to watch how tall they are. If they are too tall, they won't fit in the cooler (Refrigerater). Had it happen to me, too.

Bruce

[Rasmus Petersen]

Nice idea on the mini hollowforms for stopper tops...

i skew most of my bottelstoppers, and spindelgouge for others. But skew for the details, no need for the small tools i make mine with a 1" skew (i think its 1")

[Gary Herrmann]

Nice job, Steve. I like your batch of curly maple stoppers the best, but I tend to make mine of simple, eye pleasing (mine), ergonomic shapes (swelling toward the top so it's easy to pull out of the bottle).

I've never made a stopper with the wood being taller than 2". As others have said, they may look good, but they're impractical in the fridge.

I haven't bought any of Ruth Niles' stoppers yet. I've been buying from Arizona Silhouette. They have two sizes - the low profile version have a smaller bushing, but the cone is the same size. They're good for bottles of port, desert wine etc.

'Course this makes me realize I've never posted pics of any of my stoppers...

[Bill Bulloch]

Welcome to the wonderful world of stopper turning. I turn a lot of stoppers. When I have a small piece of wood left over, I make a stopper with it. I probably have 30 or more made up that I do not have the hardware for. I figure I'll get the hardware one day, maybe find a bargan on eBay or something. I make mine with a lower profile, not taller than 2 1/4 inch and most of them are a little fatter. I never go into it with a design in mind; I just start turning and what turns out turns out. Good job.

[Jeff Nicol]

Steve, I am in the same boat that you were in, I have never turned a bottle stopper! I have about 300 really nice pieces of wood that are the perfect for bottle stoppers, so I will ber ready when I get the urge! I think your bottle stoppers are just perfect, I for one would use them for nice flavored oil bottles, or balsamic vinegear bottle, or a soda bottle, or a whatever bottle! They are not only for wine bottles, but for any bottle you want to stop up and reuse. So no worries about the hieght of the bottle stopper, most fridges have adjustable shelves or deeper shelves for taller things anyway. Most of the people I know when the wine bottle gets opened it gets drained!

Keep up the good work!

Jeff

[Dave Halter]

Steve,
Very nice stoppers. I'm also of the opinion that they should be a little shorter, but that's based on my personal preference. I agree with Jeff that they are bottle stoppers - not necessarily "wine" bottle stoppers. I've got one stuck in a bottle of olive oil in the kitchen. Also, the ones that I use in wine bottles are laying on their sides in the fridge so there's room if they'er taller. I've never had a problem with Ruth's stoppers leaking when the bottle is on it's side.

Dave

[Richard Madison]

Nice work Steve! Always fun to try something new. Must try "burning in" brushing lacquer. Usually just use it to build the finish b4 final spray coats. Folks in Europe (and elsewhere, no doubt) use stoppers for olive oil and balsamic vinegar as well as wine.

[Rich Boehlke]

Those all really look good, Steve. Stoppers are one of the things on my to do list. Thanks for the link to Ruth's site I have been looking for it.
Your finish looks terrific too. Would you mind if I asked for the details of your application method?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Mauricio, appreciate the compliment! The stoppers pictured are from Ruth Niles and they each have 3 o-rings. I haven't actually used them yet but, according to folks who turn lots of stoppers, they seal bottles quite well.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Steve....great first stoppers! Like Bernie said...they sell well and quickly!

BTW...if you go to Ruth Niles website.....her stoppers have been tested.....to standards....with the bottles in a horizontal position...IIRC.

[Scott Conners]

Very nice Steve! Can you explain any more or point to a link on how to burn in the lacquer finish? I've wanted to try it and your results catalyzed the need.

As to buying mini or micro tools...
Unless you are turning REALLY tiny stuff those tools are too long and skinny. I turn little tiny tools that go into dremels, with <1mm grooves and points. I do almost all of it with a Sorby 3/8" fingernail gouge, and use my 1/4" detail gouge in spots where I need to get a bit tighter. Those mini 1/8" chisels are too springy and small unless you truly are doing tiny work.

[Toney Robertson]

Nice looking stoppers Steve.

You got to love the RN stoppers and doesn't applying the lacquer on the lathe save time!!! I assume that the coating is not that thick but I love how quick it is.

Turning stoppers is too much repetition for me but since they sell well once in a while I force myself to do a batch. The green stuff is too hard to ignore. :D

Toney

[Rob Cunningham]

Steve, the stoppers look nice.
I don't think you need mini tools, just a skew and a 3/8" or 1/4" spindle gouge should be able to do that size work, IMHO.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Rich - finishing on the lathe is still very much a work in progress but I did manage to find a way to finish these small stoppers. I picked up a can of Delf Gloss brushing lacquer as I have always liked the look it can give turnings when done right.

After stirring the contents, using a folded paper towel (with the lathe off) I rubbed the lacquer on the stopper so that everything was totally covered - but not enough that it would drip or run. I then turned on the lathe and ran the speed up to 2000 rpm. Using a clean cloth, (I used an old cotton washcloth) with very light pressure, rub the lacquer into the stopper. This will generate heat but you have to be careful - to much pressure and the lacquer will dry/melt and you end up with streaks. Light pressure while constantly moving the contact point results in a thin - dry - coat of finish. Within a couple of minutes I had 5 coats of dried lacquer on the stopper! Next!

[Toney Robertson]

Steve,

I have read before (no I don't have a link) that you should not use a dry towel to burnish the lacquer. I guess that is called IIRC dry padding.

From what I have read you should put on the lacquer like you did but then use the wet part of the towel to create the friction to harden the lacquer.

I have done it both ways and I think the lines that you are talking about is due to the dry towel.

Try it and see how it works for you.

Toney

[Ron McKinley]

I limit mine to 2" or under since they seem to "fit" in more places. If I want ones to fit in the refrigerator about 1 1/4"........Ron


Robert - very valid point! The only problem I have is that we do not drink wine so I have nothing to gauge height with. All of the maple stoppers are 2 1/4" - the walnut are a lot longer at 3 1/2". I will have to go bother the neighbors and see if I can 'borrow' one of there wine bottles! What length of stopper would you recommend?

Bill - about the only thing I can say on that idea is 'don't hold your breath'.

[Harvey Mushman]

What length of stopper would you recommend?.

Steve.....As far as length goes....Anything from 1 inch to about 1 3/4 inches works well for me. With a 1 incher, you can come up with a lot of domed shapes or even flat tops with lots of detail work on the sides.

Mauricio....There are many types of stopper hardware available on the market, but I must say that Ruth's stoppers are simply the best. I haven't had a problem with any leakage from a bottle being placed on its side. Also, they are made in Pennsylvania, which is a big plus for me. I have had issues with most of the other popular stopper hardware out there. The platings vary in quality. So, I settled on Ruth's stainless stoppers. The "other" stainless stoppers are hit and miss when it came to quality control. Of the last bunch of 25, I had to return 9 of them because the tapped threading into the body was way off center, resulting in an "out-of-whack" fit.

[Rich Boehlke]

Rich - finishing on the lathe is still very much a work in progress but I did manage to find a way to finish these small stoppers. I picked up a can of Delf Gloss brushing lacquer as I have always liked the look it can give turnings when done right.

After stirring the contents, using a folded paper towel (with the lathe off) I rubbed the lacquer on the stopper so that everything was totally covered - but not enough that it would drip or run. I then turned on the lathe and ran the speed up to 2000 rpm. Using a clean cloth, (I used an old cotton washcloth) with very light pressure, rub the lacquer into the stopper. This will generate heat but you have to be careful - to much pressure and the lacquer will dry/melt and you end up with streaks. Light pressure while constantly moving the contact point results in a thin - dry - coat of finish. Within a couple of minutes I had 5 coats of dried lacquer on the stopper! Next!

Thanks for the info. Now to get my chores done so I can get back into the shop!

[Rich Boehlke]

Steve,

I have read before (no I don't have a link) that you should not use a dry towel to burnish the lacquer. I guess that is called IIRC dry padding.

From what I have read you should put on the lacquer like you did but then use the wet part of the towel to create the friction to harden the lacquer.

I have done it both ways and I think the lines that you are talking about is due to the dry towel.

Try it and see how it works for you.

Toney

I will try your method also, Toney. Thanks for the input. Cant wait to get back into the shop!

[Mauricio Ulloa]

Hey Steve!

Thanks for your kind answer and thanks for the information about the supplier for the stoppers! I'm going to get some of her kits to do some high-end stuff here! This is what this place is all about.... sharing and learning and finding good friends along the way!

Take care,

Mauricio

[Joshua Dinerstein]

Beautiful work Steve. I like the top center maple and the middle and right Walnut ones. I like the smooth flowing lines of them. Great work!

Hadn't though about the comment on the fridge but it is a pretty good idea.

Well done,
Joshua

[Steve Schlumpf]

Thanks for the kind words everyone!

Just as an update, my neighbors on either side of me each generously donated an empty wine bottle for the cause! One bottle measured 12 3/16" high and the other was 11 1/2" high - so, apparently there is a wide range of standardized wine bottle heights! My fridge has adjustable shelves in the door and it would be no problem to fit the taller bottle with the longest stopper. Others may not be so flexible, so I do understand the need to have shorter height stoppers when the intended use is for wine.

I did take one bottle and fill it half way with water and then inserted a stopper into the bottle. I held the bottle so that the nose was pointed down (over the sink) at about a 30* angle and everything held in place - no leaks! Cool!

Just wanted to let others know that the stoppers work well and that bottle heights do vary!

[Tim Cleveland]

Nice forms and finish Steve. I really like the stand.

Tim