How to Turn Wood Wine Stoppers

Bottle stoppers are inexpensive to make.

A quality handcrafted gift makes a great impression on loved ones and business partners alike. With a lathe and a few basic tools, wooden wine bottle stoppers are inexpensive, quick, and fun to make. There are a variety of ways to make a wine bottle stopper, but perhaps the easiest way involves using a silicone stopper sleeve, found at fine woodworking stores and catalogs.

Things You'll Need

• Wood bottle stopper blank
• 23/64 inch drill bit
• 3/4 inch screw
• Screw chuck
• Live center
• Roughing gouge
• 220, 300, and 400 grit sand paper
• Carnauba wax
• rag
• Dowel
• Glue
• Silicon bottle stopper

Instructions

1. 

   Bottle stoppers can be made with leftover scrap wood.

   Drill a centered hole in the wood blank with a 23/64 inch drill bit, Penn State Industries recommends drilling the hole 3/4 inch deep. Use a wood blank that is at least 1 1/2 inches square. Choose wood left over from other projects if you like, but be sure the wood has distinguishable grain patterns or color to ensure an attractive finished product.

2. 

   Screw the wood onto the chuck.

   Twist the screw into the screw chuck and mount the screw chuck to the headstock of the lathe. Twist the wood blank onto the screw chuck. Cut threads into the wood by twisting the wood clockwise a small amount, then backing out, and repeating until your wood is securely attached to the screw chuck.

3. 

   Secure the wood with a live center.

   Insert the live center into the tailstock. Bring the tailstock up to the wood by sliding the entire tailstock up, locking it to the bed of the lathe, and rotating the wheel clockwise until the live center is inserted into the wood.

4. 

   Turn on the lathe and carve your desired shape using a roughing gouge or other turning chisel of choice. Back the live center away from the wood once your desired profile is finished and finish the top of the bottle stopper.

Finishing the piece.

1. 

   Sand your piece until smooth.

   Set your lathe speed to slow and rub the piece with 220 grit sandpaper. Repeat with 320 and 400 grit sandpaper.

2. 

   Apply carnauba wax with an old rag.

   Turn the lathe back to high speed and rub a stick of carnauba wax across the wood. Press a cloth against the wood until the carnauba wax is melted and evenly distributed on the bottle stopper.

3. 

   Apply the silicone sleeve and you are finished.

   Remove the wood from the screw chuck and glue a wooden dowel into the screw hole. Place the silicone sleeve over the portion of the dowel that protrudes from the wood.

Tips & Warnings

• These same steps can be used to create a bottle stopper using a plain cork. Drill a hole in the cork and follow all other steps. Insert the wooden dowel into the cork instead of the silicone stopper.

• Wear safety goggles whenever turning or sanding wood.

• Wear gloves while gluing.

References

• Pennstateind.com:"#BS5 Silicon Wine Bottle Stopper Kit"