Well after several months of research and setup, we are finally in production.  Our new stabilized wood system is up and running.  On Thursday the senior chemical engineer of one of the worlds largest acrylic manufacturers flew to British Columbia to oversee our first run.  It was a really great day!  We tested our formula and it’s producing a high quality product.

Click the pictures for a full size view

The above pictures are a sample of knife scales and pistol grips from our first run.  The scales are pictured natural (no wetting down for the pictures).  We’re adding over a hundred new stabilized wood items to the store at www.woodstabilizer.com over the weekend, including knife handle blocks, knife scales, pistol grips, duck call blanks, bottle stopper blanks, and pen blanks, so please check it out.  If you like what you see, please bookmark our Wood Stabilizer site and check back often

SEGMENTED WOODTURNING

…brought to you by Vedder Mountain Hardwoods

Ever wondered how an incredible work of art like the segmented vase above is created?… The following segmented woodturning presentation outlines how to turn a segmented vase on your lathe.  Covering not only the best types of wood to use, cutting the pieces, the tools needed, how to glue the segments, it also teaches different sanding and turning techinques, as well as finishing your piece.  Please note: It’s important to follow each step carefully and to have patience… your reward will be a gorgeous work of art.

Click on the Segmented Woodturning Overview below, for a 39 page step by step overview of segmented turning.

Segmented Woodturning Overview

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Bottle stoppers are a fun and inexpensive project for the wood lathe and are a great way to use up those fancy scraps of wood you’ve been saving. Precut bottle stopper blanks can also be purchased for very little money and are a great way to get a variety of different turning woods.

BOTTLE STOPPERS - Various Exotic Woods

For this project you can use any type of hardwood, but in my opinion, figured wood, burls and highly detailed woods look the best. We have highly figured curly maple bottle stopper blanks available for $2.00 each Contact Christina if you would like to purchase some for your bottle stopper project.

Each stopper consists of three parts. A turning blank which is normally 1 1/2″x1 1/2″x2 1/2″, a 3/8″ piece of hardwood dowel and a stoppers cork with a 3/8″ hole in the center for attaching it to the turned top.

The tools and equipment needed for turning bottle stoppers are minimal. Here’s what you’ll need:

• A wood Lathe
• Tools - a gouge, skew and parting tool
• A chuck if you have one (otherwise you can turn the bottle stoppers between centers)
• 3/8″ drill bit
• Wood turning blanks
• 3/8″ Hardwood dowel cut to 2 1/2″
• Bottle stopper corks (can be purchased at most wood turning stores)
• Thick CA glue or epoxy
• sandpaper in a variety of grits
• Friction Polish to finish your bottle stopper or Tung Oil works as well

One you have all your materials, you can begin by cutting your blank to just a hair longer than the size of your finished bottle stopper. Next you can mark the center of your blank on each end. Then you’ll need to drill a 3/8″hole in one end 3/4″deep. Insert some glue into the hole and tap the dowel into the blank with a hammer or mallet. Don’t worry about the dowel being to long… once the bottle stopper is finished, you’ll trim it to the right length to apply the cork.

Insert the dowel end of the blank into the chuck leaving 3/4″ of the dowel exposed (the 3/4″ is the part of the dowel that will be glued into the cork and you want to avoid damaging it in the chuck). Then bring the tailstock up and tighten it into place.

You can also turn these bottle stoppers between centers. Tap the spur center into the marked end of turning blank using a mallet and insert it into the headstock. Then bring the tailstock up and center it on the tip of the dowel and tighten it into place.

Next you start turning just as you would with any other project. Be sure and keep your tools good and sharp while turning your bottle stopper and take your time … if you have a tool catch it may ruin your blank by snapping the dowel.

After you’ve finishing turning your piece, you can start your sanding. I recommend sanding up to 800 grit for a nice glossy finish. Now you’re ready to apply your finish. I like Crystal Caot friction polish as it’s easy to apply on the lathe and dries very quickly. Another great finish is tung oil, but you’ll need to apply several coats to get a really glossy finish.

You can now remove your bottle stopper from the lathe. Measure the length of your cork to the dowel and make a mark. Trim off the extra dowel. Once you’ve done this apply a small amount of glue to the wide end of the cork base and inside the hole in the cork. Quickly slide the cork over the dowel until it’s snug against the bottom of the bottle stopper. When the glue has completely dried you can clean up the end of the dowel by touching it gently on a belt sander until it’s nice and even with the cork.

Bottle stoppers make wonderful unique gifts for Christmas or any occasion. They’re also a best seller at craft fairs if you want to turn for some extra money.

Happy Turning

I found this video to be a great guide for turning a basic bottle stopper with a little something extra. I hope you enjoy it!