Bottle stoppers

[Robert Cook]

Wanting to try some bottle stoppers. What are some of the recommended finishes for stoppers, and how do you apply them?

 

[Barbara Gill]

Wanting to try some bottle stoppers. What are some of the recommended finishes for stoppers, and how do you apply them?

I use a good penetrating oil using as many coats as needed for the wood type. I buff with Beall System and follow with Renaissance Wax.

 

[john lucas]

I tend to use thinned lacquer followed by the Beal buff. For my high end stoppers I spray on more lacquer followed by the Beal.

 

[Richard Baker]

Similar to John's procedure; wipe on lacquer-based sanding sealer and rub/burnish/friction dry until dry, being careful to leave no streaks. Then one or more coats of spray lacquer, being careful here to avoid the dreaded drips and runs. Then buff with the red stuff if needed, the white stuff, and wax.

 

[DougBrown]

Gloss(you can always cut it back if it's too shiny) Deft lacquer rubbed on with a paper towel(lathe stopped) then turn on the lathe and friction dry it with the paper towel, and with the lathe still running apply a wax( I use Crystal Clear or Renaissance) and buff with the paper towel. You're done :cool2:. Good luck

 

[Frank Kobilsek]

Robert

My steps are:

1) Sand to 600

2) Thinned Deft as Doug described

3) EEE polish, per instructions

4) Mylands Friction Polish, per instructions

5) Good Paste wax, Trewax or Briwax, something with a little carnuba in it.

Frank

 

[Robert Cook]

Stopper Help

Thanks very much for the information on finishing of bottle stoppers. Will give several a try.
BTW -- Woodcraft in Boise, ID. turned in a few over 1000 pens for the soldiers in Iraq.
Robert Cook
S. W. ID.

 

[Mr. Don]

Pens

TEN DASH FOUR to you Woodcraft Boise people!!! GOOD TURN!!!:cool2:

 

[Ruth Niles]

I'm curious about the above finishes mentioned. Bottle stoppers are constantly held, squeezed, pushed and pulled by hands, does hand oils have any long term effect (or affect?) on the finish?

Also there's a good chance of them getting wet, as in laying on a kitchen counter, possibly by wine or water drips/splashes/spots. Will any of the finishes mentioned here spot? Will they discolor from water? Can they scratch where the owner might notice?

I've pondered this many times, being at several family and friends gatherings where 3 or 4 bottles of wine were opened (and enjoyed!) and I've taken note of how people use the stoppers. Since stoppers are supporting me, I've really studied their actual usage, which designs are hand friendly, and the finish durability or life expentency.

I don't know enough about laquer or any finish other than natural oils or my mixture of melted beeswax, a pinch of carnuba and mineral oil, held tight against the sanded stopper, let dry then buffed. I tell customers the way they buy it is the way it will always look, if it gets dull, use spray wax, paste wax, any household wax. Can they do that with laquer?

Educate me.

Ruth

 

[Jerry Hall]

Any "Surface" finish seems to me

to be a long term problem for an item that is used as you accurately describe, Ruth. What I think I understand is that Lacquer, Poly, Shellac are surface finishes. Lacquer and Shellac are arguably more renewable but that is hardly a household task. So I agree with your assessment.

That said, sealing with lacquer/thinner (30 - 50% lacquer?) base and friction dried seems to me to leave little on the "surface" and after buffing thru Carnuba might be as renewable with household waxes as you describe.

Watco and the like are kind of in the middle but are often as I understand it thinned poly. They are easily renewable by a wood worker, but not in the kitchen. If they have been buffed thru Carnuba I bet your renewal system would work fine.

I also tell people that they have a piece of "furniture" not a kitchen utensil. And advise them to keep it in a cloth bag or on a stand not with the forks and knives. I have even thought of supplying a little bag or stand with the item.

What I have said here fairly exhausts what I think I know about finishes....

Good comments. Your approach has the advantage of being an honest finish presentation, rather than a somewhat temporary super high gloss to make a sale.

 

[Richard Baker]

Ruth,
Do you finish the "bottom" area that will be covered by the metal stopper?

 

[Jake Debski]

It seems to me that if you are doing high-end stoppers, using components such as Ruth's, it would be worthwhile to use thin CA as a finish.

 

[Ruth Niles]

Richard, yes I do cover the bottom. On my website I have a "making a stopper" page. Personally, I like to cut a 1/8" recess for the top of the ss base to fit in, it nestles in the wood, there's no glue line and when it's in the bottle, your design sits on the bottle like it's comfortable. There is no rule that says the bottom of the wood has to be the same diameter as the metal (no matter what stopper base you use). So I sand and put a coat of oil/wax on the bottom before I even put the turning blank on the mandrel.

 

[Ruth Niles]

Jerhall wrote: ....."I also tell people that they have a piece of "furniture" not a kitchen utensil. And advise them to keep it in a cloth bag or on a stand not with the forks and knives."
........................................

Jerry, that is great. I am going to tell my customers that same thing, I am going to blatantly plagiarize your statement.

It's true, so many people just toss the stopper in the utensile drawer and wonder why it doesn't look like it did when they bought it.

Ruth

 

[Richard Baker]

Thanks, Ruth.

Agree with what Jerry said.

 

[Peter Skellenger]

I use a similar approach as Ruth mixing a carnauba, bees wax, and walnut oil blend (like the mahoney product), then buffed carnauba. One thing I am sure to do is spray with water before the final sanding grit is used so the grain will not raise when it gets wet. Buffing is one thing I have not been totally clear on. Is it totally necessary to go through the red and white cpd's befor the carnauba? I skip them both and go right to the carnauba. Recently i have been advised that this is oncorrect and the red and white cpd's are necessary to get a good shine from the carnauba. I prefer the glossy shine but want something just as Ruth said... renewable by the customer in the kitchen.

 

[Richard Baker]

Peter,
Have to disagree with the advice that you received. Depends upon the type and quality of the applied finish. Been using mostly lacquer lately, so the following applies to same, but may apply to other finishes as well.

1) If you have built up several many coats but the finish is fairly lumpy (technical term), you may want to sand with 1200, or even 600 and then 1200 to "level" the surface, then buff with the red stuff, then the white stuff, then wax.

2) Ditto item 1 but the surface is only a tiny bit lumpy (not smooth and level, but pretty darn close), then you might just red buff, white buff, and wax.

3) Ditto item 2 but the force was with you and the last coat you sprayed was a full wet coat but got no drips or runs and the surface dried just about perfectly smooth and level, then you might just white buff and wax, or maybe even just wax.

4) If you did a very thin surface finish, it is less likely to be more than a tiny bit "lumpy". Maybe red buff if needed, maybe not. But motor very gently to avoid burning through the finish.

As I understand it buffing is simply a form of extremely fine sanding in order to create a very smooth and level reflective surface, prior to waxing. If you already have that surface, then no need to buff, just wax. Suggest you try both ways, with/without white buffing and look for any difference. When I get a really good final coat, the white buffing makes very little, if any improvement.

Almost done here so the real experts can jump in. Analogy on a larger scale: if you could turn a workpiece almost perfectly smooth and level (no hills and valleys or tool marks/tracks whatsoever, then little if any sanding would be required. Maybe a little touch up with 400 and 600.

Yammer, yammer. Sure hope this was helpful.