Wednesday's Wisdom For Woodturners Jul 25, 2012

Got to spend a little time in the shop yesterday- we're still waiting on the 200 computers to arrive at our school- so I am getting some time off.

Have my salt cellar blanks glued, sized and flattened. Need to get some scrap pine for waste blocks. About half the pepper grinder blanks are glued up.

I received an email from a Patriot Woodturner asking an interesting question. They were curious about the size/proportions of a bottle stopper top compared to the metal portion of the stopper. Some metal stoppers- like the tear drop style- are quite long while others- like the Ruth Niles stopper- are relative short. The turner wondered if the wooden top and metal stopper should be sized proportionally, as in about the same length or could one be longer than the other. Aesthetically, out of the bottle, would the proportions effect the "sale-ability" of the stopper.

So, I am posing the question to all of you in order to help the turner get a consensus. What  do you think??

While looking for example of unconventional stoppers, Ms. Niles gallery contained quite a few really nice ones. One of my favorites was one that has a hidden metal stopper:

This one is called "Dark Monk". Because I live in S. Central PA, I could see making this into an Amish figure but that might be considered sacrilegious. 

Lew Kauffman-
Wood Turners Forum Host

Time traveler. Purveyor of the world's finest custom rolling pins!