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Thread: bottle stoppers

  1. #1
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    bottle stoppers

    Making my first stoppers and wondering what kind of glue you use on the stainless stopper to attach the wood handle.
    Thanks, Wally

  2. #2
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    Wally,

    Generally, I turn the mating surface slightly concave and then I use 5 minute epoxy to glue the stopper to the wooden handle. Also, I place a little 5 minute epoxy around the mating surfaces to seal the joint so nothing can get in there to contaminate the wine. If a little of the epoxy seeps out when I screw them together, I used a rag dipped in DNA (denatured alcohol) to wipe off the squeeze out. DNA can be used to thin epoxy BTW.
    Last edited by Ken Fitzgerald; 05-15-2015 at 11:03 PM.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  3. #3
    I us a 3/8-16 bottoming tap. has worked great so far.

    IMG_0850.jpg

  4. #4
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    Once I pull the blank off the mandrel, I will seal the end of it. Then I use a little CA to glue the blank to the stopper. Works well for me...
    Doug Swanson

    Where are John Keeton and Steve Schlumpf anyway?

  5. #5
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    I use epoxy. I usually use the straight-shaft Ruth Niles stainless stoppers. She also carries a threaded version. I like to turn a lip that just fits over the top of the stopper.

    JKJ
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  6. #6
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    Wally, I have used CA and also yellow wood glue - both work well.
    Steve

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  7. #7
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    Slow setting epoxy for metal / wood and Titebond II for dowels used in Silicone stoppers. Usually use aquarium grade silicone sealant to glue silicone stoppers to the dowel.

    I like JKJ's setup but I turn slightly differently. I turn the base surface & drill (or tap) the hole in one operation. Then I reverse the blank onto a tight fit dowel for a straight dowel or a threaded mandrel ( a bolt shaft ) held into an ER 25 or ER32 collet chuck. http://vermec.tripod.com/PDFs/ER32_Page.pdf No doubt there are similar in the USA like the http://www.bealltool.com/products/tu...olletchuck.php

  8. #8
    Never use epoxy, CA or any other hard/brittle adhesive to bond metal (does not move) with wood (that may move). Use some sort of flexible adhesive - E-6000, Goop, silicone, etc. - John
    Last edited by John King; 05-16-2015 at 8:29 PM.

  9. #9
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    I use threaded stoppers, but I also use epoxy as insurance. Have never had a problem.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by John King View Post
    Never use epoxy, CA or any other hard/brittle adhesive to bond metal (does not move) with wood (that may move). Use some sort of flexible adhesive - E-6000, Goop, silicone, etc. - John
    This site is very handy to make glue selection choices, http://www.adhesive.com/types

  11. #11
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    Actually at least two different adhesive sites recommend using epoxy for joining metal to wood when small surfaces are involved. Considering bottle stoppers are generally sealed with a finish, I don't think there is enough movement in the wood for it to matter what kind of adhesive one might use. Use that with which you are comfortable.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Fitzgerald View Post
    Actually at least two different adhesive sites recommend using epoxy for joining metal to wood when small surfaces are involved. Considering bottle stoppers are generally sealed with a finish, I don't think there is enough movement in the wood for it to matter what kind of adhesive one might use. Use that with which you are comfortable.
    I also look at the sizes of the stoppers. Sure you'll have movement on a large table but I'd be very surprised if there was any noticeable movement on a bottle stopper....
    Doug Swanson

    Where are John Keeton and Steve Schlumpf anyway?

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Doug W Swanson View Post
    I also look at the sizes of the stoppers. Sure you'll have movement on a large table but I'd be very surprised if there was any noticeable movement on a bottle stopper....
    Actually I would think the metal would move more than the wood. Wood expands and contracts primarily with humidity changes, metal with temperature. So putting a relatively warm stopper in a cold bottle might cause metal contraction that would be uniform in all directions. Both CA and epoxy have formulas that remain flexible for long times.
    Retired - when every day is Saturday (unless it's Sunday).

  14. #14
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    Four things make me not worry about joining stainless steel and wood with epoxy on my bottle stoppers. One, as mentioned, is the scale - I join dimensions of 3/8" dia by 1/2" length. The absolute dimensional difference between metal and wood for both temperature and humidity is small at this scale. Second, the longest dimension is along the end grain of the wood which has the least amount of movement due to humidity. Third, as mentioned, the wood is sealed, often very well sealed in bottle stoppers. Lastly, I personally use exotics such as cocobolo and other rosewoods which move very little once dry, even when unsealed, due to pores packed with resins which limit air exchange.

    I have never experienced a failure on a bottle stopper using epoxy. Now if I wanted to join a long metal rod or plate tangential to the rings in poorly sealed oak (or insufficiently dry dogwood!), yes, I might reconsider using a rigid or brittle glue. Threaded shafts are pretty stable in most anything.

    JKJ

  15. #15
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    Metal expansion is very small, on the order of 10^-6 units per degree. For stainless steel, it is about 10x10^-6 in/in-F. So, if a stopper was taken from room temperature and put in the refrigerator, the change in the 3/8" threaded part of the stopper would be about 0.0004 inches, which is unlikely to be much of a factor. One site states that seasonal wood changes due to humidity vary from .7 to 1.2%, so the 3/8" hole in the wood would change about 0.00375", or about 10 times that of the metal. These rates are fairly small, and as John K Jordan states above, if the stopper is sealed well, then there should be little expansion due to humidity.

    I found that the size of the hole drilled and threading of the stopper to be the key steps to making a solid fit. I drill the hole a little small and thread with a bottoming tap. I used to use epoxy, but then had to change out a few stoppers and found that two drops on the end of the threads of just about any glue holds the metal and wood together well. I have used the Ruth Niles stainless stoppers and liked them, but like the mini-cone stoppers from Woodcraft as much. My wife was my tester, and she much preferred the rubber sleeve type to the O-ring types. My family purchased a stopper at Disney Tokyo that was plated chrome, and after six months the finish had flaked, confirming to me to always use the solid stainless steel versions.

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