Acrylic Bottle Stoppers

[W.Y.]

I have used wood and corian for stoppers for hundreds of different stoppers over the last three or four years but this is the first time I have ever made them with acrylic blanks. I only bought four to try it out and will try more for sure because it turns so nice and polishes up like glass . The other two are a red one and a blue one and are still in blank form.
Wife likes the purple one best but then that is her favorite color and she likes anything purple. . .lol

 

[beck3906]

I like what you have done. Where did you get the blanks?

 

[W.Y.]

I like what you have done. Where did you get the blanks?

I made a mistake in my original post saying that I had two more different colors .
There are actually three yet to do.
I got them from woodnwhimsises as their 5 piece acrylic sampler package .
Here is where you can get the official names of the colors .

http://www.woodnwhimsies.com/bsb.html

And here are the three that I have not turned yet.

 

[W.Y.]

Another Dozen Stoppers

I made these this afternoon to help fill in my stopper inventory of the lowest priced ones but also the fastest sellers. .
These are the 70 cent kits and the wood was all free. .
Top row left to right is four catalpa , one bocote, and one ebony.
Bottom row is three elm, two Russian olive and one mystery wood that was in a box of wood someone sent me over a year ago. Whatever it is , I wish I had a ton of it.
I ordered a bunch of stainless steel kits today to fill in on my better quality top end stoppers but it seems a person also needs these low priced silicone ones to have more successful craft sales by catering to all tastes and all budgets. It is common for some people to buy three of four of these at a time as gifts and it sure adds up fast with them priced as an average of $10.00 each with the lowest priced ones at $8.00 and the highest ones at $12.00 depending on what wood is used..
The weekly Saturday morning farmers market /craft sales are starting in two weeks so I'm trying to fill in a lot of items that I am presently sold out of.

 

[el_d]

Very Nice William. I like turning acrylics stoppers. They're so much easier to finish.

How do the stoppers sell at the farmers market? I was thinking about selling some at the FM but the wife says they wont sell. What else do you offer at the farmers Market?

 

[nava1uni]

Nice stoppers. I like making stoppers and I like working with Corian and acrylics. The blue one that you show in the above thread makes a beautiful stopper. You do really nice work.

 

[W.Y.]

Very Nice William. I like turning acrylics stoppers. They're so much easier to finish.

How do the stoppers sell at the farmers market? I was thinking about selling some at the FM but the wife says they wont sell. What else do you offer at the farmers Market?

Stoppers sell real good . They generally pay my rental space before anything else. They usually out sell pens because of their lower price but variety is key to sucessful sales. I show bowls and spin tops and vase's and goblets back scratchers and key rings and boxes and pepper mills and coffee mugs and ornaments and ring holders and toothpick dispensers and a bunch of other items that I can't even think of right now.
Click on my PictureTrail albums link below to see a small sampling of my turnings , . . . etc

Here is a left, middle and right of a typical sale setup . This one was indoors about a month ago.

 

[el_d]

Wow, Nice spread you have there William. I got to rethink the farmers market booths.....
You do very nice work, thank you...

 

[W.Y.]

As a follow up , I have not had much shop time due to doing landscaping and carpentry and electrical house wiring jobs for in-laws.
Finally got back in the shop this afternoon and turned half of the stainless steel stoppers that I received in an order of various kits and goodies a few days ago .I will soon have my stopper inventory back to normal again .

Top row left to right is
One purple heart , Three acrylic, One ebony

Bottom row left to right is

Two bocote , Two ???? mystery wood and One ebony

 

[rjwolfe3]

Wow you do awesome work.

 

[KenV]

Nice --

I find that the plated metal is a corrosion problem if really used. Even those with the "better plating" The silicone and stainless do not have that problem and work well.

 

[W.Y.]

Nice --

I find that the plated metal is a corrosion problem if really used. Even those with the "better plating" The silicone and stainless do not have that problem and work well.

Exactly Ken. That is why that batch and my next ten will be in Stainless Steel .
I have made a LOT of the chrome ones over the years and it is just now in the past year that I am getting an occasional complaint about the chrome plated ones pitting or flaking and only in red wine and from the ones that use them almost daily. .
There is certainly a market for all of them. The silicone ones can be sold with complete confidence as a low end one and at only a 70 cent kit there is good money in them at $8.00 to $12.00 depending on what the top is turned from . . For the chrome ones, I still make them but use both the silicone and the chrome plated ones as a sell up to the Stainless steel ones because I can give warranty against any wine or consumeable product affecting the finish of the SS ones .
It is just another case of having variety and having your basis covered at craft sales in order to come home with more bucks than ones that do not have either selection or different ranges of prices and quality.

 

[RAdams]

very nice work. I like the green one, and the blue one in the last pic especially.

 

[W.Y.]

Thanks for the comments.

I only have eight more spaces to fill in my stopper display and I will be be back up to my normal inventory although I generally turn a half a dozen or so extras after that as more backup ones to pop in there as they sell.

My summer Saturday morning craft sales will be starting in another week or two so I am trying to get caught up with my fastest moving items.

 

[KenV]

Marketing -- Many think of those for sales as "Wine Bottle" stoppers --

Another use (where silicone and stainless are an absolute must) is as a stopper for vinegar bottles. Your back row second from the left, used in a clear glass bottle of cranberry vinegar or balsamic glaze -- gang busters for visual and an appeal to many who are looking at more salads and vegetables.

Oh and they will need a coordinated bottle stopper for the extra virgin olive oil to go with that bottle of vinegar.

I find that some of those who cannot figure out how to get the stopper to fit into the wine box can handle a vinegar bottle.