Scott Shonkwiler’s presentation on turning a ‘barrel bottle stopper’ at the May 2018 club meeting.
The first step in the process after rounding the 2 inch square by 3 inch blank and mounting in the chuck is to drill a 1 3/16 (1 1/4 second choice) hole in the blank to fit over the bottle which is 1 1/4 inches deep or more.
Next Scott sands and finishes the inside of the barrel. No need to get the finish all the way to the bottom of the hole, the taster cork will be glued into place with epoxy at the bottom of the hole.The next step is mark the length of the barrel using a parting too and then to give the outside its whiskey barrel shape, including barrel bands. Scott sands the outside of the barrel but does not finish it at this point, he will be adding detail with a wood burning tool after finishing the bottom.
Here we see the jam chuck ready to hold the barrel.
Scott is turning the ‘head’ of the barrel indenting the surface to add definition to the barrel staves.
The barrel staves and barrel bands are colored with a wood burning tool. Scott sometimes letters the imagined contents of the barrel with the wood burner too.
Although Scott has used a walnut oil finish in the past he is currently using a 50/50 mix of tung oil and pine solvent to accelerate drying. It burnishes up nicely too. 
Scott has carved a few bottle-stoppers too.
By: Scott Shonkwiler On: 05/31/2018
Show And Tell
John Thorson: Maple platter, Walnut balls
John Thorson: Walnut crotch platter
Bob Post: Massive Segmented Bowl