Fitting Pouring Stoppers, Lots Are Too Small!

[clay lover]

I am trying to get pouring stoppers to fit the necks of oil bottles. The stoppers are from EZ pots, the ones with cork and metal pouring spouts inside , through the corks. The metal is a bit larger that the top of the cork. I love making the long necked bottles, and the one I get right sell quickly at the gallery. I use calipers and have the finished opening the size of the top of the stopper. Problem is, last throwing session, several ended up too tight and I had to shave the cork a bit to fit.  I wanted to improve on that, so next session, I enlarged the opening just a bit.  Oh No, not the best idea. This firing, I have the same amount that don't fit, but the stoppers are too small.   The metal edge rests on the rim of the bottle, or in other words, the metal ring holds the cork part up too high for it to grip the opening.  I don't have a clue how to get them to fit.  Any ideas?

[neilestrick]

If I were you I would make several templates for the size of your bottle opening and figure out which one fits that best. Just take some old credit cards and cut them into rectangles that vary in width by 1/16" increments and use them to set the size of you bottle openings. Fire them and and see which one works best. Then measure that one and write down the number somewhere so you can make another template when the first one wears out or gets lost.

[clay lover]

I will do that for next time throwing. Thanks.  Do you have any ideas for how to get the too loose corks to work for the bottles I have now?

[neilestrick]

No way to tighten up a cork that's too loose. Put plain corks in them and sell them as spice bottles.

[clay lover]

That's what I was planning, but hoping for a magic answer.

[Mark C.]

Put a thicker glaze on the neck and refire making opening smaller-just a thought.

Mark

[Stephen]

How about molding several circular clay bands (say 3 of different thicknesses) and firing them and E600 the one that best fits into the neck?

[Mug]

You can make your template according to the shrink rate, if you have tested and confirmed the shrink rate for you clay in your kiln.

 Try making the template match the taper of the cork stopper rather than straight. Make your neck on the bottle a wee bit smaller, then do a final ream with the template.

I have had almost a 100% success with this method.

 

You could get a bigger cork for the larger opening. Its good to have several sizes on the shelf. I would sand one to size with a disc sander and make a tapered jig to hold the cork and cut the hole in the center with a piece of sharpened metal tubing in a drill press.

But then most people have limited access to shop tools. If you lived close, I would hook you up.

[clay lover]

I get it!  once I figure out which template makes the fit, I use that one  to actually expand the already thrown inside neck.  After this weekend show, I will get on this.  As to the larger cork, I'm going to the craft store today to get bigger corks, so I could have them ready for when the purchased stopper was too small, , I cut away the too small cork, drill the center of the bigger cork and insert the metal pouring apparatus.

THANK YOU GUYS!