I made the blank for this wine bottle stopper by placing white spruce cones in a mold with a two-part liquid acrylic resin. The mold with the resin and cones was then placed in a specialized chamber designed to withstand high pressure. This step assures a bubble free casting. After the resin cured into a solid, I turned the block of acrylic on my lathe and finished with sanding and polishing.

     Please note any white "dots" that may be visible in the casting are where the scales of the cones meet the surface of the casting and not defects. Vertical white lines are not scratches only reflections.

     304 Grade stainless steel is comprised of at least 50% iron with no more than 0.08% carbon. With that much iron content it would seem the material would be subject to corrosion. Yet, it is the elements represented by the second set of numbers, 18/8, that chemically protect the iron. The 18/8 designation refers to how much chromium and nickel respectively are present in the stainless steel.  In example, 18/8 stainless steel has 18% chromium and 8% nickel. The chromium acts to bind oxygen to the object's surface thereby protecting the iron from the process of oxidation. This protection is enhanced by the presence of nickel. The greater the nickel content, the greater the corrosion resistance.  

     To enable a tight seal simply push down while twisting gently. Do not push straight down. At least two nitrile O-rings should be in contact with the bottle's neck (see photograph). When you're ready to remove your stopper, gently pull up while using a twisting or rocking motion.