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I turned this mushroom piece out of walnut on Friday afternoon without a wine bottle close by, so I guessed on the inside diameter of a bottle when I was tapering the section that goes into the bottle.

As you can see, I guessed wrong.

No worries. While it does technically fit and seal the bottle, it sits too high. Consequently, as I taper the lower section so that the base of the mushroom rests on the top of the bottle, the rest of the proportions will be too big. The base will probably be too wide, as will the head of the mushroom.

So I brought in a bottle to the shop. I’m going to use this mushroom as a prototype, and I will examine the steps it will take to make a more refined design, at least to my eye. I’ll also include some video that will show some of the steps, especially the carving.

By the way, with the holidays fast approaching, small projects like this make great gifts. Check out this book, “Wood Carving Basics,” which is currently on sale in our store, saving you 80 percent!

– Ajax Alexandre

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