Glass jar finial

[Tom Gibbons]

I want to turn a lid /finial for a glass jar
I know it can’t fit tight cause the wood will expand and break the jar
So would you make the lid fit loose or get some kind of rubber ring to put in there to take up the space. And where would you get this or is there something that would come in a roll and cut off the amount needed. Thanks

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

This is what I turned for a friend, just a loose fit that sits flat on the glass jar (cookie jar).

If it has to close, a slit cut and then a flat rubber ring that has the opening slightly smaller than the slit will then sit tight and made to fit the opening in the jar just right will make a safe fitting lid.

 

[hockenbery]

How big is the jar opening? Wood moves in small percentages. A 3” piece won’t move much in a home environment.

A couple of options to eliminate wood movement worry
Stabilized wood doesn’t move much if any.

corian doesn’t move. Is turnable ( dusty) Comes in lots of colors. Sink cutouts are free if you find the right source.
Could be the whole lid

Or an insert like this diagram. Brown is wood corian is turned as a close but not tight fit.

 

[Mike Novak]

You could cut the part that goes into the jar a tiny bit small. Then cut a groove for an o ring. Most hardware stores have o rings in many different sizes. If you can’t find the right size there, check with a pool supply store.

 

[Russ Braun]

If it’s a cookie jar, I propose you eat the cookies fast like at our house, they never get stale, lol! Some sort of flexible seal is needed to fit the wood to the glass.

 

[Michael Anderson]

Great options above. Another idea is to turn an endgrain lid. It will move quite a bit less than sidegrain, but like Al said, 3” diameter might not make much of a difference. If it were me, I would turn a straightgrained endgrain lid with a rubber O ring.

 

[Tom Gibbons]

Thanks for the ideas

 

[Dean Center]

It might depend on the intended use. If the contents need to stay dry, a loose fit might be best. If they need to be kept securely inside and mold/freshness is not a concern, then a snug fit would be best and maybe one of the o-ring ideas is the way to go.

 

[Joan Lech]

I always use a rubber ring and never had any problems.