# Question: Making Wooden Lids for Jars



## mbierzyc (Nov 30, 2013)

My girlfriend has taken up candle making and I recently bought a bunch of rocks glasses:










Our goal is to give some candles as gifts so I thought it would be nice to make wooden lids for these glasses. My thought is to cut a circle out of wood and then either route out the inside leaving just lip perimeter of the original wood depth, or just route out a ring to slip onto the top of the glass.

I was wondering if anyone had suggestions on the proper tool(s) for this project. I thought I could possibly make a circle cutting jig for my router, but with a 3" diameter of the glass, I wonder if that's possible. I thought about using a hole saw and cleaning up the piece once cut, but haven't yet attempted this.

All suggestions/advice are very appreciated, as I'm an amateur at woodworking, and this is my first post on this forum.

Here are a few examples of what I'd like to create:


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## lunn (Jan 30, 2012)

Well first i'd the most amazing perfect circle i could make of the proper size for a pattern (holesaw). Then cut the others but not taking out the line (no holesaw, whould leave a ugly hole in the center). stick on the pattern with double sided tape. Using a 1 inch flush cutting router bit BAM! you got it, little if any sanding. You could use a chamfer bit to make a stopper or a rabbit bit to make the shoulder. WELL thats how i'd do it


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## Wildwood (Jul 22, 2012)

Cannot offer any advice on tools you mentioned. Think hole saw might prove simpler and faster. Might spend more time sanding and finishing

If me wood not add a wood lid, candle in a glass nice enough. What do you expect people do with a lid?

If had a wood lathe, and necessary tools and accessories could make lids or bases much more decorative. Turning, sand & finishing would be a snap.

Good luck whatever you choose to do.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

I would use a router table for better control. I recommend kiln dried hardwood and don't make the lid too tight because it will be prone to expansion and shrinkage.

1. Lathe
2. Cut circles with whatever saw you have, true with router or disc sander, rabbet bit in router for lip
3. Cut circles with router then rabbet


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

This is the way I do it and have on many occasions:








Sorry for the size of the image … just could not get it bigger!

Use the larger bushing first for the "lip" and the smaller bushing for the actual cutout of the circle! Depending on the length of the bushings you use (I have Porter Cable) you may need to add risers under the template which is made from 1/4" or 1/8" Masonite (hardboard). I hold the template to the work piece with carpet tape! I also use carpet tape to hold the work piece to the sacrificial base.

Calculate the bit/bushing offset to make the template realizing that different bushing bit combinations can provide different circles and lips.

I used this technique on the following projects:
Rose globe, of of four I have made
Candle holders ... cutting nine openings

If you want more details let me know!


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

Sorry about the image form above! It's difficult to paste in mechanical drawings!


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## mbierzyc (Nov 30, 2013)

Thanks for all of the advice! My work schedule doesn't allow a lot of time for projects, but I hope to head to the store this week for a hole saw and then I'll make the apparatus oldnovice showed me.

Hopefully I can have some progress photos after this coming weekend.


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## PaulDoug (Sep 26, 2013)

Got a lathe?


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