[Terry Coging]

Sorting my cider making stuff out yesterday and there was a large pack of unused wine corks in one of the boxes. Hmm...had a close look at them and started thinking, slim rod handles? I like slim handles.  Compared to the quality of cork on recent rods the wine corks looked better! Had anyone tried using them? These corks were purchased in France some time ago so may not be available here. 

[Derek Roxborough]

try getting a hole in them Terry that is an art in itself, Derek Roxborough

[Terry Coging]

try getting a hole in them Terry that is an art in itself, Derek Roxborough

Just wondering if wine corks are produced in a different way to rod corks? Is the grain in the same direction? If so, I will make a tubular cork borer for the lathe and see what happens.

[Derek Roxborough]

think the are all made the same way the cork bark cant be more than  1 to 2 inches thick, I have some flat  salmon net corks just over 1 inch thick,make sure your borer is razor sharp, good luck with it, Derek Roxborough

[Terry Coging]

Good result boring out the corks today.  I made a boring tool from a piece of steel tubing. The wall thickness of the tube was 2mm so I drilled it out to reduce this to 0.8mm. Then 3 hacksaw cuts across the end gave 6 cutting edges. Wine cork gently held in the 3 jaw chuck (Myford lathe) and tube cutter in tail stock chuck. It cut easily. Hole was smooth and central.  The finished 23 mm o/d x 12 mm i/d cork has kept it's integrity and looks a lot better quality than bought in 'rod' corks. I will definitely use them on my next 'diddy' rod and for extension handles.

[Mike Barrio]

Interesting stuff Terry ..... and sounds like fun

[Rob Brownfield]

Just wondering if wine corks are produced in a different way to rod corks? Is the grain in the same direction? If so, I will make a tubular cork borer for the lathe and see what happens.

No difference at all....if they are from decent wine bottles. We get our "grading" of cork  from the wine trade, with Flor being the best grade as it has the least amount of voids through it, and thus the least porous for air to get in.

However, like many industries, the wine trade has started to cut costs an improve consistency so use composite cork as it is far easier to control the quality. I presume your corks are proper cork, and if from half decent wine, will be what's known as A grade, possibly AAA.

In years gone buy, this is precisely what rod builders would have used.

If boring holes, a drill press and a jig make life soooo much easier.

[Terry Coging]

These are new corks Rob.  Proper corks of a high quality and bought in France. Can't see any flaws in them whatsoever, so probably AAA or even Flores. I'll get some more when visiting the Chateau in St Emillion, from where I get wine in bulk for home bottling. Just hoping I can bring the wine back tax free later in this year of silliness.

[Rob Brownfield]

These are new corks Rob.  Proper corks of a high quality and bought in France. Can't see any flaws in them whatsoever, so probably AAA or even Flores. I'll get some more when visiting the Chateau in St Emillion, from where I get wine in bulk for home bottling. Just hoping I can bring the wine back tax free later in this year of silliness.

My better half's family own a vineyard in France Shame I hate wine! lol

I have never thought of asking them for cork as I get mine direct from Portugal at a decent price.

We keep getting invites to go across but I cannot think of anything worse than sitting in the sun, drinking wine, surrounded by Frenchmen

[Hamish Young]

My better half's family own a vineyard in France

Yay

Shame I hate wine! lol

FFS 

We keep getting invites to go across but I cannot think of anything worse than sitting in the sun, drinking wine, surrounded by Frenchmen

The Frenchmen bit I understand... but the rest (sitting in the sun, drinking wine) sounds bloody marvellous to me 
I'll sub for you Rob, no charge 

H

[Euan Innes]

#Me Too!
Or was that not what it was about??

 

[Terry Coging]

No sitting in the sun for me when in France - I go fishing 
Now that we have left Brittany I will be having a go on the R Vezere. Saw loads of fish there when canoeing.
I do like the bars and locals in Brittany though  ....after all they are Celts and they detest Parisians.

[Hamish Young]

I do like the bars and locals in Brittany though  ....after all they are Celts and they detest Parisians.

My folks lived just outside a village to the South East of Morlaix,  when I managed to get out with my old man on an occasional visit to the local bar tabac I was genuinely astonished just how much Bretons (in particular, but not exclusively) seemed to detest anything remotely Parisian, especially the residents The 'natives' also had an advanced talent for whisky consumption - which was fine, as I liked the local ciders and brandy in equal measure