Cork Experts - I need your help.

[Jgrden]

I am trying to attract business from a Vineyard. I told them that a pen could be made of their cork with their signature on it. They sent me some sample, clean cork. The cork is 15/16 inches wide and 2" long, even though the pictures show a generic cork 1-3/4 inches long.
I need to wrap this cork around a tube belonging to a Big Ben Cigar upper barrel.
The first issue of cutting a hole is solved.
The second issue is how do I know how much to cut away to fit a cigar tube?
The third issue how do I bend the cork without breaking it?

In finishing it, would you put it into an Alumilite blank OR finish it similar to a pine cone with BLO/CA?

 

[Sylvanite]

I wish I had an easy answer for you, but I don't. Cork swells and shrinks quite a bit with moisture content. That's what makes it good for its purpose. The liquid in the bottle keeps the cork swollen to form a good seal. Cork is also quite elastic. The corking process involves soaking the corks, compressing them, and then forcing them into the bottle neck (where they swell and seal).

how do I know how much to cut away to fit a cigar tube?

Because cork is elastic when wet, and because it swells and shrinks with humidity, if you wrap a tube, the joint may open when the cork dries out.

how do I bend the cork without breaking it?

Soaking (in water) will soften the cork, but you wind up with shrinkage problems as above.

Have you considered drilling and turning a cork instead of wrapping it around a tube? Cork can be laser-engraved, so you could reproduce their trademark after turning.

Regards,
Eric

 

[Jgrden]

Eric:
Thank you. I am studying your remarks about the swelling and shrinking events. This is the clue to solving the mystery about how much to cut.
Your remarks bring some important new issues. Even after gluing the cork to the tube, dry at 50 degrees humidity, and applying a CA finish, will the subsequent expansion and movement cause a poor appearance? And then there is a question about wetting the cork to wrap and then, I guess, letting it dry, taking it back off and then gluing it. I guess I need more cork for experiments. Better start drinking some wine - Merlot.

 

[ThomJ]

John can you stabilize it like wood?

 

[Jgrden]

Thomas:

I am not sure how to stabilize wood. This is a consideration. I will look at the library to see what it offers.

Thank you,

John

 

[randyrls]

John; I would think that you might be able to solve the whole problem by having the cork stabilized. I have heard of people who do this but I am not aware of any names at the moment. You might want to stabilize an unmarked cork and ask the winery if they can supply you with an image of the logo, then have it laser engraved on the cork. The stabilization would keep the cork from swelling and contracting and provide a good surface for finishing and engraving.

Unless the point is to use a real bottle cork.

Hope this helps... Randy.

 

[jskeen]

I tend to suspect that casting the cork covered tube in alumalite would serve much the same purpose as stabilizing the entire blank, as long as the layer of cork wrapped around the tube is thin enough. That begs the next question, how thinly can one slice cork from a cylinder, (peel a cork?)

 

[phillywood]

John, wasn't it last week or two weeks ago that someone had the cork in the upper portion of the pen? can yousearch for at least two weeks ago to look at al the pens. Or, give me few hours to look and see if I can find who it was by checking my posts. I get back with you later.

 

[johnnycnc]

A quick thought, John, on finishing..
They may expect it to feel like natural cork; I think I would if I were them. That would cause some serious issues with finishing it, period!

 

[Jgrden]

Randy:
My original intent was to use their real cork. As I read and learn it seems that this might not be a possibility. One of the issues is that if I stabilize in a 50/50 mixture, I still need to turn the blank and that is where I loose the original owners logo.

 

[Jgrden]

I tend to suspect that casting the cork covered tube in alumalite would serve much the same purpose as stabilizing the entire blank, as long as the layer of cork wrapped around the tube is thin enough. That begs the next question, how thinly can one slice cork from a cylinder, (peel a cork?)

It is -.3 cm thick.

 

[Jgrden]

A quick thought, John, on finishing..
They may expect it to feel like natural cork; I think I would if I were them. That would cause some serious issues with finishing it, period!

Welcome back from your vacation. We were lost without you. You bring up yet another point that I had not considered. But what you say is fascinating. I would want that texture to the touch as well, which means sealing the outside with a spray lacquer ( CAN'T BE RAW - FINGER LANOLIN WOULD DARKEN IT and it would get dirty). It also means the dimensions need to be set from the INSIDE - OUT.
Thank you.

 

[Jgrden]

John, wasn't it last week or two weeks ago that someone had the cork in the upper portion of the pen? can yousearch for at least two weeks ago to look at al the pens. Or, give me few hours to look and see if I can find who it was by checking my posts. I get back with you later.

I'd like to see that thread. I will look as well. Thank you Philly.