Wine cork body

[Dan Hintz]

I had a client request for a pen body made from wine cork... anyone made something similar? I have, so far, pushed off the request as I didn't think the material would hold up well under normal use (they want it for the spongy aspect, which means no solid coating like CA).

Thoughts?

 

[Steve Busey]

Dan,

Touch base with Jgrden - he did a series of cork pens last May, should have some wisdom to impart.

 

[PaulDoug]

There was a thread on here recently about this very thing. They are not difficult. http://www.penturners.org/forum/f43/cork-blank-103558/

 

[Dan Hintz]

Thanks, guys, I'll check it out.

 

[Jim Burr]

I have a few billion wine corks...I might try stabilizing some...see what happens?

 

[GoodTurns]

I have played with this a bit, with less than satisfactory results. Are you trying to keep the logo on the cork? (It is do-able, drill out the cork to leave desired thickness then cut out piece of the wall to fit to tube size, glue and wrap around tube, done) I have done a couple like this, but coated with CA...if no covering, it will be FILTHY, QUICKLY as the cork will suck the dirt off hands and anything else it touches, also not durable.

good luck! keep us posted if you try it out.

 

[Kirk Dietrich]

Many fishing rod handles are made from cork. You certainly have to coat it with something but it doesn't have to be CA, as long as it prevents dirt, as GoodTurns mentions, from soaking into the cork then you just wipe it clean. If he wants the spongyness, then CA will ruin that. I'm thinking several coats of something that would soak in and protect the cork, maybe something like Dutch oil; not familiar with all the options. Then after dry for a few days, maybe a thin coating of some type of finish or not, the oil may be all you need.
I've got fishing rods with cork handles that are twenty years old; haven't used them everyday for twenty years but they got a good workout before I got newer rods.

Kirk

 

[Akula]

on my fishing rods, I use U-40 Cork Seal Trondak Cork Seal, protects cork fishing rod grips It seals the cork and prevent dirt and slim from soaking in. Old rods, they used refined grease

 

[Soup]

My interest in turning began from an interest in building fly rods, so I have a bit of interest in turning cork. I have tried a few, also with mixed results. The ones that I have used CA appeared more like an acrylic than cork, although they were all made out of burl cork rings. The uncovered ones look horrible within hours from the oils and dirt. I use the U-40 cork seal on my rod grips and it works great, but it is usually in an environment where there is a lot of water contact that helps remove the gunk. It protects the cork by creating a barrier on top of the cork, and makes it a little harder.

Forget about finding something that the cork will absorb to create a protective barrier. It isn't going to happen. Cork is one of the most non porous items I have used.

 

[Dan Hintz]

Many fishing rod handles are made from cork. You certainly have to coat it with something but it doesn't have to be CA, as long as it prevents dirt, as GoodTurns mentions, from soaking into the cork then you just wipe it clean. If he wants the spongyness, then CA will ruin that. I'm thinking several coats of something that would soak in and protect the cork, maybe something like Dutch oil; not familiar with all the options. Then after dry for a few days, maybe a thin coating of some type of finish or not, the oil may be all you need.
I've got fishing rods with cork handles that are twenty years old; haven't used them everyday for twenty years but they got a good workout before I got newer rods.

And there's the rub, Kirk... how to protect it without losing the sponginess. I didn't even think of fishing rod handles (and I used to fish in my youth), and those things seems to hold up well enough. I'm no finishing expert, so I may ask the flatwork guys if they have some suggestions for a good recipe.