# Turning cork



## txbob (Aug 10, 2007)

I need some help from the fishing rod makers on the forum. How does one turn cork and get a smooth surface? My first attempt left a ragged surface, full of holes. Sanded it to size, but still not happy with the results. Yes, the turning tools were sharp. Shave hairs on your arm sharp. I was turning a bottle stopper. Is that a bad choice for cork?

Any suggestions on how to turn it? How to sand it? Where to buy it in pen blank or rod handle sizes?

Thanks for your help,
txbob


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## Russb (Aug 10, 2007)

I would think cork cannot be turned.....unless you want to stablize it some way.


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## Chuck Key (Aug 10, 2007)

> _Originally posted by txbob_
> <br />I need some help from the fishing rod makers on the forum.



Not a fishing rod maker but I did make a pen from cork (view it at this link).  I shaped mine on the lathe using sand paper after glueing up three bottle stopper corks form Woodcraft.  Scubaman also made one from recycled wine bottle stoppers.  His looke real nice.  I used a CA finish, I believe Scubaman left his natural.

Chuckie


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## LanceD (Aug 10, 2007)

I've been experimenting with gluing cork rings together then turning to just oversize with a rounded skew. Then use sandpaper to bring it down to size. I make a slurry with the cork dust and Deft sanding sealer to fill in the pores. No finish or a little tru oil makes for a better looking pen than one finished with a high gloss coating in my opinion. I have only done a couple of Sierras but will be working on a full sized Statesman soon.


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## maxwell_smart007 (Aug 10, 2007)

http://www.guidesnblanks.com/product.php?product_id=197

It's a cork filler designed for fishing rod handles - probably work well on Cork pens too - or you can probably make your own 'grain filler'


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## saltwein (Aug 11, 2007)

I am a rod builder and the problem is most likely the cork. Almost all of the really great cork is bought by the wine industry. When buying cork for handles I have bought flor grade, 100 pieces at a time and am lucky to end up with 20 perfect pieces. One can always make a slurry of cork and glue to fill the voids. Use a mill file to shape and sand smooth.

Regards, Steve


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## gerryr (Aug 11, 2007)

Bob,
How are you?  Working with cork is sort of a pain.  As others have stated, it's not easy to find high grade cork. but there is a guy who sells some pretty nice stuff, Andy Dear http://www.lamarfishing.com/cork.htm .The stuff he sells is a cork composite, but very solid.


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## johnkepka (Aug 11, 2007)

It has to be sanded not turned.  Rough turn can be done with a rasp.


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## txbob (Aug 11, 2007)

Thanks for the suggestions and comments. Russ always seems to be right on, and if he says it can't be turned I'll stop trying. All I could find on the net implied it should be sanded, perhaps rough shaped with a file. I think my problems were mainly poor quality cork from Hobby Lobby. I'll get my wine drinking friends to start saving me corks. And thanks for the links. Both composite cork and cork rings sound like something to try.

Chuckie, nice job on your pen. Reminds me of the Monteverde pen I carry. Gerry, we're doing well. Haven't been able to travel, but still recovering nicely. We'll leave for Texas around the end of August.

Thanks guys,
txbob


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## LanceD (Aug 11, 2007)

The composite cork that Andy Dear (link on Gerry's post)sells is what I've been using.I haven't tried natural cork and don't think I'll even try it. The composite is real easy to work with but the corners chip pretty easily if you aren't careful.


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## Chuck Key (Aug 11, 2007)

When I was shopping for cork there was an eBay seller offering something called presentation cork which was held out to be the highest quality even nicer than flor.  The presentation cork was selling at between $30 and $40 for enought to do a fishing pole handle.  I did not consider the composite material since to me that would be like making a cork pen out of plastic.  The ca finish was more of an experiement to see how the cork would respond to alternate finishes.

Chuckie


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## gerryr (Aug 13, 2007)

Chuckie,
The composite cork isn't a synthetic, it is actual cork that is formed into sheets with some sort of glue.  It is very nice stuff and if I was still making fly rods, I wouldn't bother with natural cork because you just don't know what's inside.  With the stuff that Andy Dear sells, it's solid all the way through.


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## Chuck Key (Aug 13, 2007)

Ok, one more response here then I will get off this binge but I do have a follow on question to Bob's original inquiry.  First, are there any links to a photos of the composite cork pens.  I would be interested in viewing one or two examples.  Are they referred to as cork pens or composite cork pens or does it matter?  I guess I am thinking in terms of composite wood vs solid wood pens.  I would prefer to see pens rather than fishing poles if possible.

Now the follow on question.  The most difficlut part in constructing the pen I made was preparing and sizing the hole to fit over the brass tube.  How are you pen makers and fishing rod makers approaching this aspect of pen making.  Hopefully some one that has used solid cork including wine bottle corks can address this question though I would be interested in composite cork solutions as well.

Chuckie


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## txbob (Aug 13, 2007)

> _Originally posted by Chuck Key_
> Now the follow on question.  The most difficlut part in constructing the pen I made was preparing and sizing the hole to fit over the brass tube.  How are you pen makers and fishing rod makers approaching this aspect of pen making.  Hopefully some one that has used solid cork including wine bottle corks can address this question though I would be interested in composite cork solutions as well.
> 
> Chuckie


I guess I didn't know drilling the hole was a problem. I just used a 7mm brad point, went slow, cleared the chips often, and it worked well.

Thanks for all the comments. I'm really enjoying the cork grip I made, it has a soft warm feel. Very comfortable. I plan to call Andy and get some composite cork to try.

txbob


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## mb757 (Aug 13, 2007)

I make all of my own handles for the rods that I build. Regular cork is not that different to turn compaired to wood. The regular cork is much softer and turns better with a skew or scraper than a gouge. Start by turning the cork over size and then you will have to fill the holes with a mix of cork dust and epoxy or CA. After that you will have to come back and sand to the final size that you want. The Burl Cork that Andy sells is easier to deal with and much more dense. It turns like a very soft wood and will finish much easier than regular cork. I don't think that Andy sells direct any more but if you visit his web site you should find a list of vendors that will sell direct. Another that sells Burl and regular cork is Janns Netcraft http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/ they have some very nice cork as well. The cork usually comes in 1.25" diameter and you should be able to finish it with tru-oil or cork sealer. I'll try to put one together tonight and post one tomorrow. Mark


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