# Cork and Leather



## jlmort1980 (Oct 12, 2010)

Ok recently I have been thinking of a couple new ideas containing cork and leather.  Does anyone have any tips or tricks about turning and finishing cork and/or leather?  I am still pretty new at turning but always get excited about turning new and unusual items.


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## cnccutter (Oct 12, 2010)

from everything I've tried, you'll need a bucket load of CA... but if you work at it, you'll get a great pen out of it.

here the last one I've seen posted by shawnmill

http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=67838&highlight=leather

Erik


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## sbell111 (Oct 12, 2010)

Leather really isn't very difficut to master.  My try at cork, however, was a huge disaster.


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## PaulDoug (Oct 12, 2010)

Cork is not difficult.  The denser the cork the better.  I use wine bottle corks.  Real sharp tools is a must.  Razor sharp skew works great and sanding with the mesh that they use to sand drywall will take it down fast.  That is what a lot of the people that make cork fishing rod handles use.  When I started turning cork I saturated it with CA but I found that it made it crumble out in bigger chunks so I don't put CA on until I get down to real close to the diameter I am looking for.  The hardest part for me is drilling it.  Wrap it with tape and use a sharp bradpoint bit.


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## dogcatcher (Oct 14, 2010)

The secret to drilling cork is to start with a smaller hole.  Then buy the powdered abrasive that you can glue on a dowel.  Last time I found it in fishing rod builders catalog.  Turn a dowel smaller than the hole size you need with a tapered point like a pencil.  Glue on the abrasive, then ream out the hole.  It will take practice to get the right size.


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## PaulDoug (Oct 14, 2010)

dogcatcher said:


> The secret to drilling cork is to start with a smaller hole.  Then buy the powdered abrasive that you can glue on a dowel.  Last time I found it in fishing rod builders catalog.  Turn a dowel smaller than the hole size you need with a tapered point like a pencil.  Glue on the abrasive, then ream out the hole.  It will take practice to get the right size.



That interesting info, thanks.  I've always succeeded just drilling, but went real slow doing it.  May have to try this method sometime.


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