dognose Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I was looking at the "members projects" forum and found a link to a page showing a collection of corkscrews. From what I could see, there are basically 2 different types of worms that were used. The first being made from standard round stock, pointed and wrapped around a mandrel. The second is throwing me for a loop, I can't seem to figure out what the stock looked like before it was wrapped in a spiral. Here's a link to what I'm referring to. Were they cast, or am I just missing something that is fairly obvious? http://corkscrewsonline.com/corkscrew_guide_bearing_assisted_corkscrews.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Buggerd if I know, looks turned like a drill bit. Otherwise it looks like a tear drop with the fat end inside and the point out, bent the hard way. I'd be tempted to forge out the profile, bend the tip 90 and clamp it to a mandrel, use a torch to heat it and spiral it. Have to rework the tip but it might work Looking at the one in my kitchen drawer it looks to be a roped thread, and looking closer so do some of the ones your looking at, the others ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Glad you enjoyed the link, Dog. Equally glad that I'm not the only one baffled by those screws. I haven't tried to make one yet, but I can't visualize how they could be hand made other than simply bending the flattened portion the hard way. Makes me wonder if they were forged or machine-cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dognose Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 I studied the one in my kitchen drawer last night over dinner, it does appear to be a tear drop shaped stock bent the hard way around a mandrel. I'll have to try it though to be sure. I'm wondering why all the xtra effort, was it a style thing, or does the worm have less friction going into the cork? It may also have less volume than solid round worm which would displace the cork less making it easier to remove???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Allan Kress had a spring tool that he made that swages that style of corkscrew from round stock. Allan was the demonstrator at the Pontotoc Affair last weekend in Pontotoc, Mississippi. He did not demonstrate that particular thing, but he explained it and passed the tool around. I believe Allan may make that particular spring fuller for sell. He and his wife, Allison Bohorfoush, set up in the tailgating section at a lot of conferences that I've been to. Allan also teaches at John C. Campbell Folk School and is a featured demonstrator at many blacksmithing conferences. Allan makes many different affordable tools designed to make things easier. Google him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinobi Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 for what its worth, heres a pic of the ones I have at home. regular wire screw and what is most likely a cheap knockoff of the other version. you can plainly see the casting seam on it, and I cant stand using it because it doesn't bite into the cork for beans! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Alfred Haberman made one at the Ripley ABANA conference. I believe he started with 1/2" x1-1/2" stock. he made it about 4' Tall so he could use it standing up. :) Oh yea, he also drmonstrated how to use it, then, sampled "the wares". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Another way those screws could be formed is by grinding. Done in a lathe or turning jig, it would be similar to cutting a coarse thread only instead of a cutting tool, a grinder would be mounted to grind the spiral. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJS Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Clifton Ralph's Joann twist, do it under a power hammer in a die with a fuller biting diagonally across the die, but I think you can forge it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dognose Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 Clifton Ralph's Joann twist, do it under a power hammer in a die with a fuller biting diagonally across the die, but I think you can forge it... Does anybody have a pic or a link to what the die looks like? I see how a diagonal fuller makes sense to start with, but if forging, once you've turned the stock 180 degrees wouldn't you be crushing the side just forged? In such a tiny piece, it seems like it would be difficult to quench to prevent that from happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJS Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 The regular Joann twist is supported in a swage or a v-block, and you fuller with a wand set on the diagonal and rotate the stock to forge in the twist. I imagine you should be able to open a twist on the diagonal with a narrow wedge cutter and open it up, then open things up progressively with wider cutters, you would probably have to make a bottom swage to support the work while you focused on stretching the center and sharpening the flutes... The other option I just thought of (that is probably more likely;-) would be to forge a tapered round, then divide it slightly with a spring fuller so it had a v forged in down the center of the round. Then pinch half of it into an edge which would cause the piece to begin to curl up, keep forging it out doing what ever convenience bends to be able to forge the edge all the way to the end. Then twist and pull and I think you might get that shape of cork screw... Just another thought... ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Most of these type screws were made on a patented machine. It is a fairly simple design with two angled rods that rotate and swage the leads into a heated rod in a single pass! I've not had the good fortune to find one of these machines, yet. I have read about them a bit. I'd love to acquire one if anybody has a lead on one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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