Cork Source?

[Tom Albrecht]

The current issue of American Woodturner has a nice article by Tim Heil about making your own fishing bobbers. Heil does not list any sources for the kind of cork used in his piece, and I don't see anything like it in my searches.

Can anyone here direct me to a source?

Thanks.

 

[Dean Center]

I get the rings from which fishing rod grips are glued up from Matt Draft at www.proofflyfishing.com. It is possible to get rings without a center hole, if that's what you want. The items shown in American Woodturner gave the idea these were made with a 'stick' of cork, but I don't know if these actually exist.

One alternative for cork rings would be a cork yoga block. These are solid blocks of a manufactured cork material, about 3"X4"X7" or 4X6X8, IIRC.

Finally, I've made grips from cottonwood tree bark. The ridges of cottonwood bark are so large you could easily make a bobber or whatever out of a 'spindle' blank sized piece. You can also cut "face grain" rings out of the cottonwood bark and glue up like cork. The only problem with cottonwood is that the laminations within the bark make it rather brittle. If the end product was something decorative, it would work well, has gorgeous grain, and a variable yellow to red color.

 

[Darryl Fective]

Wine corks? A couple years ago, I asked at the winery next door and they gave me a big bag full.

 

[John Redding]

Take a look at WidgetCo - www.widgetco.com - I’ve used them for various types of cork and rubber stopper type products a number of times and they may have what you need. They have stoppers in various sizes, and I’ve purchased with holes in the center and without, though only in rubber - not sure what they have in cork.

 

[Mike Amphlett]

Could you use balsa wood instead?

 

[Rusty Nesmith]

I make my own wine and buy corks at the local wine supply store.