Being a fruit wine maker, I would rather be pulling corks but as a woodturner it is sometimes necessary to bore some corks. What a bore!

I use champagne corks for turning as there is plenty of cork to work with. If they have been used, a bit of a soak in warm water will return their shape; allow them to dry.

To bore a hole through the cork use a piece of steel or brass tubing of the appropriate diameter sharpened on the inside to about 60 degrees included. This is easily done with a centre drill. I have fitted a handle to my tube cutter.

This shape forces the cork core up the tube and reduces the chance of splitting the cork. Mount a dowell the same diameter as the tube in a chuck on the lathe or drill press and sand to size, starting with 80 grit and finish up with 240. Use the neck of a bottle as a gauge.

John Lee