Is it actually cork or are parts of it cork ? Is it actually "burnt"? It is obviously a composite.......if it is or portions of it are in fact cork how is it colored? I've used it as accent rings but have not turned it down in size very much. Does it hold up well when turned from normal ring size to say 1/2 that size?

True burnt cork was made from chemically treating regular cork. It was not any sort of composite cork. I have no idea what passes today as "burnt cork" but I don't think it's exactly like the original.

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It smells like it has been burned, like charcoal. It is composed of pieces, not like regular cork rings, however I have turned it down to small sizes with out any problems.

Chris,
Burnt cork turns very well. Because of the adhesive that is used to hold the cork pieces together, it is actually a tougher product than natural cork. Also, because it is a man made product, there are no voids in the cork at all. So, you never have to worry about filling anything because there will be nothing to fill.

You will have to use a bit coarser sandpaper, or file to work with this cork, because of the adhesive. Other than that it is a wonderful product.

Take care
Roger

Chris,
Burnt cork turns very well. Because of the adhesive that is used to hold the cork pieces together, it is actually a tougher product than natural cork. Also, because it is a man made product, there are no voids in the cork at all. So, you never have to worry about filling anything because there will be nothing to fill.

You will have to use a bit coarser sandpaper, or file to work with this cork, because of the adhesive. Other than that it is a wonderful product.

Take care
Roger

I have made inlays using burnt cork in regular cork and it has held up very well with no problems at all. The contrast of the burnt cork in the light cork stands out well and is very attractive (in my opinion) It takes a little patience and a good cutting tool to cut the cork (both regular and burnt) and the rest of inserting the inlay is similar to working with the Eva grips.

Can one insert a slice of burn cork between the regular cork rings, and then 'turn' it down on a lathe just using sand paper starting with rough going down to finer paper?

Thanks,
Mo

These grips are made with natural cork, burnt cork, green burl cork and white acrylic ... [www.rodbuilding.org].

Burnt cork is VERY easy to cut, turn and ream ... great stuff and it holds up well. The thin bands next to the acrylic are burnt cork cut to 1/8" thickness.

Jim -

Mo,

Yes, you can. The only possible trouble you ever run into when combining different types of cork, is that one may turn more easily, or more quickly, than another. It can be overcome by using a sanding block as much as possible and then by carefully applying more pressure on the harder cork when using sandpaper held between your fingers.

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