Bottom line up front: THIN rings ok (1/8 & 1/16) or so. Much thicker - no (at least on my model). I tried on my Deni meat slicer, 10" diameter blade, non commercial model. Thick slices will bind because the machine is made to stack slices. On the back side of the blade housing the cast metal is set at a fairly steep angle and the thicker slices of cork do not bend enough to complete the cut. So I'll go back to my band saw or my small chop saw with a thin kerf plywood blade.

Ken, I had the same problem when I tried the meat slicer. I took the blade to a machine shop and had them to machine the blade to about 0.010 for first 1 1/2" of the blade. It worked ok but when cutting slices under a 1/8" sometime it would destroy the cork slice. I finally burned up the motor on the slicer then I to went back to the band saw.

I quit before I did any damage to the machine but I could tell that the motor was straining. I did 4 slices off of burnt cork, light and dark blend for a total of 12 slices at between 1/16 and 1/8 inches before I gave it up as simply a non-solution. Luckily the blade is undamaged. I think if I had done many more the scalloped blade would have been worse for wear.

How about a diamond type blade like the one used in Dremel tool

Good Wraps Bob

If you are looking to make thin cork slices, make yourself a small miter box with some plywood and use a small backless japanese type saw that cuts on the pull stroke. You can easily make slices as thin as 1/32" and probably smaller if you care, and you lose very little cork due to the saws curf. Glue up a stack of cork rings and sand them on your lathe, or what ever you use to turn them, so they are even and the same dia. at each end. Then, just cut off what ever size you would like. I build up "bars" of cork with different types of cork at each end, I.E. burnt at one end and natural at the other. Another bar with red composite at one end and green at the other. I build the bars for a total length of about 12" to 14". That way if I use more of one color than another, the added length lets me use up all of that color and then I'll just reglue the used up color and turn down to the original diameter and keep on cutting.

Greg -
Great idea

Bob
The problem is not with the blade. The problem is meat slicers are constructed so that the sliced meat runs out to the housing at the rear of the blade. Stiff material like composite cork simply will not bend or flex enough to fall away from the blade to complete the cut. The tool simply will not work no matter the blade. I have another "hobby" cutting (faceting) gemstones. Believe me a thin diamond blade 8 - 10 inches in diameter is expensive and they are meant to be used with a lubricant (water or oil) - again not a job for a meat slicer. I agreed to try this in an earlier post. I've tried and decided it will not work except on very thin rings.

Ken,
Are you just trying to cut cork accurately and consistently? If so, I have developed a tool to cut EVA which can be adapted to cut cork. It is featured in Rodmaker, the upcoming issue.

Bill

Bill -
Yes, I just looked at the tool in the last issue = looks good, thanks. It just arrived today. I think my mailman likes the magazine also LOL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2010 05:31PM by Ken Preston.

Check out Dan Craft he sells them

Don't make me a sandwich with that slicer - Doooo

Bill - willierods.com

ken , this post reminds me of a Seinfeld issue when Kramer got that deli slicer. I was laughing when i thought of your better half returning and looking to make a sandwich only to get cork in her ham or turkey. lol

The machine has been thoroughly scrubbed. I didn't mind testing this while she's gone but NO WAY there will be extra bits & pieces left around

Got to be very chewy ???

Bill - willierods.com

Thanks for posting the results. It still seems like a viable method but would require modification to the blade and wouldn't be good for the tougher cork materials. The idea seemed good to me when I posted originally.

There are simpler and less expensive methods for slicing cork as thin as 1/16". Some are available for suppliers on the left and others are home built.Lots of examples over the past few years.

Ruining a good meat slicer sounds like a negative economic pursuit!

I use utility blades, coping saws, hack saws. razor blades and band saws all work great! Oh yes I even use a Japanese flat saw. I have used masking tape to be a guide for thickness. I know have a jig made from Aluminum. The jig is round with 3 slot cut into it. These slots represent 1/4, 1/8. and 16Th inch wide rings. The slots are wide enough to accept any of the cutting tools I mentioned. There is a hole cut in the center to accept a 1/2 inch cork ring snuggly. In the center hole is another small hole drilled out so you can push out your cork. I made my first one close to 25 years ago out of a PVC pip. The one I made out of Aluminum I made close to 20 years ago. Mine looks similar to the one made by Mud Hole there are few differences. In any case think outside the box an I bet you can find a tool around the house that can do the job. Heck I even have used my Turning lath and a tree limb wire cutter. It is a thin limb cutting wire

Good Wraps Bob

I found a quick way to cut rings of any thickness very similar to Bob's, I put 6 or 8 rings on a pen mandrel, run it on my lathe at 800rpm and slowly lower an Xacto razor saw onto the rings. Works great on all types of cork, very clean and straight, which I could never get with a jig (user error I would suspect)

Plus you will get a straight edge on the lath.

Bill - willierods.com

Lathe + jewelers saw + mandrel + 10 cork rings = 40 rings slightly less than 1/8" done is less than 5 min. As Colin says clean and straight. The jeweler's saw blades are so thing there is virtually no waste.

Lane

That's how I finally figured out I could to it effectively. I tried a lot of other ideas first and the lathe is the way to go.

That's how I finally figured out I could to it effectively. I tried a lot of other ideas first and the lathe is the way to go.