Would anyone please measure the approximate inside diameter of the cork ring slicing jig. I'm trying to make my own jig and am trying to figure out what diameter to make the hole at. I'm thinking 1 5/16 or 1 3/8 so the rings will slide in and out easily but don't want to much slop. Thanks for any advice.

I'm not near mine right now, will measure it when I get home if someone doesn't post by that time. In the meantime, I have the kit from Mudhole and the rings that come with that kit are advertised on their website as 1 1/4". They fit very snugly in the jig to the point where I need to push them out from the bottom with a thin tool of some sort. If you're making your own, probably best to see where you will source your rings as they available in multiple diameters.

John

Mine measure 1.275"

Don Campbell
don@sensorfishingrods.com

If it fits sloppy a little wrap of masking tape can take up the play.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

You do not want any slop, otherwise the sliced pieces will not be uniform, when reassembled in whatever configuration you choose. As most rings are 1 1/4 inch the 1.275 is a good figure.

I have two jigs, one for the angle (pie) pieces and one for slicing the rings thinner, both measure 1.275

i made one from pvc fittings

Michael you got good advice about keeping the cork rings a tight fit. One more thing you should seriously consider and that is how wide you are going to make the cuts into the jig. The wider the cuts, the more material is removed and the tougher it is to get a nice fit of the pieces to reassemble them for your decorative piece. The jigs Mud Hole make have a super thin cut that no ordinary coping saw or craft saw is going to fit. I am not near the saw at this time to tell you the make, model, or saw blade specs but I can tell you that the saw blade on the saw that Mud Hole sells specifically for their jigs is VERY thin and removes very little material.

Try and make the cuts for this specific wide of saw blade and you are going to be in great shape. I have all 3 Mud Hole cork cutting jigs, love them, use them often. If you are going to make your own work on the thinnest cutting grooves possible and good luck. Post pics when you are done. Buzz

thanks guys for the good advice and measurements, i know im not going to be able the find a drill bit of any sort thats going to cut 1.275 so im thinking about going with a 1-5/16 bit, i think that if i keep downward prssure on the cork it should fit well enough to give clean cuts. theres only .0375 difference if i use a 1-5/16. as far as the saw goes i bought a jewellers / coping saw with a 52tpi blade so im not to worried about it taking to much material and i can always goes with a higher tpi blade if i find problems.
once again thanks and keep any more idea's coming.

You will not be able to stop the ring from moving when cutting especially after the first and second cuts if the fit is not snug. Snug not tight.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

Here's a tip I have never seen anyone else mention. As Fred notes above, once you make a couple cuts, the saw kerf (width of material lost during cutting) begins to add up and the fit becomes loose in the jig. To keep this from happening, I precut a stack of paper shims, and insert them into the cuts to keep things snug. This has three positive effects: it makes subsequent cuts easier, it helps to keep the cuts at a higher level of quality and uniformity from first to last cut, and the parts are more uniform in size.

For me, inserting shims into cuts to maintain the original round shape of the ring really improved the uniformity of my cork trim glue-ups, probably more than any single factor.

John, is right on about shimming the cuts! If you do not, it is very difficult to maintain the original circumference of the ring. I use pieces of xray film that just happen to be the exact width (.008") of my saw blade. I gave up on the Jewlers saw due to constant blade breakage and found a stiff backed saw with the .008" thickness, make for easier and quicker cutting.

The saw is a Gyros Brass Back Razor Saw. Google it to find sources.