Can Cork Be Beautiful?

I should have known that unstabilized and unprocessed cork would present some challenges, but I was not prepared for just how soft the cork actually was. When the customer approached me with the idea of using Portuguese cork in a project I was hooked, but I had issues sourcing the right sized cork rounds and ended up with way more than I needed. It was fortuitous, though, because I decided to start over with an entirely new casting. In the first casting, the colors mixed and lost their vibrance before the resin cured. I also discovered that my conveniently sized bucket was far too large for the final shape that I had planned. So, I was much more strategic in the 2nd casting. I decided to cast the vase and the base separately. In the first casting I had planned to part off a chunk for the base, which had required more resin and thus more risk of thermal issues in the resin. I also let the mixed and pigmented resin sit for about 18-20 hours before pouring. Thankfully, my shop stayed at about 50-60 degrees F the whole time. The result was ideal, and you can clearly see the green and red swirling together without mixing. I also had issues with resin leakage for both of the castings, and I remembered the Flex Paste trick championed by the one and only Cam Anderson of @BlacktailStudio which, of course, worked like a charm! The sphere was also a first, as I got to try out a new toy--the sphere jig, which will hopefully make more appearances. But I think the cork will get shelved until I figure out how to stabilize it properly. You might notice that I threw everything at this project with multiple coats of CA glue and penetrating epoxy. I quickly discovered why cork is used as bottle stops... it doesn’t absorb liquid. Shocker, I know... So that dampens my excitement about using it in future projects, and it also instills doubt on whether stabilization would actually work, but I’m sure someone has figured it out. Perhaps the keen-eyed also noticed that the lip of the vase was actually quite wavy, which was caused by sanding. The soft cork basically disappeared under the sand paper but the resin, being quite hard, maintained it’s shape. I ultimately had to embrace the chaos and allow the cork to be what it wanted. There was also a time crunch, as this piece was commissioned as a gift for someone for whom Portugal holds special significance. The shape of this piece was the product of some research into Portuguese pottery designs in combination with some of my own pedestal vase ideas. The shape was also inspired by a viewer who commented on a prior video of mine, lamenting that no one ever makes pedestal vases. If you enjoyed the video, please smash that LIKE button and Share it with your friends! It really helps support my small business. Please drop a Comment below letting me know your thoughts. Also, thwack that Subscribe button so you don’t miss any videos! Thank you @TotalBoat for providing the epoxy used in this video: TotalBoat Thickset Fathom Deep Pour Epoxy: TotalBoat Tabletop Epoxy: TotatBoat Clear UV Cure Resin: Starbond’s YouTube Channel: @StarbondAdhesives Use Discount Code ADAMSEN15 for 15% all Starbond products! Shop Starbond: My website and contact info: Music: Follow me on Instagram: @adamsen_woodcraft See what’s up on Facebook: REFERRAL LINKS TO PRODUCTS I USE: Kutzall sphere rotary burr: Starbond Clear Thin CA glue: Starbond Clear Medium CA glue: Starbond Clear Thick CA glue: Starbond Activator: TotalBoat Penetrating Epoxy: TotalBoat Thickset Epoxy: TotalBoat Tabletop Epoxy: Carter & Son 5/8“ Bowl Gouge: Crown Diamond Parting Tool: Tormek T-8 Sharpener: Easy Wood Tools Carbide Cutter: Easy Wood Tools Carbide Cutter: