[TheForge] Corkscrews

[Chris Worsley]

I have made a lot of corkscrews, and the answers to the question seem to be
making it harder than necessary. No, they do make it harder than necessary!
First, start with the stock that you want to use for the handle.  Leave what
you need for the handle, and neck down and draw out and round up the material
for the screw.  I make the screw a little more than 1/16" thick, centered on
the handle stock.  Be uniform. Put a point on the end. I make the screw about
4" - 4�" long, as I recall.
Bend 90� at the point where the screw and handle meet. You'll actually be
bending the thin material of the screw.
Start "rolling" and forming a coil of the screw material with the hammer on the
face of the anvil. (There is no need to say that all of this is being done hot,
is there?)
Be sure that you roll in the appropriate direction to make either a right
handed or left handed corkscrew. Keep the coils of the screw the same diameter
and touching each other. They should line up like a closed spring with the
desired center opening as you roll the screw.
When you run out of material, reheat and pry open the coils with a screwdriver.
I made a "pryer"  with a 'T' handle that is easy to twist. True up so outside
of screw is parallel and spacing is even.
Now you have the screw, almost as long as a cork and even in appearance. If the
screw does not track in the hole that the point makes, it will just shred the
cork and make a mess.
With the remaining material, forge the handle.
Keep it hot while doing all this. If you don't it will probably break off at
the necked down spot.
So, no mandrel is necessary. No joinery is necessary. Only time and practice.
I have not explained every little detail, but there is enough here to get you
started.  You have to use your own experience to get through life and
blacksmithing.

Chris
Alexandria, VA


>
> What's the best way to make a corkscrew?  Wrap around a mandrel?  Forge over
> the side of the anvil?