[TheForge] Corkscrews

[Peter Fels and Phoebe Palmer]

At 04:50 PM 12/18/01, you wrote:
>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?
>
>Chris W has it exactly. Forging down carbon steel from a larger stock 
>helps the grain structure. Be careful not to overheat or forge too 
>cold...which is easy on this small stock.....Pete 
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