A cork pusher
Re: A cork pusher
Combining all of the ideas - Julian's, Derek's, and Phil's - the piston should have a hole in it through which a corkscrew could be inserted into the cork, thus allowing one to have the cork stabilized by a corkscrew while using the device to push. That would also make it easier to thread the corkscrew since it would be done before loosening the cork.
In reality the pusher piston only needs to be a ring, not a full piston, because as Julian pointed out earlier the desire is to create pressure around the outside edge of the piston, not in the center.
It now strikes me that a small stack of properly-sized washers would suffice for this purpose.
In reality the pusher piston only needs to be a ring, not a full piston, because as Julian pointed out earlier the desire is to create pressure around the outside edge of the piston, not in the center.
It now strikes me that a small stack of properly-sized washers would suffice for this purpose.
Glenn Elliott
Re: A cork pusher
I happen to know a CNC machinist, and if we're headed down that road I'm sure he would be happy to give us an estimate of both cost and practicality. He does not do projects himself (seeing as the machines themselves are extremely expensive), but rather is a CNC machinist for a small tool-making company here in the Seattle area.
Glenn Elliott
Re: A cork pusher
Ignoring protrusion of pistons!PhilW wrote: ↑17:59 Mon 03 Jan 2022Per current diagram, width of tool is same as piston dia at 16mm - all good, and means tool would also fit inserted in bottle lengthways, so could be used per Alex for full push-in; if one end were widened slightly instead of just rounded off at same width, that would also stop tool being able to fall into bottle if used for this purpose also.
The cross section through the 4mm piston has a diagonal of √(16² + (4+2)²) = 2√73 ≈ 17.1mm. Would fit most bottles. But the long piston at the other end has a diagonal of √(16² + (8+2)²) = 2√89 ≈ 18.868mm, which would be too tight for an accidental fall. So, by luck, that might happen to be what’s wanted.
Re: A cork pusher
From Zak’s CAD model, which I hope was from my today-15:25 specification, he shows:
Re: A cork pusher
Prices greatly improve with volume. Worthwhile if only five of us; excellent if twenty-five. Pls PM or WhatsApp me or Zak for prices; and then post here if you’re in.
Re: A cork pusher
Please measure some bottles.
Currently using 16mm diameter for pistons. I have open available bottles in range 18mm–20mm.
Re: A cork pusher
I have open bottles ranging from 16mm (Vesuvio 1991) to 18mm (Kopke 1957 Colheita). Ferreira 1978 and Malvedos 2019 both at 17mm.
Glenn Elliott
Re: A cork pusher
Permission to ask around here in Seattle and see if anyone else (read: Sammamish Port Club) is interested?
I'm likely in regardless, but the club might be interested in anywhere from 0 to 9 more.
Glenn Elliott
Re: A cork pusher
Should one of the keyring/hanging holes be replaced with a bottle-opener hole?
Re: A cork pusher
Really only 16mm? Not a mite more? So a 16mm piston would be too big?
Of course. And they’re welcome to send a link to this thread.
Re: A cork pusher
I'd take a few - as would give some away as gifts to wine loving friends - plus would attempt punting to 67 Pall Mall for staff and interested members.
Re: A cork pusher
That seems to be the case. I would not swear that my measurement is precise, but I was surprised at the small diameter and so tried several measurements. I do think that a 16mm piston would be too big for that particular bottle.
I can re-measure with a different ruler and see if that gives different results. This one was plastic and see-through, with the markings in the center rather than along an edge, so it was a little difficult to center correctly across the opening. I'll try a normal tape measure and see what it says.
Glenn Elliott
Re: A cork pusher
Preferences between 15mm and 15½mm? I prefer the (slightly) larger. (Answered in next post.)
Re: A cork pusher
Re-measured using a tape measure. All measurements 1mm greater: V91 is 17mm, Fr78 and GM19 are 18mm, and K57 is 19mm.
I suspect that having to look through the plastic of the ruler to get a reading threw me off.
Also convenient - the Kopke, Vesuvio, and Ferreira bottles have slight markings opposite one another across the mouth of the bottle, making it very easy to find the center of the opening to measure. I hadn't noticed those when measuring using the ruler, so may not have been exactly in the middle.
Glenn Elliott
Re: A cork pusher
I’ll keep a list of potential purchasers in the first post.
Re: A cork pusher
If you put the pistons back into the original order of 2mm >> 4mm >> 8mm the plunger would work on more bottles.jdaw1 wrote: ↑18:40 Mon 03 Jan 2022Ignoring protrusion of pistons!PhilW wrote: ↑17:59 Mon 03 Jan 2022Per current diagram, width of tool is same as piston dia at 16mm - all good, and means tool would also fit inserted in bottle lengthways, so could be used per Alex for full push-in; if one end were widened slightly instead of just rounded off at same width, that would also stop tool being able to fall into bottle if used for this purpose also.
The cross section through the 4mm piston has a diagonal of √(16² + (4+2)²) = 2√73 ≈ 17.1mm. Would fit most bottles. But the long piston at the other end has a diagonal of √(16² + (8+2)²) = 2√89 ≈ 18.868mm, which would be too tight for an accidental fall. So, by luck, that might happen to be what’s wanted.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
Re: A cork pusher
Having given this a little more thought I think I would want to be able to use this device with one hand so that the other hand can be grasping the bottle to avoid it ending up on the counter top or floor if the cork gave way suddenly and unevenly.
"The first duty of Port is to be red"
Ernest H. Cockburn
Ernest H. Cockburn
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- Dalva Golden White Colheita 1952
- Posts: 3513
- Joined: 14:22 Wed 15 Dec 2010
- Location: Near Cambridge, UK
Re: A cork pusher
I'm in. Also prefer 2/4/8 order, but only because I think I'd use 4 most (2 seems too small to me).
Possible bottle opener at one end would also act as the fall-in preventer for end-on use if the largest piston sas not already sufficient to do this. Ambivalent.
Possible bottle opener at one end would also act as the fall-in preventer for end-on use if the largest piston sas not already sufficient to do this. Ambivalent.
Re: A cork pusher
At least one for me please and I will be happy to man the sales stand at a future b.f.t.
Re: A cork pusher
Late to this discussion, the most important design factor in my mind is the piston width. As others have already noted, pressure at the cork edge is paramount to prevent a ripped/hollowed cork. Given this, should there be some way to have varied piston widths?
How about four pistons, 14-17mm, each 20mm long, but with holes drilled through at 2, 4, 8mm. Supply with a round bar that slots into the drilled hole, to stop the piston in the bottle neck at the desired depth.
Said round bar could be stored vertically in one of the pistons.
How about four pistons, 14-17mm, each 20mm long, but with holes drilled through at 2, 4, 8mm. Supply with a round bar that slots into the drilled hole, to stop the piston in the bottle neck at the desired depth.
Said round bar could be stored vertically in one of the pistons.
Re: A cork pusher
- {4, 2, 8}: JDAW
- {2, 4, 8}: DRT, PW