Sciencemadness Discussion Board - cork/rubber bung hole makers

cork/rubber bung hole makers

itchyfruit - 8-8-2009 at 09:15

Does anyone know where i could get a cork boring set,the ones i've seen come in a set of about 6/7 and they are Tshaped and fit inside one and other,i'm in England but i don't mind ordering from other countries.

Lambda-Eyde - 8-8-2009 at 09:24

Avogadro's Lab Supply on eBay has a good selection of cork borers.

itchyfruit - 8-8-2009 at 09:29

Is that on ebay uk as i can't seem to find it do you have a link?

hissingnoise - 8-8-2009 at 09:36

Avogadro's supply used to have a big selection of glassware but this seller appears not to be on ebay, right now. . .

Edit: Correction, I just found AS by googling the name!

[Edited on 8-8-2009 by hissingnoise]

Vogelzang - 8-8-2009 at 13:22

This company used to be called Hagenow Laboratories. I found their ads in the back of Pop Sci, and other magazines, IIRC, in the 1970's and ordered things from them now and then since the 70's. They try to keep prices low.
http://www.elementalscientific.net/

Entire catalog:
http://www.elementalscientific.net/pdf/Elemental%202007%20Ca...
Look on page 58 for cork borers. You'll need that sharpener, too. I haven't found anything else that can sharpen cork borers like the cork borer sharpener can.

[Edited on 8-8-2009 by Vogelzang]

chloric1 - 8-8-2009 at 13:27

I had just recently used my cork borer from Avagadro this last week on a number 6 hard rubber stopper. Worked great with some muscle power

. I have had them for 3 years and they are worth the high price I paid for them.

Vogelzang - 8-8-2009 at 13:31

They have to be sharp to work good with rubber stoppers. They also come in handy as leather punches, which you might need for your belt as you age and get fatter.

itchyfruit - 8-8-2009 at 16:22

Thanks guys
I've just emailed them about shipping to England.I can't believe no one in England sells them.

barbs09 - 9-8-2009 at 12:42

I recently read somewhere that if a rubber bung is placed in the freezer a neat hole can be then be drilled in it using a drill press (while still cold). This is obviously not as elegant as a hole borer but might work OK in the home lab setting.

12AX7 - 9-8-2009 at 14:28

OT...

Bunghole maker? Aren't those called Drill Seargants? They'll tear you a new one!

Tim

barbs09 - 9-8-2009 at 15:52

Tim, Probably not the sort of hole you could get a good seal with when using <10mm osd glass tube…

Anton

zed - 11-8-2009 at 23:50

I've always hated using hand held borers.

Neoprene stoppers are awkwardly shaped. They are also very tough, rubbery, and hard to bore. The borer is very sharp.

If you haven't used cork borers before, watch out. When they slip off, or they "pop" through.....They can produce exquisitely painful wounds.

Just absentmindedly testing the tip of a really sharp borer, with a finger-tip, can cut you pretty good.

Naturally, the bigger the required hole, the greater the force required to bore it.
And, "large" holes are damn hard to produce. Nasty work!

Boring holes through frozen stoppers, with the aid of a drill press, sounds like a good idea to me. I'll try it.

Vogelzang - 4-9-2009 at 08:44

There's some on Ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Brass-Cork-Rubber-Stopper-Borer-Set-...

http://cgi.ebay.com/18-STOPPER-ASSORTMENT-000-TO-14-27-SIZES...

[Edited on 4-9-2009 by Vogelzang]

psychokinetic - 4-9-2009 at 15:01

Iron pipe + hammer?

cbfull - 14-9-2009 at 10:49

Most of the textbooks I've seen recommend using glycerine as a lubricant. I find it to be lacking in its ability to lubricate.
Try some liquid soap mixed with water, you might be surprised at how well it works. It cuts through the rubber like butter.

chloric1 - 14-9-2009 at 12:40

I concur. The hardest part though is getting the glass tubing through the new hole! That definately calls for the Dawn dishwashing liquid! That stuff is great! When water is warmer than 50C Dawn really picks up palm and coconut oils well considering the high saturated fat content!

psychokinetic - 14-9-2009 at 13:17

Quote: Originally posted by chloric1

I concur. The hardest part though is getting the glass tubing through the new hole! [...]

And that's the story of how I put a glass tube right through my hand.

itchyfruit - 14-9-2009 at 15:59

Quote: Originally posted by psychokinetic

Iron pipe + hammer?

Cheers, but i think shipping will triple the price

Vogelzang - 15-9-2009 at 17:35

I saw a cork boring machine like the one in the picture in an antique store and on Ebay before. I never bought one, but I found one later on in a dumpster at a university without the borers.

psychokinetic - 16-9-2009 at 13:10

Quote: Originally posted by itchyfruit

Quote: Originally posted by psychokinetic

Iron pipe + hammer?

Cheers, but i think shipping will triple the price

Avoiding shipping and payment was my point

1281371269 - 16-9-2009 at 13:37

rapidonline.org - categories, education, science, lab supplies. Make up the order to £30 and you get free shipping.

http://www.rapidonline.com/Educational-Products/Science/Labo... - I found that, I'm sure I saw a boring press on there before...

[Edited on 16-9-2009 by Mossydie]

entropy51 - 16-9-2009 at 15:04

Boring corks is serious chemistry! But I do love ground joints.

I don't believe that anyone has mentioned that cork borers must be sharpened fairly frequently if they are to bore a nice hole with a minimum of elbow grease. I have one like this:

http://www.onlinesciencemall.com/Shop/Control/Product/fp/vpi...

United Nuclear also sells a nice looking hand-driven boring machine ($85). I haven't tried it, but if I were buying a cork borer, this would be on the top of my list (scroll down):

http://www.unitednuclear.com/equipment.htm

psychokinetic - 16-9-2009 at 18:39

Boring corks is serious chemistry.

Hell yeah. So's trying to find a supplier for tubing other than greasing up to the local high school