A cork pusher

[Glenn E.]

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.

[Glenn E.]

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.

[jdaw1]

Per 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.

Ignoring protrusion of pistons!

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.

[jdaw1]

Thought I'd chime in here as I often get lots of things like this made.

In case potential suppliers should read this forum, let’s not quote prices here.

Are you willing to accept the title of Head of Production?

[akzy]

In case potential suppliers should read this forum, let’s not quote prices here.

Updated.

Are you willing to accept the title of Head of Production?

Do I get a sash?

[jdaw1]

From Zak’s CAD model, which I hope was from my today-15:25 specification, he shows:

[jdaw1]

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.

[jdaw1]

Have you measured hundreds of bottles across many decades to identify 15mm as the optimum diameter of the pusher or is it a guess?

Almost hundreds. Let me count. OK. Nearer, err, two. Please measure some bottles.

Please measure some bottles.

Currently using 16mm diameter for pistons. I have open available bottles in range 18mm–20mm.

[Glenn E.]

I have open bottles ranging from 16mm (Vesuvio 1991) to 18mm (Kopke 1957 Colheita). Ferreira 1978 and Malvedos 2019 both at 17mm.

[DRT]

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.

I’m in.

[Glenn E.]

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.

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.

[jdaw1]

Should one of the keyring/hanging holes be replaced with a bottle-opener hole?

[jdaw1]

I have open bottles ranging from 16mm (Vesuvio 1991)

Really only 16mm? Not a mite more? So a 16mm piston would be too big?

Permission to ask around here in Seattle and see if anyone else (read: Sammamish Port Club) is interested?

Of course. And they’re welcome to send a link to this thread.

[nac]

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.

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.

[Glenn E.]

I have open bottles ranging from 16mm (Vesuvio 1991)

Really only 16mm? Not a mite more? So a 16mm piston would be too big?

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.

[jdaw1]

Preferences between 15mm and 15½mm? I prefer the (slightly) larger. (Answered in next post.)

[Glenn E.]

I have open bottles ranging from 16mm (Vesuvio 1991)

Really only 16mm? Not a mite more? So a 16mm piston would be too big?

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.

[jdaw1]

I’ll keep a list of potential purchasers in the first post.

[DRT]

Should one of the keyring/hanging holes be replaced with a bottle-opener hole?

Yes.

[DRT]

Per 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.

Ignoring protrusion of pistons!

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.

If you put the pistons back into the original order of 2mm >> 4mm >> 8mm the plunger would work on more bottles.

[DRT]

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.

[PhilW]

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.

[Doggett]

At least one for me please and I will be happy to man the sales stand at a future b.f.t.

[flash_uk]

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.

[jdaw1]

• {4, 2, 8}: JDAW
• {2, 4, 8}: DRT, PW

Pls vote.