I made this at the TechShop (www.techshop.ws) in Menlo Park.

This is a continuation of the series of Instructables for the Cork Board Project.

These boards need two surrounds of corks lying horizontally. For convenience in mixing and matching the corks, I created a jig for gluing a line of corks together, end to end. When the glue has set, the line of corks can be treated as a unit. You may find this is convenient both in design and assembly.

The corks are dabbed with glue on the ends and put in the jig, one by one. Then the bolts at the end are gently tightened to hold them in place as the glue sets. Later the units are removed for use in the cork boards. This system allows for treating the cork boards as a production line if you want to do it that way.

This was designed for my project, but will be useful for anyone making similar corkboards.

Step 1: Tools and Materials

Tools used:
Table saw.
Miter saw.
Screw driver.
Drill press.
Clamps.

Materials:
3/16" plywood from the scrap bin.
1/2" plywood from the scrap bin.
3/4" wood plank from the scrap bin.
1" Screws.
1/4" bolts 3" long.
Wood glue.

Step 2: Design.

The design is a jig with several channels (eight in this case) side by side, to hold the corks while they are glued together and the glue sets.

The width of the channels should be just enough to hold your corks (meaning you need to measure them first) plus the thickness of a layer of polythene sheet. Obviously, the polythene is to separate the corks and the glue from the wood of the jig. This width is the most important dimension in this project.

Two other choices are the number of channels (I chose 8) and their length. There are 8 channels because there are two surround layers and four sides. The length should just be enough to hold the longest line of corks plus the compressing bolt. I chose 16".

Step 3: Construction and Use

All the wood and plywood in this device was scavanged from the scrap bin. The screws and bolts and glue were purchased.

The jig comprises three separate sections, glued and screwed together.

The simplest is the base, a board 3/4" by 18" by 12" in this case. It just needs to be big enough to hold the rest of the jig, so the exact dimensions do not matter.

Next are the two end pieces. These are of 1/2" plywood, 1 1/2" high by 10" wide. They have 1/4" holes (for the bolts) spaced 1 1/16" apart (in this case - your design may differ). These are glued and screwed on to the central piece described below.

The center piece comprises nine plywood laths (3/16" by 1 1/2" by 16") set vertically. These are separated by eight 7/8" wide pieces of wood which lead to the 1 1/16" separation referred to immediately above. These pieces are also 3/4" thick. This assembly is to be set up and glued together and clamped.

When the glue is set, the ends are trimmed and the end pieces glued and screwed in place. When this glue is set, the whole thing is glued and screwed on to the base.

To use - cover with a roll of polythene film and press it down into the channels. Choose an order for your corks and put a dab of glue on each end and insert into the channel. When complete, tighten the bolt gently to put slight pressure on the line of corks. Repeat. When all lines of corks are complete, leave them for the glue to dry.

When the glue is set, the corks are ready to add to a cork-board. You will need to trim the length to the exact size of the board.

Step 4: Conclusion

All the dimensions of this device depend on your needs and available materials. It is very helpful, but needs to be designed for the user. My numbers may not apply. Plan ahead.

I made it at the TechShop (www.techshop.ws) in Menlo Park.