The following is a scenario I've seen on 2 separate Italian corkers: as the handle is brought down the side links start to push the jaws closed; just before the bent rod begins to move the cork down into the bottle, the jaws reverse and open up a bit. On a properly functioning corker this slight reverse movement does NOT occur.
Rick and Joe, if this is what you are seeing I think I can tell you what the problem is. I've never used synthetics so I don't know if this behaviour is causing your creases. In my corkers, what it does is cause the leading lip of the cork to scrape against the hole in the corker as it goes into the bottle. This causes the lip of the cork to fold back or tear and results in an unacceptable closure.
Here is the cause! It has to do with the lubrication of the handle "journal" bearing. This bearing is a simple steel cylinder welded onto the handle. The bearing normally rotates on a shaft (also mild steel) that is threaded on each end and retained in the sheet metal housing with 2 nuts. This is a "terrible" design, btw! When the lubrication of the journal on the shaft diminishes (only a matter of time) the journal will "freeze" on the shaft and the shaft will begin to turn in the housing when the handle is moved. The shaft holes in the thin sheet metal housing take no time at all to wear into an egg shape! The result of this is that the jaw forces when the cork is compressed push back through the links and move the shaft rearward! This allows the jaws to open slightly! Viola! Crappy closure!
Clearing plum wine 102Hello, Your wine is very young, and you're fine. I've made plum wine, and you need to give it more time to clear on its own. I usually don't bottle my wine until...
The solution to this would be trivial at the factory! A simple redesign of the shaft-journal. The fix to a failed corker is not so easy IMHO. I replaced my first one to fail. When that one failed I probed and poked until I figured it out. I now own a Rapid 12 (~$600). The Swiss "do it right!" We run a small winery and do hand corking for short runs and trials. For a HW the best answer may be to "oil the hell" out of that journal EVERY time you use it!
Hope this helps!!!
Charlie PCW
Joe Sallustio
