Share: IF you have an italian floor corker READ THIS.
I have found that there seems to be an issue with one of the pins in Italian floor corkers and it needs extra lubrication.
This is just one (best?) ref I have for it, but it did seem very common topic on other forums.
EDIT: (Bob) The link has potential spam in it if you click the highlighted words
I have de spammed and copied the text here
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!
I have found that there seems to be an issue with one of the pins in Italian floor corkers and it needs extra lubrication.
This is just one (best?) ref I have for it, but it did seem very common topic on other forums.
EDIT: (Bob) The link has potential spam in it if you click the highlighted words
I have de spammed and copied the text here
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!
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