Need recommendations on 2mm cork sheets for cutting with a drag knife. The standard “craft” sheets from Amazon don’t cut well at all for me, the cork likes to catch and tear and ends up with rougher edges than I’d like. I’ve tried cutting the same stuff with an end mill with even worse results. So I’m hoping I’m not the only person with this issue and there’s a different kind of cork that I need? I need the cork as a base for some coasters and catch trays.
Thanks.
Did you add the loops at the tight corners?
Hi, the shapes that I’m cutting do not have sharp corners, the tearing is happening around the entire shape. Brand new knife, I think I just need a different material.
Yeah, I’ve had similar issues with cutting thin cork. It’s pretty brittle and fragile stuff. If you use some that has an adhesive back it has a little more structure to it, but not much.
What I’ve done is attach a section of cork that covers the full area of the piece I’ve cut, either with glue or the adhesive backing. Then with a sharp knife, X-Acto etc. cut the edges, from cork side as closely as possible.
You may want to poke through in a few areas from the top so you can find the edges from the bottom. Use more of a poking cut rather than a drag cut, because it will rip apart.
Once you’ve got it fully cut out, it will still be a bit rough, so use some sandpaper (150 - 220) and lightly sand downward on the cork at a little bit of an angle around the edges to even it all out. If you’ve used glue to attach the cork, it’s important to get it right to the edges because loose cork will tear easily or flap off at some point.
It takes a bit of patience but I’ve found it to be a fairly reliable process.
Hope that helps.
My wife cuts cork on a scan and cut. She said to put the foundation side up, not the cork side.
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