Material for cork board

[silentC]

I want to make a couple of large cork boards - probably 1200mm square or thereabouts - to put on the walls in my kid's rooms so they can pin up their artwork etc.

Has anyone found a good material/way of making these?

I thought of cork floor tiles glued to a sheet of ply or something to protect the wall behind it. I also remember this stuff called caneite that you could get for this type of thing but haven't seen it in ages.

Any ideas appreciated.

[artme]

Caneite is surprisingly expensive.
Corrks from wine bottles are best! Jus t organise a big wine tasting and you are off to a good start!

[silentC]

There's no shortage of corks at my place. How do you process them to make a rectangular board?

[Wongo]

Silent, I made one for my girls last year. I bought 4 cheapo notice boards from a $2 shop. If I remember it correctly they were around $2 each. I removed the timber frames and glued the boards on a piece of MDF.

It wasn’t the best looking notice board in the world but it doesn’t matter when it completely covered with pictures and art works.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I'm lazy... so when I was asked to do similar in SWMBO's "office" I did exactly as you've already suggested: cork tiles over a sheet of 3-ply, with a mitred KDHW frame around the edge.

Surprisingly costly for what it was, though. Wish I'd thought of Wongo's method...

[silentC]

OK I'll check the $2 shops. Thanks...

[Ashore]

Take a block of wood square ends , drill a hole through the centre sliding fit of a cork , put cork in and stand block on one end then using bandsaw cut cork in half lengthways push out cork with another one and repeat until you have enough for a cork board.
If you trim down the sides you can insert cut corks into 1/2" al channel making a cork strip, screw to wall putting the last corks over the wall screws.

[artme]

Just glue corks to backing board with suitable glue.
Can use brick wall patern, Herringbone, parquetry -let your imagination loose!
The result will be an interestingly textured board with history.

[Fuzzie]

Be careful of the $2 shop boards, in fact all the cork (effect) boards I've looked at including BigW and Officeworks. They are only a thin veneer of cork over corrugated cardboard. Generally they are only good for one pinning, the holes in the cardboard don't close up like real cork. The composite rubber boards in Officeworks are good but cost $$$.

The fabric covered partitions they put up in offices that people pin into are backed with plasterboard.

[Sawdust Maker]

I did the wine cork idea. didn't have a bandsaw and simply used belt sander and sanded one side down until the corks were about the same height
simply glued to a backing - ply I think and framed it. Looks good

Now I've orders for a few more but need to drink more wine
not sure it will work with the new stelvin system though

[Squirrel]

Just another thought, I was looking for some cork to put on the bottom of a sanding block. Thought of cork tiles but didn't want to spend the money. A friend gave me a cork place mat, the type you put hot pots on. It's about 7.5 to 8mm thick, this would be better for a notice board because of the thickness. Cork tiles would be to thin. Don't know the cost but should be able to get them from the $2 shop.

Squirrel.

[powderpost]

My wife collected wine bottle corks and then I was instructed to use them to make a cork board. I cut the corks in half lengthwise in a jig on the bandsaw, made a frame on a sheet of ply about 1200 x 900 and she glued them down with aquadhere. The corks could be cut in a mitre box fitted with a "V" shaped cradle.
I noticed the other day the cork box is nearly full again. Note!!! the corks are gathered from friends.... true.
Jim

[RufflyRustic]

The Bunnies here has a bundle (6?) of cork tiles for about ~$12-15. Not too bad and cheaper than the circular cork mats in coles (about $8 for two small circles, albeit a little thicker than the tiles).

I use the tiles for putting underneath the leather when I'm stamping lacing holes.

I even found some cork tiles - boxes of them - in a seconds or factory outlet for carpeting/flooring.

cheers
Wendy

[Harry72]

Cork tiles to thin errrrr.... double them up!

Use a contact adhesive, pva sets too hard can make pinning difficult.

[silentC]

Thanks for the suggestions all.

I think in the interests of matrimonial harmony, I need a quick fix, not a new hobby So I will price cork tiles and cheap cork boards from the $2 shop and go from there.