DIY Network

Building a Cork Mold for the Ottoman Start the ottoman project by building a cork mold. From "Freeform Furniture" episode DFFF-206

Amy Devers builds the mold for the cork out of a pre-fabricated plywood cylinder. She cuts it down to size on the table saw and slices it in half on the jig saw. She uses plywood to make a top and bottom cap.

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	Amy creates a rich textured cork mold,...
	and has a metal tube bent to create the base...
	or this modernistic compact ottoman.
	The room—Before
	The room—After

Materials:

pre-fabricated plywood cylinder
3/4" shop grade plywood
handle
screws
packing tape
scrap piece of wood
pen
wax
granulated cork
epoxy
plywood stirring stick
sand paper
sanding block
hollow stainless steel tube

Tools:

table saw
jig saw
combination square
straight edge ruler
hand clamp
router
circle jig
laminate trimmer
round-over bit
braces
mounting blocks
spring clamps
power drill
band clamp
sliding arm clamps
band saw
random orbital sander
150-grit sanding disc
hydraulic roll bender
computer numerical controlled (CNC) mandrel draw bender
TIG welder
awl
drill bit

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

Building a Cork Mold for the Ottoman

1. You need to make a mold out of pre-fabricated plywood cylinder the exact shape you want the cork to conform to. The pre-fabricated plywood cylinder can be purchased at a specialty plywood distributor.

2. Since you will not need the entire cylinder for the mold, you can cut it on the table saw. Set the fence to the dimensions you want the cylinder to be. Hold the plywood tube against the fence and roll it over the saw blade to cut it to size (figure A).

3. Split it into two pieces so you can easily separate it and remove the cork form.

4. Use a combination square to mark the first cut line. Take the straight edge ruler and mark the opposite side. Use the combination square again to draw the cut line.

5. Use a hand clamp to secure the piece to the work table. Use the jigsaw to slice the cylinder in half (figure B).

6. Make the bottom cap and top cap using 3/4" shop-grade plywood.

7. The bottom cap is going to be a circle about an inch and a half of overhang all the way around. It will be a solid piece that you can screw both parts of the mold down to and it will hold them together.

8. The top cap is going to fit inside the mold and it will have a handle on it so you can press down the cork granules as tightly as possible using clamps.

9. To cut the circle for the bottom cap, use a router and a circle jig.

10. First you need to pilot a hole for the central pivot point for the router. Take a straight edge ruler and make two lines to find the center point for the pivot.

11. Drill a 1/2" pilot hole for the pivot point on the router jig.

    Note: The hand clamp will keep the wood secure while you are making the circle.

12. Insert the pivot of the jig (figure C).

    Note: A jig is a device that holds the piece and helps guide the tools you are using to work on it. The jig used on the show had a hand-held router attached to it that guides the router in a perfect circle.

13. Make all the pieces using the same technique.

14. The top cap has a handle attached to push it down into the mold.

15. Another piece will be cast into the underside of the cork form. That will give you a wooden mounting plate so you have something to screw the steel base into.

16. Another circle represents the indent on the top of the cork form and it gets built into the shape of the mold.

17. Before you can build the mold, you need to put a nice round over on the edge with a laminate trimmer and a round-over bit (figure D). Line the laminate trimmer up to the edge and then just shave off the excess until it is nice and smooth.

RESOURCES :

Festool
Website: www.festoolusa.com

Stanley Tools Product Group
Website: www.stanleytools.com

Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, Inc.
Website: www.lie-nielsen.com

Power Tools
Porter Cable Power Tools
Website: www.deltaportercable.com

Gladiator GarageWorks
Website: gladiatorgarageworks.com

Hand Tools
Garrett Wade Co., Inc.
Website: www.garrettwade.com

The Peck Tool Company
Website: www.pecktool.com

Biesemeyer
Website: www.biesemeyer.com

Saw Blades
Forrest Manufacturing Company
Website: www.vacupress.com

Jogensen Adjustable Clamp Company
Website: www.adjustableclamp.com

Adhesives, Abrasives and Safety Equipment
The 3M Company
Website: www.3m.com

Klein Tools
Website: www.kleintools.com

Power Tool Accessories
Woodcraft
Website: www.woodcraft.com

Ulmia GmbH
Website: www.ulmia.de

Shop Equipment
Eagle Manufacturing Company
Website: www.eagle-mfg.com

Delta Power Tools
Website: www.deltaportercable.com

WMH Tool Group
Website: www.whmtoolgroup.com

MacBeath Hardwood
Website: www.macbeath.com

IMS Metal
Industrial Metal Supply Company
Website: www.imsmetals.com

Metal Powder Coating
Steve's Plating Corporation
Website: www.stevesplating.com

GUESTS :

Steve Knez
Steve's Plating Corporation
3111 N. San Fernando Rd.
Burbank, CA
Phone: 818-842-2184
Website: www.stevesplating.com