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CORKtastic afterlives - 7/16/2008 6:41:34 PM

zippz

Posts: 233
Joined: 6/28/2008
From: Chicago IL USA
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Don't throw those corks out!

Came across this fun website with a gallery full of wine bottle corks given a second life...
some were simply used for aesthetic purposes, and others for more practical means. Curious to see what others have discovered.

http://lovemyearth.blogspot.com/2007/05/crazy-for-corks.html

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Post #: 1

RE: CORKtastic afterlives - 7/17/2008 6:31:46 PM

zippz

Posts: 233
Joined: 6/28/2008
From: Chicago IL USA
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I have a huge box full of corks collecting dust, that i'm itching to put to some good use...
and i'm thinking the wine cork baseboard would make a fun accent for the cellar...
in addition to covering the floor...
would make for an interesting molding to go around the door and windows as well.

here's a how-to:
http://www.stratsplace.com/cork_baseboard.html

also found some alternative handy uses for around the house:

Scrub a knife. To avoid scratching high-carbon kitchen knives, use a dab of cleanser and scrub the knife with a cork instead of an abrasive cleaning pad.

Fluff up your soil. Chop or grind corks into granules and add them to soil as moisture-retaining mulch.

Make a tiny sanding block. Wrap a piece of sandpaper around a cork. Use the curved surface for touch-ups on molding and other detailed items.

Keep artwork on an even keel. Cut a cork lengthwise into thin strips and glue them to the corners of hanging artworks. The cork will prevent them from tipping off-center.

Project your blades. Glue several corks together side by side and place the strip in a drawer. Rest knife blades in the crevices to keep them sharp and protected.

Make a doorstop. Slice along the length of a cork at an angle and push the cork under a door to keep it from slamming shut.

Hush up your cabinets. Slice a cork into thin circles and glue the pieces to the inside corners of cabinet doors to quiet them when closing.

Safeguard your tools. Drill a hole halfway through the length of a cork. Fit the cork over the end of a pointed tool to prevent damage to it (and yourself).

Start a fire. Soak old corks in a jar of rubbing alcohol, then put a few in a fireplace underneath logs and newspaper. Light the corks with a long-handled starter to get the flames dancing quickly.

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“See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil... just Drink wine” ~ CT mantra

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Post #: 2

RE: CORKtastic afterlives - 7/19/2008 4:18:26 PM

zippz

Posts: 233
Joined: 6/28/2008
From: Chicago IL USA
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Over 165,000 corks bundled together with rubber bands
form the 'logs' with which John Pollack and Garth Goldstein
built their boat.

http://www.corkboat.com/

< Message edited by zippz -- 7/20/2008 6:08:57 PM >

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RE: CORKtastic afterlives - 7/20/2008 6:10:40 PM

zippz

Posts: 233
Joined: 6/28/2008
From: Chicago IL USA
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http://volunteer.blogs.com/winewaves/2008/06/nashville-area.html

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RE: CORKtastic afterlives - 8/2/2008 7:39:35 AM

zippz

Posts: 233
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From: Chicago IL USA
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What to do with these rubber corks, they are indestructible,
i don't think they are recyclable... maybe where they recycle tires?
...any reusable ideas... other then ear plugs for a giant or door stoppers for a playhouse?

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“See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil... just Drink wine” ~ CT mantra

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RE: CORKtastic afterlives - 8/2/2008 5:42:13 PM

nazizin

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Cut one in 4ths and attach to bottom of table and/or chair legs so they don't scratch your floor?

My best friend says to write "Fartplug" on them and sell them on eBay. lol

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RE: CORKtastic afterlives - 8/15/2008 9:20:45 AM

zippz

Posts: 233
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From: Chicago IL USA
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brilliant... that's a gem... i'll have to use that as a stocking stuffer this year

here's a use that really surprised me...
4 out of the 5 rubber corks i have
work perfect as pencil erasers

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“See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil... just Drink wine” ~ CT mantra

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RE: CORKtastic afterlives - 8/15/2008 1:36:27 PM

J2K

Posts: 418
Joined: 5/5/2008
From: Pittsburgh, PA- U.S.A.
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quote:

ORIGINAL: nazizin

My best friend says to write "Fartplug" on them and sell them on eBay. lol

Nazi-Zin,
"Fartplug" sounds German.

Zippz, Wo ist mein Fartplug ?!!

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Post #: 8

RE: CORKtastic afterlives - 8/15/2008 1:38:28 PM

J2K

Posts: 418
Joined: 5/5/2008
From: Pittsburgh, PA- U.S.A.
Status: online

quote:

ORIGINAL: zippz

brilliant... that's a gem... i'll have to use that as a stocking stuffer this year

Cutting them in 4ths or the Fartplug?

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Post #: 9

RE: CORKtastic afterlives - 8/15/2008 2:08:18 PM

Uncle Noon

Posts: 52
Joined: 5/30/2008
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I was watching Emeril (on TV) the other day. He was cooking octopus and guess what he added to the water to make the octopus tender? You got it. Wine corks. Seems his grandmother did it and taught him. Another use for corks.

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Post #: 10

RE: CORKtastic afterlives - 8/15/2008 5:57:29 PM

zippz

Posts: 233
Joined: 6/28/2008
From: Chicago IL USA
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J2K, Ihre fartplug ist in nazi-zin's Ohr.
Seig Heil zu der zin-meister

as for my reference to "brilliant"...
the door stoppers and fartplug are pretty neck & neck
though when it comes to the stockings i have in mind...
the fartplugs trump the door stoppers

& Uncle Noon...
do you recall any chemical/biological explanation for why the corks work in this fashion?
I have a friend of mine who owns a catering biz
and a wife who cooks like an angel ... that i'd like to impress with this tidbit
but if i all i have is emeril as a source to back it up
they'll laugh at me... either are fans of his work

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“See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil... just Drink wine” ~ CT mantra

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RE: CORKtastic afterlives - 8/17/2008 7:26:07 AM

nazizin

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Ich kann Sie nicht hören

Also sparked my curiosity. This is what i found thus far. Someone other then emile who advocates the corks. http://italianfood.about.com/od/freshfishthebasics/r/blr1070.htm And someone who thinks the corks are screwy. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/dining/05curious.html And a forum of chefs who speculate that it is the tannins in the cork or the wine itself. Tannins aka Tannic Acid, "a phenolic compound, that has the ability to break down the proteins in the octopus, hence tenderizing it". http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/food-cooking-questions-discussion/7390-cooking-wine-corks.html

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RE: CORKtastic afterlives - 8/18/2008 7:45:55 AM

Uncle Noon

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I'm sorry to say that Emeril didn't know what in the corks made them work like they do; he's not very technical. If Alton Brown was the one cooking the octopus, he would probably know why the corks work.

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RE: CORKtastic afterlives - 8/23/2008 6:44:41 PM

zippz

Posts: 233
Joined: 6/28/2008
From: Chicago IL USA
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behold... the corkxedo... a little inspiration for halloween
or shall i say up coming CT pow-wow
i double dog dare anyone to show up dressed in this splendid formal wear

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“See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil... just Drink wine” ~ CT mantra

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Post #: 14