Do cork boards ruin pins?

I am looking at getting a cork board to display some of my pins, however I have heard bad things about them.
I am thinking of displaying my Monsters University Pins, and as these are some of my favourites I do not want them to get damaged.
If anyone has some ideas that they would like to share on displaying these pins too that would be a great help.
Thanks in advance

It depends on how deep the cork is. A lot of the store bought ones have a pretty thin layer of cork with a sheet of thin particle board under them. This is what ruins pins IMO. People push the pin too hard through the cork and into the wood which makes the pin posts get stuck, bend or break off.

Not ALL store bought boards are like this though, there are plenty out there that have thick enough cork and are made well, but a nice chunk of them (especially the super cheap ones) are made as cheaply as possible.

Just make sure if you get one that you don't push too hard and you can easily remove your pins by pulling them straight out (not at an angle, to reduce the risk of bending the post).

Alternatively, if you're craft you can make your own with a roll of cork board and foam core. Use spray adhesive or a thin layer of rubber cement (or whatever else you want to use) to attach the rolled out thin cork onto the cork board. The cork board is thin, but will hold the pin in place and the cord board behind it will give the post something relatively soft to stick in. Some people on here also use art canvases to stick their pins in. I'd keep away from the thin ones though - since they're basically rigid cardboard with the canvas glued on top. A stretched canvas (the ones with the canvas attached to wood) would work well - you can even use your normal pin backs on the back side of the canvas fabric to hold the pins in place.

depending on what it is made of, some have and acid that over a loooog time do damage the pins, but hey so do the cards they come on. i use cork in my book they are so far ok

I had a cork board that bent and the posts go wobbly when I first started trading so all that got ruined where some hidden mickeys. I use canvas, so much thinner, the pin just pops in and you can draw on it ^_^

I am looking at a canvas now. I am hopeless at drawing though that is the only problem. :/

I tend to use cork and generally it has been okay, though I did end up with a few bent posts when I had a thin board. The one I use now is far thicker and softer too, so it seems the issue is with those with the cardboard backs.

Do you think I would be ok buying a cork board and then placing foam over the top?

The real benefit of cork is that you can rearrange pins to some extent- with canvas or other materials, the holes are a LOT more noticeable. That's why I use painted cork boards for my pins. I've yet to have any issues with my pins from the cork board. I think creating your own board with two layers of thin cork if you can't find the thicker cork would work better than foam over cork.

emily_holgate said:

I am looking at a canvas now. I am hopeless at drawing though that is the only problem. :/

Click to expand...

I use stretched canvases covered in black fabric to display my pins. Holds them well, and easy to take off and rearrange. Pins pop on and off easily. The black fabric hides any pin holes that moving pins may leave.

Great question! :like: I have never used cork boards, but more because I like to frame my pins! Never thought of using canvas for my frames however!?! That may work better, I use like a sturdy cardboard (like the back of a notepad) and glue fabric or something to it, but always worry about the posts with that cardboard!?! :dunno: None have bent so far! :x: I like to keep the backs on my pins.

I don't know if it really pertains, but I use cork boards in my pin bag, and I have really found them to be convenient- especially with the way I am always playing with -er- rearranging my pins ;P

Any method of displaying pins can potentially ruin the pins whether its framing them, cork boarding them, having them in a book etc

Its just taking as much precaution as possible- Ive had my pins on cork for over 12+ years and most have been rearranged 10x and only have suffered 4 broken posts (3 of which were from the same pin set so thinking it was a production flaw) but I also make sure to buy thicker cork (nothing that was backed by anything thicker than cardboard) that the posts go securely in and taking care to not force them in or at an angle...

personally I couldnt see not displaying them since well more money than I care to admit has been put into them

-em

I just try to get recycled cork or a board with cork that isn't too firm. If you have to push the pin into the board using a lot of force, it's probably too much strain on the posts. I've heard that theirs acids on cork and on backer cards, but that hasn't really been an issue with me. You can probably line the cork with fabric which I've heard helps.

sorry to grave dig a thread. I bought a cheap, thin cardboard backed cork board today to display my few pins. Was that a bad idea? should I put them back in my book, buy canvas?