Wanted 1
A quantitative ?book value? for the comressibility of a typical
natural cork stopper (as used in wine bottles). This must allow me to
calculate to a first approximation, the expected radial force per unit
area when, for example  a 20 mm diameter stopper is forced into a
parallel  18mm diameter bottle neck
And linked with the above
Wanted 2 
An a priori ?book value? coefficient of static friction for a
cork/glass interface that will allow me to use result 1 to predict the
vertical force needed to overcome friction and allow extraction of a
typical 42mm long wine stopper

Note-Only approximate values are needed since I am simply wanting to
compare the above calculated values with values that I have measured as
part of a lab project so as to get

Hi

there is some info here:
http://www.dep.uminho.pt/3bs/Artigos-3Bs/New_format/0105.pdf

Many thanks to hardtofindbooks-ga for the reference. That has proved
very interesting and I am now following up some of the references that
it lists.
Sorry for my delay in thanking you