Composite / Flocking Grip Cores

May 2012

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Attached is a pic of a few different options for composite and flocked grip cores. On the bottom left is a grip I poured and turned for a new Fuji ACS Skeleton with 8lb. Urethane Pour Foam from U.S. Composites. For comparison, above are two Flex Coat arbors (the light colored ones) in sizes 16 and 18 and four arbor 'blanks' I have been getting from Bob McKamey at Custom Tackle.

These arbor blanks are very light - on my old balance they are slighter lighter in the same length and diameter than the 8 lb. pour foam but slightly heavier than the Flex Coat arbors. I am going to borrow a buddy's digital reloading scale to get some hard numbers but have not had the chance yet. They feel the same as the old Fuji arbors in weight.

The urethane pour foam is a lot of fun and definitely works. However, these other arbor 'blanks' or sticks have some serious advantages in my book. First, the surface is a much finer finish...almost totally smooth if you sand down to 400 grit. Both the Flex Coat and the pour foam arbors have a definite surface texture / porousity - regardless of how fine you sand them. This porous surface is not enough to affect flocking and certainly doesn't impact the composite skin process, but it is a noticeable characteristic.

Second, the arbor blanks are very, very hard. Harder than the 8 lb. pour foam and much, much harder than the Flex Coat arbors. I cannot break one of these or dent it with my thumbnail. I can easily snap an FC arbor and can snap the 8 lb. pour foam with some effort. They are so hard in fact that I have been using them with no finish whatsoever (no skin or flocking) for almost a year now. They make great grips, butts, arbors, hosels, etc. They can easily be glued together to get a fly rod grip or longer butt or fore grip. The only downside to this hardness is that they turn more like burl cork or soft wood than the normal arbors or pour foam. To me it's worth it but beware.

Finally, these arbor sticks are dark grey. This is a real advantage to me if you have to dress your composite skinned grip ends to the point that some of the core may show through (shouldn't be necessary but more on that later). Also nice if you want to flock part but not all of your grip surface. The part left showing through is very durable and attractive.

I'm not sure who makes these but Custom Tackle has them and other sponsors might as well. I will continue to use the pour foam for most of my composite skinned grips, but for bare grips and flocked grips these arbor sticks are the way to go in my opinion.

Any questions or feedback welcomed and appreciated. Thanks!

Bill