I have just started building a new rod with a Tennesse grip on it. I initially was going to turn down several cork rings for the reel seat. I started measuring the diameter needed to allow the rings to move up over the foot t on my spinning reel. In my "playing around" I discovered that corks that I had removed from wine bottles using a Sebastini (sp) cork remover fit the rings perfectly. (The Sebastini cork remover, removes the cork with out cutting or boreing the cork in any place). I was thinking of boring a hole in the wine bottle cork and using them for the reel seat. My question is : Has anyone tried to use the cork from wine bottles for reel seats? Am I looking at a problem? Will this cork be OK in rod building? I considered using wood of some type but decided it would be heavier than the cork. This is on a light action 7 ft. Forecast rod (841).

I recognize this is a wonderful excuse to buy wine-consuming the contents rather than making vinegear and enjoy the construction to its fullist.

Ed

Ed Smith

I have used it in various places and it works the same as any other cork. Like any it also varies in quality.
If you wish to expand it to its original shape heat it for a few seconds in a microwave. A bit of experimentation will give you the number of seconds necessary for this process.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

I use wine corks as fillers between the reel seat and the blank for my lighter weight spinning rods. I bore a 1/4" hole thru the center of the cork, then insert a mandrel (1/4" bolt and some washers). Then turn it down by filing it while spinning it in my drill press. It typically takes two corks per reel seat. Once the corks are the right OD, I epoxy them into the reel seat then ream them to the proper size to slide over the blank.

I don't think this method compromises the sensitivity of the rod and it keeps the entire assembly light in weight (which I think makes it MORE sensitive).

Finally, some of my rods are 5 years old and are used fairly heavily in the summer with no apparent degradation of the cork filler.

Skip

I used to use wine corks for arbors , but I think Stan Grace steered me toward champaign corks, soak them in a bowl of water, then into the microwave for 30 second bursts you will be surprised on how much they return to their original shape. I've made butt caps and even a some small grips from these corks. The fore grips seem to be holding their shape. butt they make great low cost arbors if you have plenty of time on your hands and like to recycle. Now I'm a flexcoat arbor man and I don't think I will be going back, even though I've only used one of the flexcoat arbor, so easy and simple to use.

Look in @#$%& for corks. I use bottle corks too, mainly to plug sections of blank off.

Lou