Folks, I just posted a few photos showing grips constructed using glued-up "blocks" of cork composite sheeting and rubberized cork sheeting. Several "brown" cork rings were also used.

Please forgive the poor photo quality - I in the early phase of trying to use a dig camera and to up-load photos.
Stan

So we can all see how bad a photographer Stan is: [www.rodbuilding.org]

Really look nice, Stan!!!!!

Mike

Nice job! What did you apply to get the glossy finnish?

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Raymond,

Tru-Oil was used for finish. !2 or 13 coats as I remember.

Stan

That's what I've been using recently on a couple of rods. The cork sheeting (cork floor tiles) is quite durable and gives a tighter looking burl style grain. I like it. It doesn't add too much weight, and is fairly cheap and easy to use. The pain in the rear is cutting the rings and drilling them. You also need a glue with a long setting time when gluing up a handle assembly.

Ted,

Try a 1 1/4" hole saw. It gives pretty rough edges but your going to sand them anyway and it puts a hole in the middle. I use one in a bench top drill press ($39 Harbor Frieght) to cut rings from cork and fiber gasket material and craft foam sheets. Never thought of cork floor tiles. Thanks for the idea

Mike

Tom,

I'm using 12 x 12" x 1/8" composite cork from Lowe's, Michaels, etc., combined with various cork rings and gasket material and like the visual effect as well as the way the handles "feel" in my casting hand. I haven't tried floor cork yet.

The point being there are alternatives to conventional quality, clear cork which has become more difficult to find, and expensive when you find it.

I like "composite" cork better than the usual cork rings availabe. Andy has a great selection of composite cork to mix in with sheet cork and various gasket material, but that's just my opinion. The adhesive in composite cork certainly increases the weight but might actually transmit fish bite quite well.

I glue-up the 12 x 12 sheets under pressure with TiteBond II to desired thickness. When cured, they're cut into blocks on a table saw, center-drilled, etc. and go from there. It's a lot of fun.

Stan

Thanks there Mike. What size hole does it put in the centre?
I went to cork floor tiles because cork rings and preformed grips down here aren't too readily available and quite expensive.
I'm happy with the stuff: finished with a couple of coats of Tru-Oil or one of Cork Seal they look nice.

It's about a 1/4" hole in the center of the circle. Aftter I glue them up, I use Flex coat arbor bits and them ream.

Mike

Sweet. Thanks for the help there. Hitting the hardware store very soon.

Stan - I really like the look too. Another source of the composite cork is the different size squares used as decorative protection under planters. A nice thing about these is they come in thicker sizes so it's not quite as tedious to get the number needed for a length of grip. I find them at Michaels craft stores.

I cut the rings and have not thought of building up the the turning stock. I can think of a lot of ways to use a square stock for cork inlays into wood. And alternating a different color cork gasket material to get a laminate .... uhm, off to the shop. Thanks for the idea.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2005 02:25PM by Steve Rushing.