Once you have decided to shape your own cork handle how do you proceed?

I know that you can shape it directly on the blank or on another support, I know also that you have to consider a handle of 13 minimum cork rings and that you can use whether a drill or a lathe BUT what I totally ignore is the way you deal with the wood insert (at the top) !!
Do you add them till the beginning so as to shape them at the same time than the cork rings?
Do you coat them after?

I saw a lot of nice handles in the photos gallery with some wood insert in it, needless to say that as far as the “middle handle inserts” are concerned I already have the answer but I was wondering what about the “top” ones?

Frantz

Rod Building Guide has a great chapter on how to build and turn your own cork handles.

Many of the fly rod handles that you see in the photo section with the wood piece in front were bought that way. Look at the ones in the Mud Hole Tackle site. However, if you must make your own, I would first make the wooden piece and then turn or sand the cork piece to fit the wooden piece. Since wood is much harder to turn than cork, you run the risk of over sanding the cork.

Ken ,

I have two books here one from Skip Morris and the other one from L.A. Garcia, both deal with Rod Building and both are very clear regarding how to shape a cork handle BUT as I said none of them suggest when it comes to wood insert, that's why I am asking.
Ellis it makes sense to start first with the wooden piece but I was afraid not to be able to fix it perfectly on the cork after.

I will give a look at Mudhole Tackle site.

Fitting the cork shouldn't be too hard. The deal is to go slow and take your time. By the time you get to within a 1/10" or so, you really shouldn't be applying too much pressure, or using sand paper coarser than 320 or 400 grit. Just have a good set of calipers (or use your "touch" to feel the handle), and to take your time. Oh yeah.... a bit of masking tape on the wood isn't a bad idea either.

-- Cheers
-- James

Thanks James

I glue all the rings, cork and wood, together and turn down as one piece. I use a sanding block and take my time to turn to true round and concentric before I start shaping. When shaping I also use a sanding block as I progressively go up in grit. If I'm targeting a shape with indentions I will sometime use wood dowel as the "block". When I get very, very close I will use a strip of paper torn to a size I need to work within the shape (not very clear explanation). Using blocks, taking your time ( I turn the lathe off and hand turn it a few times to make sure everything is working out) and applying pressure to the right places will avoid scalloping and assure no ridges between rings. Practice will speed it up, but care is always necessary.

btw, my hardest problem with inlays and end pieces has always been getting the faces square. I cut them while the stock (turned down to 1.25")is turning on the lathe using a fine blade saw, but it always seems that one or more of the pieces will not be perfectly square. Most times I can sand them to pretty close, but then that can change their width. Any suggestions from you guys reading this thread of how to do the cuts and keep the faces square would be much appreciated.