This is a second question - what sort of method for a tailstock do you use to stabilize the rod blank when turning cork grips already glued to the blank? I think I've seen something a simple as a few wraps of masking tape and then an old cork ring clamped into a variable jawed tailstock. Any other suggestions? Thanks again.

Doug, I assume that you are talking about a wood lathe. If so, I wouldn't even attemp it. I don't really klnow if it can be done on a wood lathe. Never heard of a jawed tailstock. The taill stock is generally a live center. If you are talking about a rod lathe, you could turn the cork on the blank on one of those. Most guys that I know turn the grip on a mandrel then ream to fit the blank. Wait for more lathe savvy people than me to answer though!!

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

I haven't done it but I know tailstock jaws are available. I think Penn state industries has them. It is basically a three jaw chuck and a Morse taper with a bearing in between.

You'd something along the lines of a "steady rest" which is a three-roller contraption very similar to what you see on most dedicated rod wrapping lathes/machines. These are employed by woodworkers for supporting long, small diameter spindle work.

You'd need to be very, very careful when spinning a rod blank on a powerful wood lathe. If the blank "whips" due to not being carefully supported in enough locations, you'll be out one rod blank.

...........

I use my wood lathe to turn my cork grips when on a blank. The head stock has a thru hole, I apply masking tape to protect the blank from the chuck. I have a live center that goes into the hole in the cork and blank, I have a steady rest on the outside of the headstock... works for me.

Doug, I have seen a demonstration of turning the handle on a rod blank and shaping with sandpaper by leaving the end of the handle open and using a cone shaped or tapered endstock attached to an electric motor and a small bearing slid down the blank about 1/3 of the way for support by hand, and shaping that way. Adjustment of speed is achieved by pressure against the cone. It is very effective, but in my opinion it takes a lot of practice ,and coordination of the sandpaper and the shaping process. I always shape my cork on a lathe on a mandrel, and ream the cork to fit the blank. The stability is there and also you have one less thing to worry about, the blank. If you make a mistake, all you are out is the cork, not an expensive blank, much less possible injury to hands, body etc. I always remember that there are usually 6 different ways to do the same thing. Just my take on the subject.

I cooked up a simple cork lathe to shape grips already glued to the rod. It is illustrated at [www.peninsulaflyfishers.org] You can see a fixture called a "rod end" clamped in place to do this job. As described in the article, the rod blank is well padded with masking tape where it is held in the rod end. Perhaps you may find this idea useful. You may also notice that drill that turns the rod is connected to it by what appears to be a huge gob of masking tape. It kept slipping so I had to add more and more. That was how I was doing it. Since then I have improved on the connection (but not yet the article). What I now use is a couple of layers of heat shrink tubing shrunk onto the threaded part of the reel seat and onto the head of a bolt clamped in the drill. This makes a much more reliable connection than tape, and it's easier to remove--it can be literally unscrewed from the reel seat. The arrangement is illustrated but not discussed in another article [www.peninsulaflyfishers.org] if you scroll down towards the end.

Mike