Wy is it that those making cork grips (not rings) do not make them with larger holes (id)?

It is infinitely easier to shim a blank than it is to ream preassembled cork grips. (I do turn my own grips, but at times, it is way easier to simply slid on a premade grip assy, but the reaming is a major pin and messy.) Yes, I know about getting tight fit etc, but in practical sense, shimming seems so much easier.

Comments?

Hive

The Volume 9 #5 issue of RodMaker will solve your problem entirely. Within, are the plans for making a very simple tool that will allow you to power bore your cork grips in mere seconds. You'll be more than a little surprised when you see just how easy it is to do and how simple the tool is to make. And... it works better than you can believe, in just seconds. Now you can pretty much toss out those bastard files run in reverse and your hand reamers. You won't need them ever again. Well, keep the reamers - you might still have to put the finishing touch on the bore with one, just to get the right taper.

I should also mention that this new tool will also keep the bore perfectly centered in the grip, without any undue care on the part of the person using the tool. It's nearly automatic.

I would suspect most pre-shaped cork grips are supplied in 1/4 inch bore because most feel that it's easier to just take out some material than to shim or put any back in. Shimming a cork grip is a bit more involved than shimming a reel seat because you need to fully support it all along its length. And, I'd bet that the rings obtained by most grip makers come standard with a 1/4 inch bore.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/2006 09:14AM by Tom Kirkman.

A piece of scrap blank (depending on diameter needed) with emory cloth lightly glued and spiraled around it makes a wonderful drill attachment. If the butt is too big for a 1/2 in drill chuck, you can pc-11 a 1/2 in bolt to the butt and cutt the threads off with a hacksaw. Takes no time at all to ream a grip at 3000 rpm or so.

I had the emory come unglued on a reamer like that and it was a bit difficult to remove it from the grip, so it is not totally foolproof. And I used 30 minute epoxy to secure the emory cloth.

A high temp contact cement is what I use to glue the 1/2" X whatever length, reaming/emory cloth. Leave about 3/8" gap in the strip as it is wound down the shaft. Works great as long as you wind the cloth in the right direction.

Mark Syck

SYCKO Custom Rods
There Are No Limits To The Imagination

Scott, are you sure you were running the drill in the right direction?