Attempting (feebly) to replace a cork tape rear grip with an EVA foam grip from the bottom up. Unfortunately, the inside diameter of the foam grip is a wee to small and I cannot force it up over the blank, thus the Q. I have tried the normal cork reamers with little success. Is there a better way?

Thanks for your help, need to rest my arms now.

Ray Zarychta
Glastonbury, CT

You might try a shotgun barrel cleaning wire brush attached to a cleaning rod and chucked into a drill. Work the brush back and forth until you remove the material that you need ro make the hole bigger. It works for me.

You may be stuck with getting a bigger diameter EVA. Are you trying to fit it dry? Try some sort of liquid soap and see if you can start it. If so, clean the soap off, goop it up with RodBond and push. Once you start it, don't stop until it's where you want it. EVA will stretch a lot more than you'd think.

Someone here (wish i could remember who, to give credit) suggested I glue a ball/marble to the end of the blank to get the grip started up & over the back. That worked great once, but sometimes you can't get the right size ball to do it with.

Tom K. suggested once that I just get a large enough OD Hypalon to get over the butt, then build the taper up (near the seat) with thread to give a snug fit. Worked like a charm.

You CAN ream your grip if it's EVA just like you would cork. Hypalon? Not so good...

Mark Griffin
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C&M Custom Tackle
San Dimas, California

Thanks for the suggestions.

I should have clarified that I got it about 1/3 of the way up but I had loaded up the inside of the grip with Rod Bond, but none on the blank. Are you all suggesting that Rod Bond on the blank will act as a lubricant? Maybe the light is going on.

The outside diameter of grips with larger inside diameters are too large for the client's hands, it's the wife of my customer, the cork tape was too small, thus the need to try and find a middle ground. I'm not too keen about shaping the larger diameter grip as I don't believe I have the right tools, no lathe and it would be just a mess to try and do it in the rod room with my power rod wrapper. Now to find a hunter in the neighborhood.

I used a hand reamer on my EVA grips before I learned that you weren't supposed to/dont have to ream them to get them on so I know it can be done, however I didn't have to push them on from the base.

Ray you have to put the rod bond on the rod way above where you want the grip to sit. It is the lubricent here and thus you should put it on way up before you even think so it builds up a blob ahead of where the grip starts getting tight.. Its messy so have the alcohol ready and a lot of paper towels but thats how i do it. Billy broderick

Ray what about another layer of cork tape to build up the grip size to fit her hand?

The rodbond needs to go on the blank, it does lube it up, I put it on both the blank and inside the grip. Since you can get it started you should have no problem getting it the rest of the way just don't stop once you get started.

Good luck.

The marble is a good suggestion.

Also, a couple of the posts above are thinking in terms of installing the grip from the tip end as usual. In this case he is coming on from the butt end...which means the tried & true method of "putting Rod Bond on well above where the grip will sit" doesn't fit this scenario.

Try to find a marble that will allow the eva to slip over the butt end w/o catching on the edges of the blank. You also will want to be sure the smallest od of the blank will fit snugly inside the grip before attempting the install. I would think any shimming would best be done before hand.

Good luck.

Jay

I have drilled them out with metal bits but you have to keep them straight. (Easier said than done.-I have messed up a few in this learning process) If I drill at 3/8 inch I can put it on a 5/16 butt. Wall thickness is also a big consideration using this method. Hapalon is easier than EVA. I've always glued them on with rubber cement with no problem.

Ed Smith