Need some help. I was reaming my first cork handle for a UL today and the handle split. I was using a round tapered file 1/4 to 5/16. I did not use much of back and forth movement with the file. I was trying to rotate the handle on the file with a little pressure. A little over half way the handle split in two round halfs. What did i do wrong. Too much pressure. How is the best way to ream a cork handle with a file. I was taking my time and cheching the fit. Any suggestion and help appreciated.

Roger, If you rotate the handle on the file or hold the handle and rotate the file clockwise, the file will just screw itself into the hole and not remove enough material to make room for itself. If you look closely at the file you will see the cutting teeth have a right handed spiral down the shaft sort of like screw threads. So, in essence you pushed a wedge into the hole in the handle and the handle split. You must use a file with an in and out motion in order to remove material. Hope this makes sense to you.

Roger - use a reamer made for the purpose. The "Dream Reamers" are the best, IMO, but there are others supplied by a variety of vendors. These employ either various grits applied to the shaft of a tapered reamer, or sandpaper tape sprialed around the reamer.

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods

Uncle Russ is correct. Reamers are the best and most accurate way.

I thought the in and out motion could create an off center hole. That is why i used a rotating motion. I thought about those reamers, but since i am starting out i would wait. Maybe i should get the reamers. Thanks for the help.

Roger,

I've reamed out several grips with just round files and my holes have been centered enough that you could not notice when the grip was attached. Start with a file smaller than the hole in the cork. Move the file in and out 5 times on the bottom side of the hole in the cork and then rotate the cork a little and move the file in and out again five times on the bottom side of the cork. Keep rotating the cork and then filing until you have rotated the grip 360 degrees. It helps to mark your starting point in some way. I wrap a piece of tape around the bottom end of the grip and put a mark on it with a pen or pencil. When you have rotated and filed through one complete revolution of the cork grip, check your fit and check to see if the hole is centered. Make small adjustments as necessary. Repeat the above procedures with less in and out filing as the fit gets close. Most of my filing is done from the bottom end of the grip but this will not always give you the correct taper inside the grip. If I need to correct the inside taper, I work from the front of the grip very slowly to enlarge the front hole to it's correct size. I check the fit on this by measuring the grip and blank and then fit the grip on backwards to check the the fit. For example on a 8" grip, I slide the grip on backwards until it fits at a point 8" above where the bottom of the grip will eventually be glued. Work slow and keep checking your fit. I also find that having different size files also helps. Using a file that is slightly smaller then the current hole in the cork really helps to keep the hole centered.

Hope this helps.

Erik



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/16/2007 09:44AM by Erik Osterby.

Thanks Eric. I have a better understanding of the process now. Practice, slow, practice, slow. Thank you