Hi Everyone,

Wanted to check...when you glue your individual cork rings together to make a grip on a fly rod or the like, how much pressure from the clamp do you put on? Is it until you cannot screw the screws down anymore or just so there is sufficient downward pressure on the rings to keeep them alinged and closed?

Thanks.

Gavin,
First thing, in my opinion anyway, you should use a free flowing (thin) epoxy i/s of thickened epoxy to glue rings together so you do not need so much pressure to expell excess epoxy.
Secondly, ream the hole until the ring JUST seats with the previous one. You should not have to force the ring. If your rings are too snug you will have to apply much too much pressure to snug the middle rings. Resistance to being snugged increases as the grip increases in length.
Second, as you glue each ring you should use a twisting motion with as much hand presure as possible to evenly spread and expell as much epoxy as possible.
Lastly, DO NOT TIGHTEN AS MUCH AS THE CORK WILL ALLOW. You will deform the cork and damage the internal structure to the point that the cork will self-distruct over time. There will be some compression but not too much. Ideally, you want enough pressure to expell excess epoxy so you do not get a glue line and all the rings are kissing - but no more.
As you build more rods you will notice that some grips are slightly longer/shorter than others with the same amount of rings. Result of more/less clamp pressure.
Herb

Gavin lay the rings on a piece of 220 sand paper on a flat surface and run in circles a few times tu rn and repeat. Then take a tri cut file two or three groves inside the ring to help it adhere to the rod. I would stronly suggest you build your grip on quarter inch threaded rod and then when dry rimove and put on a mandrel. Lamar industries sells a quality mandrel just for this purpose. As to clamping pressure you really dont need much if you do what i said and have flat mating surfaces. Cork is rather fragile till mounted and will crush with too much pressure. Just snug also too much pressure will squeze out all the glue. I use tightbond 3 on cork as long as its only cork i am using and no other material is inlayed. Its water proof and better then epoxy and made for wood.

Gavin Schar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi Everyone,
>
> Wanted to check...when you glue your individual
> cork rings together to make a grip on a fly rod or
> the like, how much pressure from the clamp do you
> put on? Is it until you cannot screw the screws
> down anymore or just so there is sufficient
> downward pressure on the rings to keeep them
> alinged and closed?
>
> Thanks

I use a thickened epoxy similar to Rod Bond made by Fasco Epoxies in Miami. I've been using this stuff for multipurpose glue jobs on boats for 35 years and with great results on cork rings.

I ream and fit each ring and apply plenty of glue to the blank and some to the face of the ring and slide into place. The thickened epoxy will ooze out just fine under minimal pressure but it has the added benefit of filling any gaps in the ring between hole and blank.

Epoxy Loves Gaps. I can't state that enough. Too much pressure and the glue will be squeezed out and your joint will fail. Aplly just enough pressure to get nice tight and even joint lines throughout the handle and you will be fine.

To make a thickened epoxy mix you can take any of the typical adhesive epoxies and mix with wood flour (not saw dust) or microballons or cabosil. Or you can go the expensive way and buy either Rod Bond or Fasco like I do.

I like the Fasco because I can mix it with extra hardner to make it more flexible or standard for more structural strength for reel seats,

Check out [www.fascoepoxies.com] or 305-821-9441

....have fun

Once you smear the epoxy, on use the edge of something and take as much off as you can. Epoxy is at it's strongest when you are using the least that bonds well, which is near nothing.

What has worked for me is this. If the rings being glued up are to measure 8" when finished, I compress them to 7-3/4". I measure this on both ends of the cork clamp I have so I know I have even pressure on both ends of the clamp bars.

sufficient downward pressure leading to squeezing out some of the glue. i use titebond III on the couple of flyrod cork grips i've made and have had no problems.

eric
fresno, ca.

I drill out the rings to the size mandrel just smaller than the blank. Then I sand the flats of the rings smooth with 220 grit paper. I wax the correct size mandrel and thinly epoxy the rings on until the grip is complete, then clamp tightly to compress enough to press out as much epoxy as possible, about an 1/8th to 1/4 inch for a 7 1/2 fly grip, wipe with an alcohol dampened paper towel & set aside to cure for at least 12 hours, preferably 24. I prefer a low viscosity, slow cure epoxy to minimize glue lines and allow me to take as much time as nessessary without hurrying . This method requires a minimum of reaming to fit the grip to the blank which IMO is a plus.

If at first you don't succeed, go fishing, then try, try again.