I'm about to try turning my first EVA grip, and I've got a couple of questions. Can you turn it the same way you do with cork, using sandpaper, or do you get better results using other methods? And are there other ways to finish the butt rather than a butt cap, like cutting a plug from the block to plug the bore? This is a camo grip for my eight year old son, so I'm probably more concerned about the appearance than he is. Would appreciate your thoughts.

Wayne Chubb
Fair Oaks, Ca

I used Dry wall Screen Abrasive easier to keep clean

You can certainly cut/drill a plug to fill the rear bore. Use a short section of brass tubing in a drill. Use a tubing size that allows the plug to be just a bit larger in OD than the bore is in ID.

Sandpaper works but clogs quickly. As Barry mentioned above, drywall sanding screen works well on EVA. Use very coarse grit to get the shape you want (60 or 80) and then move to 120. That's usually about all you have to do to get a smooth finish on EVA.

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I get better results using sandpaper over drywall - I find drywall clogs up worse than sandpaper. If you turn the EVA at high speeds and move the sandpaper perpendicular to teh grip, it will never clog, especially if you hold a shop vac in your left hand, and teh sandpaper strip in your right, with your left thumb clamping it to teh edge of the hose - there wont' even be a mess.

If you need to really reduce teh OD of EA, you can use 40 grit, but you have to stop quite short of the final OD or there WILL be sanding scratches. If you are just rounding edges or getting asmooth finish, I would start with 120 as anything heavier will take a lot off - assuming you're using a lathe.

Great Idea with the brass tube to cut a plug ,would the plug then be glued in using contact cement? If so, how would you compress the plug until fully inserted?
Steve
Fish till you drop

The plug is cut oversize (length) and once the CC is applied, pushed in as far as it'll go easily. Not too much compression, as this will stress the bond. Then just trim off the excess with a razor, and maybe clean up with a couple of swipes of 120 or finer grit paper.

Ted
Thanks for the answer.I'm not trying to hijack Waynes thread but I am also in the process of turning eva grips.Green and white(Michigan State colors) rings sandwiched between black.Glued them up last night. The next problem is the brass tube I bought is 9/16 for A 1/2 " plug. My drill has A 1/2" chuck.Any solutions would be appreciated.
Steve
Fish till you drop

Buy a smaller brass tube, or just sharpen it and use elbow grease. EVA is really easy to cut, especially the blocks sold by Merrikc & the craft foam sheets.

Billy
Sounds like that would would work fine.I sharpened the end of the tube, chucked it up in a lathe and was realy suprised how easy the eva cut. Probably just spin it by hand next time.

Wow - thanks for all the responses! And Steve, it ain't hijacking when the info is good. Thanks for this forum (and the magazine), Tom - the wealth of experience here never ceases to amaze me.