Is it possible to pour a sheet of the foam about 1/4 inch thick and then cut it so that it can be wrapped around a rod blank or would a sheet that thin break apart? I primarily build surf rods and I was thinking about trying to use the foam as a replacement for cork tape but given the diameter of the surf rods I work with (and the fact that I have no tools to bore out the inside of a block) the thickness of the material would only need to be about 1/4 - 3/8 inch thick.

The material would break. It is not flexible.

Exactly, don't think of this as something like EVA foam, it's hard and inflexible.

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You could build bigger block drill center sand to diamieter and go from there

Why not pour it around the blank? Seems like if the blank were held vertical and a "mold tube" placed around it with the ID desirable ... it would work just fine.

Just use the thin foam sheets sold at craft stores,cut into strips and rubber cemented ,(or epoxied) to the blank? While the strips wont be long for a whole butt grip,they may work when used in a split grip fashion....food for thought............
Chuck

The materials you will find in crafts store is not the same stuff or at least strength of stuff and will not work. Not strong enough to hold up to the abuse.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Would the craft store foam be able to hold up if I put something like Rod Armour over it?

Probably.

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That craft store stuff might have UV issues too.

Not once you cover it.

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Thanks again for the info guys. I'll head to the craft store and see what I can come up with.