This is a question for those of you who are making your own wooden butt caps.
When you turn them other than doing an epoxy encapsulation how are you covering the hole in the end?

Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

I make wooden butt caps for most of my cork handles I make. I rough turn the shape I want and have a post on it that will slide up into the blank. The I cut off the butt cap, put that post into my 4-jaw chuck and finish turning the butt cap. It gives a nice finished look to the handle I think. I would think you could do something similar even if you are making a wooden rear grip. Maybe add a thin trim piece between the handle part and the butt cap since the grains may not really match.

You can pop in a rubber or plastic plug. Auto supply companies often have the plastic plugs used to cover the various trim molding openings in auto interiors. These work pretty well. You can form your own from EVA or composite cork. Or you can use furniture end caps of one type or another.

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I have addressed this problem several ways. I have got the best results by cutting off about 3 inches of square turning stock, I then turn it down to about 1.35 inches. (Between centers). I then use a parting tool to turn the butt cap cut off point to about 3/4 of an inch diameter about 3/8 of an inch above my head stock. I proceed to shap my butt capp as desired. usually leaving the butt at about 1.25 inches diameter and the the point of cork take off at one inch diameter. Since I have gone to mostly split grips I now taper the butt capp to fit the winding check or the rod. (Too Many variations to talk about). I then measure the total butt cap length, drill it to about 1/4 of an inch short of the end of the capp. I then glue the capp to the rod leaveing the 3/8 inch. I leave the very end to put in my lathe so I don't scratch the butt cap. I currently have a rod in process that I have glued the butt cap to. I'll email you a picture. A picture is better than a thousand words. I have had problems posting pictures on this site. (and I know it is me-not the site) After I have finished the rod I saw off the turnining end with a flush saw and sand the end and finish with Birchwood-Casey Tru Oil.

Ed Smith

i get some rubber plugs from bob at custom tackle. i think amtak makes them. they come in 3 sizes. they fit easily and protect the rods and handles well.

An easy way to make wood butt caps is to first drill a hole of the diameter of the butt of your blank in the block of wood. Use the lathe to drill the hole, so you can square off the tip-end of the butt cap to the hole. Drill only to the depth you need, not all the way through the workpiece. Then, place a 1 1/2" X 1 1/2" piece of pine in the lathe/chuck, and turn a short mandrel that is the same diameter of the hole you have drilled. I shoot for a tight fit; pine seems to be soft enough to wedge the piece onto it, yet hard enough to hold well. Wedge the workpiece onto the mandrel, then turn the butt cap. After, just throw the mandrel away. Small chunks of 2X4s work great, and can be found easily.

After the hole is drilled, but before the final turning, a "step" can be turned into the work piece, and trim rings of various materials, Wood, acrylic, cork, eva and such can be slid on and glued to either end to make a butt cap of several different materials. This also allows the main material from which the cap is made to be longer, and have more bonding surface on the blank. The key is the disposable mandrel turned in the chuck, which allows for a butt cap to be turned with a hole that is perfectly square, and exactly the right depth and diameter. And no hole in the end!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/2008 08:55PM by Joel Wick.

Thanks for all the info guys.

JP.
That's exactly what I was looking for. A little rubber bumper that protects the butt cap when standing the rod on it's end.


Thanks again for all your input.

Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

Since I do not have a lath yet I still do as in the Dale Clements book I use a hole saw on the drill press and remove the pilot bit an cut out the round parts for the butt with out the pilot guide hole. I have also turned them over and drilled with a smaller hole saw enough to inlay the state quarters for the grandkid. I done four and three turned out very good but the fourth turned color after a whils all was sealed with flex-coat epoxy. Any solution to this?

Edwin Kime edwinkime@hotmail.com