Ok guys, so i tackled the 1st hurdle and was able to ream out the inside diameter of the cork grips and the reel seat arbor. Have confirmed that they all fit over the blank as planned. Have not epoxied yet, waiting on The Mudhole Fairy to visit my front door.....anyday now. Question is.....the butt end of my cork grip now has a large hole (between 3/8" and 1/2") left from the reaming process. In the handle kit there is a "cork stopper" looking piece that is of the same type/color of cork as the butt end......i am assuming that this is to be epoxied in the hole following the mounting of the grip assembly to the blank.....and then trim down and sand smooth once it sets up.....am I on the right track here????? Help/Tips very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Your on the right track, just remember to wipe of all extra epoxy when gluing in the plug. Epoxy and cork are two different hardness's.

This is also a good place to add a little flair if you want. Rather than using the plug you can add a coin or button or whatever your imagination can come up with to cover the hole. I build rods for a bass club as trophies for their points champion and allways add a coin with the year they won to date the rod.

Brent,

One of the problems that you may encounter is too small a plug to fill the hole.
Plugs are commonly supplied in 1/4 or 3/8th in sizes. However, many times the size of the rod butt is much larger and thus the plug is too small.

To solve this problem, I picked up an inexpensive set of "plug cutters". This is a set of cutters that fit into my drill press and it allows me to cut plugs, ranging in size from 1/4 up to 3/4 inch plugs.

Go to Harborfreight.com and check their plug cutters.

They are not super quality, but work just fine for this purpose.

Again, I cut the necessary plug, if necessary, slightly ream the extreme butt of the rod larger if needed to fit the plug size, and glue it in place with epoxy. Then, I simply use my disk sander to sand the end of the butt plug flush with the rest of the grip.

Take care
Roger

Brent-
Another easy option can be found at your local auto parts store-the fasteners used to attach trim panels on car interiors or skirts in fender wells come in different sizes and colors-most are black. They are round. generally flat. and have a stem that has "barbs" on it so when pushed through a hole they grab and stay put. The stems are different sizes, up to at least 3/8" and even if not snug in the butt of your grip the barbs provide a surface that your gel or paste epoxy can grab. Makes an attractive, lightweight alternative to cutting a plug and provides some protection for the end of your grip also. Easy.

Chris

Chris,
Your response PROVES the value of this board. I think everybody on here is creative and crafty and all of us are looking for "outside-the-box" solutions or just other ways to do things. I have never even thought to look in an auto parts store for "gizzmos" to use, but I will now.

Thanks for the GREAT tip....off to AutoZone......
Adam

Another option is Home Depot Carriage Bolts. They are the ones with the rounded head. if the rod is long and you may need some weight for balance. They can be filed and polished, then glued into the butt. They come in may different sizes

Bill - willierods.com

One more option is just to just pick up a cork bottle stopper at your local hardware store.

Bill in WV

I have used the same fasteners that Chris did,real neat just pop them in.If you use the right size they are quite tight,sometimes I might just put a small drop of hi-bond.
Also if you need a larger size I have gotten some from a heavy equipment dealer.However they do cost more money.<<<<DON>>>>