I recently purchased some x-shrink wrap. I was going to put it over eva foam. I was given double sided tape to put on the grip then the x-tube over it. The tape was very hard to get even & once I shrunk the wrap on it, it made the grip way to wide. How do you guys on the west coast do it? All the rods w/ x-wrap I have seen are the same diameter as the normal hypalon grip and you can’t tell that there is tape underneath it.

Whatever you're putting it over should be smaller. You have to allow for the tape and X-Wrap thickness.

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Al:
I never use the tape, I could never get it to lay perfectly flat and even without rolling a bit when I put on the X-Wrap.
Tom is right about sizing the X-Wrap to the job.
To make it easier I don't use the tape. I use an old shoemakers glue called "Barge Cement".
You can get it at any hardware store and it comes in a yellow 2 oz squeeze tube. I have used it on a lot of X-Wrap grips and it never gets brittle or breaks free.
Just squeeze it on and even it out with a stick. Then when you use the heat gun after you put on the X-Wrap the glue flows and you have a really smooth grip with no bumps from the glue.
On any new builds I use one or two layers of cork tape to match the thickness I'm looking for with no foam.
If this is a repair / recover then that's different.
Jon

What else can I use to put under the x-wrap

Why don't you try the cork tape.
Only trick is at the ends when you cut it square to the rod.
I always hold the point of the cork tape down with a little Zap glue.

Im going to try it with the cork tape

I have been using a lot of the cork tape lately, and I do the same as Jon, with some Zap or Duco.
Also have taken to making about a 1/2" wrap with the xt braid at the squared-off ends.
Everyone has liked this so far.

Gary

If I am covering cork tape with Shrink wrap I finish off the cork tape with a wrap of Electric tape and a little paste Epoxy under the wrap ends