I have been having trouble sanding grips that I assembled using rubberized cork with standard cork. The standard cork sands so easy that it always ends up smaller than the rubberized stuff. What are your secrets?

Thanks,
Steve

A sanding block ... make your own or buy one. You have to "force" a level surface.

Steve-
I glue different grits of sandpaper to paint paddles to use as sanding blocks. Their length gives you a nice handle. Free at H. Depot. They are often warped-glue two together with concave surfaces facing each other and clamp-they will come out flat that way. You can put different grits on opposing sides and get a 2 fer.

[www.georgescustomrods.com]

see this link - start with a file then progressively finer sand paper

Thanks guys, I'll be trying it out real soon.

Steve

I will shape my cork grips and rubberized butt cap before even reaming to fit the blank. I press fit the pieces onto a drill bit, chuck it into a drill with a constant speed control, clamp that in to my WorkMate bench and that becomes my shaping lathe. Once the grips are shaped, I will then shape the rubberized butt cap to match the diameter of the rear grip. I like to use Tru-Oil as a finish and apply the desired # of coats on the cork only, again, before reaming the grips. I'll open up the hole in the rubberized butt cap on the flat side that will butt up against the rear grip so that a small section of the rod will be seated in the rubberized butt cap. I then ream the cork to fit and follow normal standards for gluing up the completed handle parts.

The possibility of blank damage while shaping on the blank I think is to great. I always shape off the blank and then ream to fit.

Bill - willierods.com

I find that drywall screen makes quick work of the rubberized cork. You can cut it to different sizes to suit your needs. If you need you can hold it at a 45 deg angle (across the work right to left or vise vera) and work back and forth in this manner to achive a more evenly sanded area. Doing this puts the screen evenly on both surfaces. I have also noticed that by keeping the screen very tight it helps in the rigididy and this also helps keep an even sand. Good luck.

Steve,
Any time that you have different grip materials - use a backing board with your sand paper.
Different grip materials normally mean different density and a different degree of hardness. If so, the harder material will always be tougher to sand than the softer material.
As a result, if you don't use a backing board on your sand paper or finishing device, you will gouge out the softer material first.

Good luck
Roger

Rubberized cork is tough - I use a 1 HP grinder (outside the shop) and grind it close (on the rod) - then file a little - then sandpaper - works well for me.

Thanks for all the advice, I'll try it all. I just finished a set of split grips for a spinning rod where I mixed rings and it looks great. I was able to use a 18" disc sander and get it all real close. Some final sanding and it looks good. I just picked up some paint sticks from Home Depot today and will be building a couple sanding sticks.

Steve