I am ready to start building my first rod. To make things easier, I bought a G-Loomis rod kit to start off with. For instructions, I am using the instructions I found in a Mudhole catalog and I also bought a Flex Coat DVD. Now what I do not know is do I need to buy/make a cork ring clamp to clamp the reel seat, fore grip and rear grip together even though my cork grips are already pre-formed? My instructions only show how to make a rod with individual cork rings, so I have no idea whether the clamp only benefits the cork rings or if it is also for the grips against the reel seat.

Help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Brett,

There's nothing wrong with using a cork ring clamp to hold your grips together while the epoxy is drying. You can also use some big rubber bands. It's easy enough to make your own cork ring clamp. It takes two small pieces of wood, some threaded rod, and some nuts with washers. You can get everything you need at a hardware store. If you are not handy with making things, many of the sponsors to the left will have what you need.

jeremy



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2009 10:12PM by Jeremy Wagner.

Cork Ring Clamps are for assembling Cork Rings. If you have the preformed cork then no need for the Clamp. What you need is a good reamer to ream out the hole in your cork to fit snugly onto the blank. If it is a snug fit, no clamping device will be needed to keep in place while the glue sets.

You will need some way to hold the cork tight with the reel seat. A clamp is the best way but not the only way as Jeremy notes. Large rubber band works and many other ways may be used.

Edwin

I use a bar clamp which is available at any hardware store. I drill a hole in one end and cut a notch in the other end. The rod (or mandrel) will fit in the hole and the handle will be in the center with the rest of the rod setting in the notch. Extremely easy and quick adjustment.

Bill

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

Another note on what Bill just mentioned.......If you will do a search in the photo section for Cork Clamp, you can see pictures of many different versions that have been made by Rod Builders that frequest this forum. Remember: Necessity is the mother of invention!! You can go as simple or as elaborate as you like. ALWAYS more than one way to skin a cat!!!! I myself use the squeeze bar clamp the Bill speaks of and that Mike Barkley has a photo posted of. Very easy to use and simple to make. I believe there are several issues of RodMaker Magazine that have instructions on building clamps. You would have to consult the RodMaker Directory and Index, in the Library tab above, to see which issues that they are in.

Bill in WV

Definitely not .......... if you are using preformed fore and rear grips you don't use the clamps. Simply epoxy on the rear grip and let dry then install the reelseat and arbors against the rear grip ..... epoxy and let dry and then the foregrip .......... there is no need to compress them all together ......... the clamps are used when you build with rings and even then you don't compress the reelseat to the grips .........

Thanks for all the good information. It was very helpful.