I now have a whopping 2 rods under my belt and want to make a foray into a custom grip with a combination of wood, some black and white trim bands (maybe in checkerboard) and I am thinking a band of black EVA or other foam a bit larger than my hand width where I will be holding the rod for comfort while reeling in halibut.

I recently purchased a lathe and am looking forward to experimenting.

What materials do you like to use for your trimbands and inlays

Jeff

I have been using corian quite a bit lately. It comes in 100's of colours. I like the clean lines you get with it. Also try poker chips, buffalo horn, antler and so on and so on. Look for anything any give it a try. Thats the fun

[solwaycustomcomponents.blogspot.com]

One thing I have seen other use also is aluminum cans, you get a nice thin silver band. I have to second the corian. I have even used it for a complete handle that turned out real nice.

I am in the process of building one with a trim insert made from Commercial Congolium floor tile samples on either side of a 1/4 in thick Red Burl cork ring and a thin white inlay on each side made from an old credit card. Also there is a thin black inlay made from a piece of black plastic I found somewhere. With the rest of the Split grip being regular cork. All this is going on an ATC III 6 power Cherry Red Carolina Rod.
So with that being said,,,,,,,,you are limited only by your imagination !!

J.B.Hunt
Bowling Green, KY

Go check out the trash bins at a say home depot. Plastics woods, most any thing you find there. Garbage pick !! Dumpsters.

Bill - willierods.com

Jay Hunt Wrote:
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> So with that being said,,,,,,,,you are limited
> only by your imagination !!


Tis true

Deer, caribou, moose antler....these look great shaped into a beveled end-cap or as winding checks!

I'm saving the hardened epoxy discs from the bottom of my mixing cups for turning. We'll see.

Ever try snake skin? Feathers? Insects?

John Timberlake sells some great wood checkerboard rings at the ICRBE...looks classy.

I like the acrylic pen blanks, too, for certain things. They shape, sand and polish nicely.

Anything flat (or that can be made flat) that can be sanded and/or turned will work.

I've used a parting tool to make a shallow groove in wood, wrapped thread in the groove, filled with thread epoxy, and there you go! I could also tint the epoxy any color for a different look.

Les

Check out some of the knife building supply places. They have a lot of different materials they use for grips and inlays. They also have tools and supplies that will also work for rod building.