I am cleaning up several old Fenwick glass rods. One of these is basically a pristine 8 1/2' 6# fly rod. The only problem that I can find with this rod is that it looks like the cork grib has shrunk over time. There are small gaps between the cork and the winding check. The winding check has the factory finish on it, and it doesn't look like it has shrunk. These are my Brother's rods, and I have a very limited time to work on them ( like maybe 48 hours). Is there any quick fixes for something like this?

The easy fix would be to cut off the factory wrap and winding check and rewrap the butt wrap and use an expoxy ramp from the handle to the wrap. Recoat and you will be good to go.

Take care
Roger

I have steamed cork with a tea pot and got it to rehydrate. This works best when the cork is that grayish color.

You could always use a wood filler like Honey Oak by Elmer's. Let dry and sand should match the old cork

Good Wraps Bob

roger wilson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The easy fix would be to cut off the factory wrap
> and winding check and rewrap the butt wrap and use
> an expoxy ramp from the handle to the wrap. Recoat
> and you will be good to go.
>
> Take care
> Roger


Does this work for a long term fix? Wouldn't some type of oil or just boiling it do the same thing?

Thanks for the information guys. The cork was fairly dirty, and by the time I finished cleaning it with a tooth brush, dish soap, and water, the shrinkage had disappeared. I filled some of the "divits", sanded it down, and sealed it with cork sealer. I did 2 coats of paste wax on the whole rod, and it looks better then when it came out of the store.