I am trying to make a split grip spinning rod using a premade cork fighting butt. My Problem is that all the butts I have used or ones that I have looked at from sponsors all have a .3 or .2 I.D. I am trying to bore them out to .5 I.D and break them everytime. Its driving me nutz..... Does anyone have a secret or know of a .5 I.D fighting butt. I am on #6 and really don't want to reach #10 :) Thanks for the help in advance.

John

I wrap mine with masking tape before I ream.

Hey Yash,
If your hand reaming ,your gonna have to start small and step it up in about 3 or 4 sizes. It sounds like that stuff is really brittle or your too agresive. Three sizes of reamers cant do it all! If you have a lathe with a tool stock holder , get youself a set of boreing bits. Mark the depth and you should be able to knock it out in one pass. I you have neather, try soaking the grip in water and rinse your reamer off when it gets clogged.

John,
Use a tapered file or a drill bit in a drill that is spinning "BACKWARDS".

If you happen to use any kind of device which has a spiral on it - for example, file or drill bit in the forward direction; the device will screw itself into the cork and break it every time.

But, by keeping the device going backward, you press the device into the cork against the rotation and you can easily ream it out.

Good luck
Roger