I just noticed that my saltwater spinning rods' cork grips are looking poorly. I used pre-formed grips on them and it appears that a lot of the cork filler has fallen out of them. I am wondering what filler I should fill/repair them with and if I should coat them with something to make them stand up a bit better?

Albert,
1. Go to your local hardware or big box store and buy two items.
2. Buy a spray bottle of simple green cleaner.
3. Buy a scrub brush.
4. Buy a tube of Elmers Golden oak wood filler.

Repair as follows:

1. Use the simple green to spray down the handle and then use the scrub brush to do a complete clean up of the handle.
The idea is to have the existing cork clean, and if any filler material is loose- get it brushed out of the handle.
2. Dry off the rod and let it dry for a few days.
3. Now go over the rod handle - using a good light and a magnifying glass if necessary to fill each and every pit in the handle.
I like to now go over the rod before it is completely clean with either acetone or xyene wiped around the handle on a clean rag. The acetone or xylene will remove any of the excess material with no sanding.
I will do this two or three times to be sure that I am pretty well down to the bare cork for the bulk of the rod. Then, I will let the handle dry overnight to allow th deeper pits to dry.
4. Now, I will repeat it one more time to level off and top off any of the remaining pits. This time, I will be a bit less dilligent on wiping down the handle to leave a very slight residue over the entire handle, but making sure that I am not wiping out any extra filler out of any of the deep pits.

5. Finally, I will use sandpaper - starting with about 150 or 200 going on down to 400 grit paper to smooth and insure that the finish is velvet smooth.

Do a final wipe down and the handle will look like new.

p.s.

Don't make the mistake of putting filler on a handle that has not been cleaned first. You will end up with a layer of dirt between the handle and filler and result in a job that will be less than satisfactory.

Take care
Roger

p.p.s.
If you discount the drying time, your total time spent on the job should be in the area of about 30 minutes.

U-40 cork seal when your are done will help to keep the handle looking new longer and help seal in the filler. Check one of the sponsors on the left.

Vic

As per Roger above but I add some U40 to my Elmers to thin it. Sort of finger paint it on with rubber gloves. I sand 220 and then 600 between applications until it looks right, then u40 straight as final coat. Seems to stay in the pits and cracks longer that way for me.

Thanks for the tips. I plan on tackling it later in the week.

Regards,
Al