Ok I just burned / torn the paper loose and off of 3 cork reamers, 2 dream reamers and 1 Mudhole brand, trying to ream some grips that are mostly natural cork, with a ring of burnt cork on one end, and a ring of rubberized cork in the middle. I know the burnt and rubberized corks are a lot tougher to ream than natural cork. I have had this same problem before. Now I am in a bind and need to get this fixed and the grips fitted in a hurry. The smallest of the dream reamers actually broke in half (no I didn't do it on purpose out of frustration, although I thought about it) but I think I have the grips past the point where I need the small one.

My question is, what kind of glue is best to use for getting the sandpaper strips to stay on, even under the stress and heat of reaming burnt or rubberized cork rings? The Mud Hole one I had seemed to be contact cement and the dream reamers was something else that seemed a little brittle, like CA (super glue) or something.

I have seen the tutorial of Tom's where you use the cutting grit rather than paper, but don't think I have the time or materials available (at a home improvement store??) to do that today. That may be my permanent solution down the road, or at least worth a try, but as I said, I am in a rush.

Thanks...

Matt Smith
Greensboro, NC

If your starting with a 1/4in or 3/8 hole in the grip and then reaming out a lot of material under power I'm not sure if there is any adhesive available to consumers that will stand up to that.

Start with a hole very close to the smallest blank are OD and then use the reamer to remove the last bit of material.

To get you by for today try a rat-tail file chucked in your drill & ran in REVERSE.

You can make your own pilot-bits using long spade type wood bits and modifying them with a file or grinder. These bits are pulled backwards thru the grip and cut cork like butter.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

You can also go get some quick set epoxy if you dont alread have some and re-glue the reamer strips back down then continue your current method.
Just take it slow so you don't build up enough heat that will soften the epoxy.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Matt,
Rather than using a sandpaper based reamer, simply use a round tapered steel file to ream.
No sandpaper to ever replace and you will never wear out the file while reaming cork.
Chuck the file in a variable speed drill and use it running backwards to ream the cork quickly and easily.

Use various sized files to get the taper that you need at the location on the blank.

Another thing that I use to quickly get the cork enlarged, is to use a reamer at each end of the handle to get the butt and fore grip side of the handle quickly shaped to the correct diameter.
I will then use a long aircraft extension bit, that is 24 inches long of the size of the fore grip to drill the handle 1/2 way through.
Then, I will use a different long aircraft extension bit 24 inches long of the size of the hole in the butt end of the handle and drill the other 1/2 way through.

I will then finish up with the reamer to take care of the inch or so of cork that needs to be evened out to fit the grip.


Total reaming and drilling time take less time than it takes to write about.

I also use the method mentioned by Ray to use a spade type wood bit and modify them to pull through the handle backwards.
Although these work fine, I find that the use of the long aircraft style bits simply work much quicker because you don't have to chuck and unchuck bits during the process as you do with the spade type wood bits.


Good luck
REW

Weldwood contact cement in my opinion is the best adhesive for reamers. Epoxy does not take to heat well and will soften and your grit will come apart. Written on the can of the contact cement, "High Heat Resistant".

I have four year old reamers that has the original grit spiraled on them.

But you can't expect to ream a quarter inch hole and not have the reamer get so hot to not melt the adhesive whether it's contact cement or epoxy. At least go real slow and let the reamer cool off some.

Lance

Thanks for the advice guys. I will definitely be looking for those alternatives when I get the chance and some spare spending money. I hadn't had a bunch of trouble before, and all of a sudden I blow up 3 reamers on the same set of grips.

In a bit of answering my own question, and for anyone else who may have this problem, I tried 20 minute epoxy on one and contact cement on the other. It seems like the contact cement is holding better for now. If that doesn't stay true I will correct myself later. I wouldn't want to give any bad advice.

Thanks again...

Matt Smith
Greensboro, NC

Matt, use a heavy coat of glue on the reamer and the grit tape and let it sit for about 15 minutes then once both parts aren't tacky anymore spiral the tape down the blank then tape the smaller end so that it doesn't lift while curing.

Lance

Something else Matt, if you check the paper work that comes with the dream reamer it tells you not to use the smallest one in a drill. Something about it can't take the heat and it will break! I use the Weldwood contact cement original formula. I do not like the water based stuff. I would also suggest that you drill that oak and then use the reamer.

HA! I KNEW I should have read the directions...lol. Well, that is exactly what did happen. Drilling away and it started to wobble. I thought it was loose in the chuck, then saw the paper coming off. Started peeling it and found the reamer was broken in half and the paper was holding it together. Ah well...lessons learned.

Matt Smith
Greensboro, NC

I make my reamers with three-quarter inch strips of #40 grit, canvas-backed belts for belt sanders, cut in a long spiral from the belt. I glue this in open wraps to sections of broken blanks with contact cement. If you ran one of these hard enough to heat up the glue, then in a matter of seconds there would be nothing left of your grip but cork dust.

Matt,
I know someone that makes reamers out of steel and strips of sandpaper spiraled on them. He machines the taper into the shafts. They are not cheap, but he has a set of 5 reamers and I think he is selling them for $150.00 a set. He has shown how well they will work even on wood, as long as you clear the reamer of dust. You get a build up of dust on the reamers and all you do is generate heat. That is what kills the reamers, you can not just keep the reamer going with the drill without clearing out that dust every now and then.

Matt, you/we got a lot of great advice from the posts. The second sentence in Ray's first post is especially KEY! Good luck. Been there, done that.