Guys,

I have been building for a couple of years as a hobby, I have mainly built bass fishing rods (spinning & baitcasting). I would like to know what you guys are doing when making “split” grips. I usually ream individual corks, fit them to the blank and glue them directly onto the blank with some home made clamps and then I "hand" shape them (very time consuming) and at times if I don’t get my clamps right on the cork is bit off (not even).

I have been thinking about turning handles on a lathe (I have a small table lathe). Keep in mind that the handles I will be making will not exceed 4” in length. I have been doing some reading on this site and was planning on using a piece of all thread with washer and nuts in order to glue up the corks…then I was going to insert the handle on a piece of rod stock and shape it on my lathe.

I am particularly concerned about a tight fit between the rod and the grips. Also not sure how you guys are going about the plug on the end of the rod (will be using rubberized plug). Do you make the whole grip assembly with the rubberized plug, shape and then glue or do you add the plug later.

I would like feedback on the following items:

1) Need some info on proper reaming in order to obtain a tight fit between the balnk and the handles.

2) How are you guys going about shaping and or installing the rubberized plug

Thanks again.

Carlos

I do the glue assembly on a threaded rod with washers ... as you have suggested (sized just under the smallest needed ID). After it dries, I put a "workbench" reel seat in between the upper bottom grip and foregrip AND a small piece of scrap blank between the two lower grip sections - essentially creating a "false" rod on a turning mandrel with the same OD as the threaded rod. I turn the grips to completion and THEN they are hand reamed to perfectly fit the actual blank. Call me overcautious, but I don't like to put the actual blank anywhere near my lathe.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2011 08:14PM by Jim Gamble.

Carlos,
Jim has it right.
In addition, if you want, you can ream the back of the handle to fit, and ream the front of the blank to fit. Then, simply drill from the back with a constant diameter bit to an area near the front of the handle. Depending on the blank taper, you may need to shim the blank a little or a lot if you use a constant diamter bit to drill the cork. But if you choose to go this way, it certainly simplifies the handle installation. For a short handle, the blank taper is normally minimal so you can generally do a constant diameter drill with little impact on the fit of the handle.

With respect to the back of the handle.
I generally have a handle of cork, with a butt cap of rubberized or burled cork. After shaping and reaming to size - I keep the blank proper about 3/8th inch up from the extreme end of the back handle hole - I will use a tapered plug of matching butt cap material to close the hole.

After gluing on the handle, and gluing in the tapered plug, I will use a disk sander to square up the back of the butt cap and sand off the tapered cap that extends out past the end of the butt cap.

Good luck and happy building Carlos.
Roger

Carlos,
E-mail me your address and I will send you a video that shows how to turn the fighting butt for your rod.
Cheers, Ellis Mendiola

I glue on the threaded rod. Then put on an arbor and with my drill lath shape. take off and ream to fit the blank.

Bill - willierods.com

I also do it the same way Bill does.

Ron Weber

Similar question I asked last year.
As the guys have said, I glue up my cork rings on a 1/4" threaded rod.
I then remove the handle pices and put them on a 1/4" mandrel and shape on my lathe.
Them ream to fit the blank.

I also have been using rubberized cork rings for the butt caps. (no hole)
To do this you'll need to assemble the rear grip from the end of the rod once the butt cap is on.
So ream the rear grip so it will slide on from the end.
Now glue the rubberized cork ring to the end of the rear grip (I use one of those quick clamps and epoxy),
Build up your lathe mandrel with tape so the grip fits tight, put it in your lathe and sand to final shape.
I find #60 sandpaper works well for rough shaping on rubberized cork.
Staple it to a strip of wood using it like a file (I use a 1"w x 3/4"thk x 8"L piece).

I don't like to have a hole to be filled.

it is a lot easier to shape them all together then fill the hole IMHO

Bill - willierods.com

Steve,
Another way to make the butt cap is to use the no hole rubberized cork as you describe.
Then, use a caliper to take a careful measurement of the finished size of the end of the handle.
Use your lathe to hold the no hole piece of rubberized cork.
I set up my lathe with a drill chuck in the head stock and I use a 1/32 inch drill that is sticing out about 1/8th of an inch. I use this to keep the piece of cork centered in the lathe.
On the head stock, I use a ball bearing adapter with a flat face of about 3/4 inch. This allows me to simply impale the cork piece on the 1/32 drill bit and then compress the cork piece against the flat head stock.
Then, working c arefully, I sand down the cork piece to the exact same size at the rod handle.

When finished with the rod, the last thing that I do is to use 5 minute epoxy to "cap" the end of the rod with the finished piece of rubberized cork. Since this has to be a perfect fit, I generally simply use my hands to hold the piece in place on the end of the handle until the 5 minute sets up. Then, of course, as it is setting up, insure that there is no sign of epoxy on the outside of the handle.

With careful work, the handle comes out fine and is essentially the same as a butt cap that is turned down with the rest of the handle.

I do have to agree with Bill though. If I can, I will glue on the butt cap with its hole as part of the handle, turn down the handle and then plug the hole during the glue up of the handle onto the blank with a tapered plug. Then, flush sand the plug after the glue dries. Quite simple and painless.

Good luck
Roger

Everyone,

I really appreciate everyone’s help…this site is awesome and the people here are great!!!

Thanks again

Carlos

What does everyone use for a mandrel? I've got a 1/4" mandrel for pen turning but it's not long enough for a 7" handle. Thanks.

Hello Ed

You can use threaded stock or you can buy a mandrel from one of the people listed on the left, I know MudHole has them or Backlash Tools.

Good Luck.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

Thank you Bob.

How important is it to buy mandrel wax? Or, can I just use bees wax or some other furniture wax?