Just wondering what most of you guys do for finishing between split grips. Do you use a winding check on each end of split grip, or just run the finish up to the grip?

Either way - winding checks or "ramp" with thread to give it a more finished look

Marc, I prefer a winding check or sometimes will use silver or gold chain (cheaper stuff works just fine), that I carefully cut and place with a little CA glue. I'm working on a 7'6" musky rod to donate to the Arbor Vitae-Woodruff Education Foundation fundraising event right now. It's a split grip and I put regular nurled nickel checks on, the wrapped a short run of black, followed by my trim colors of metallic red/silver/red. Looks sharp! I plan on putting quite a few coats of finish at each check to make a nice smooth transition up to the grip from the blank....

Hey - you are making quite a business for yourself around here - nicely done!!!

Great to hear from you Rich! I was wondering how you have been.

Take care - Marc

Nothing. No winding checks either.

I violate that though because I like to put my label in the split. I still won't finish the entire section though. No reason to add extra if not needed.

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usually like the guide wraps [www.rodbuilding.org]

Bill - willierods.com

One of the advantages of split grips is that it gives you room to do some neat decorating tricks. Since the blank is a big as it gets there, you may have room for a photo-they can look great. I've taken some pics of fish up close,and those fish that don't have a lot of silver in their skin color, like bluegills, perch, walleye, can make for some great decals for this area. If nothing else, there is room for a custom decal with info on the date of build, the builder's name, the name of the person for whom the build was made. It is a great opportunity, don't waste it.

I recently did a split grip and I did a tiger wrap on it. I bought some red winding checks from Jann's Netcraft that I used on each end of the tiger wrap and glued them to the cork with CA glue.

I also did a tiger wrap on a split grip............turned out very nice.

With rubberized cork its easy to get the hole in the grip so clean that you don't need anything.

Nothing
Thread wrap
Winding check
Winding check and thread wrap



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Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

My rationale for winding checks in split grips is a bit different. I normally choose to go with split grips, b/c I think it looks better. But, the downside is you lose a little weight in the butt of the rod to help balance the rod. So, I use larger checks and generally finish the whole section b/c that is where I place rod specs or other custom points. Just my two cents...

Matthew Elrod
www.ElrodCustomRods.com