I have just started to glue up and turn my own fly rod grips. Instead of buying a cork clamp I got some 1/4 threaded rod. Now I knew that the glue would get into the threads and prevent me from having an easy time removing the glued up cork from the rod, so I wrapped the threaded rod with plumbers thread seal tape, and glued them up. Let it sit over night and the damn thing came off really easy, no sticking to the threads and on to the 1/4 mandrel on the lathe. So far I have done up 6 grips the same with no problems getting the cork off the wrapped threaded rod. Anybody else ever try this? With this method I don't see the need to use a wax as a release agent. Plumbers tape is pretty cheap and I have gotten 6 grips done without changing the tape yet.

Bill,
No question about it, teflon tape is really slippery and impervious to glue.

Great idea.
Roger

I've always used wax. Teflon tape sounds like a good tip. I'll give it a go on the next one.

Thanks
Harold

Thanks for the tip Bill ! The tape is cheap and when on sale or at a discount shop it's stupid cheap. Got to love this forum and all the free help thats shared. Makes RodMaker a super deal too, doesn't it ?
Ray Mazza
Utica, NY

Good tip Bill!

I would caution folks to be sure to wash their hands good before handling any blanks or thread after messing with anything teflon as it could easily give you problems with finish later.

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

If you are using Rod Bond you do not need much at all. A very thin coat. When I do mine I don't put any thing on the threaded rod. When dry I loosed up one wing nut and when I tighten the other it pushes the cork off the threaded rod.

Bill - willierods.com

Or. slip a plastic drinking straw over the threaded rod.

..............

What about the straw sticking to the rings ?? I would guess one can ream it out

I just put the rod in a drill and clean with a fine tooth saw blade while turning

Bill - willierods.com

Epoxy won't stick to a plastic straw.

..........

Bill,
The other thing to do, if you use a thread rod, is to use an electric drill to unscrew the threaded rod from the glued up handle.
Just go ahead and glue up the handle on a threaded rod. Chuck the end of the rod into a variable speed drill after letting the handle dry. Put the drill into reverse, and just unscrew the rod from the handle. Then, take a long drill bit of the same size, and drill out the cork for a nice fit on the lathe mandrel.

Another thing - if you take the handle off, after the epoxy is no longer tacky, but is still not quite cured, you will find it easier to remove the mandrel as well.

Particularly, when gluing up handles onto a blank, I like to take the clamps off of the rod, just as the epoxy is done with the tacky stage. Then, if there is any area of epoxy that needs to be cleaned up, around the reel seat, or fore grip or rod butt, it is pretty simple to do at this stage of the cure. A sharp exacto knife takes care of any epoxy clean up very easily and quickly.

But, often, if you let the epoxy cure over night, then the added drying times, makes the epoxy much harder, and if there is any epoxy that needs to be cleaned up on the rod, the task is tougher.
Working on the rod at the just done with tacky stage is such that the components don't move and shift, but still allow for any necessary residual clean up of the rod.

Good luck
Roger

I find it easier to glue rings off the blank then shape and ream to glue to the blank.
I put them on the threaded rod put a dab of epoxy on three areas of a ring, bring another down to it then turn it about 10 times then do the same with the rest. Plenty of glue and no sticking problems no glue rings. Works for me

Bill - willierods.com