Ugh, this is the second time I've done this and it makes me sick. While installing a new cork grip, It got snug too fast and I was afraid I hadn't reamed it enough (which was obviously the case high on the cork). It stuck and I had a couple of inches to go, so I got nasty with it and gave it 110%. Instead of putting all my weight at the top, I put my hands wide and tore the grip in half. Last time I did this I just scrapped the whole thing and started over. I took this one outside to my patio and got better leverage (I normally do this on the floor) and managed to snug the top half to the bottom half pretty evenly. There's now a small hole in the grip all the way to the blank. I can actually see the blank through the crack through a hole that's about half the diameter of a dime, but everything else is flush. You can still tell the crack is there by feel, but I imagine I can sand it out fine. My question is what do I do with the hole? Do I just need to scrap this one, rip it off, and start over? Is there something I can put in there that will make a water-tight seal that won't be noticeable (or at least barely noticeable to the eye and finger)? What am I doing wrong here? I always seem to have trouble with longer rear grips. I reamed it until it would slide under its own weight to less than the grip's length from the rod butt, but apparently that's not enough.

Ream it so it's a snug fit within 1/4" of the final resting place. Cork isn't very stretchy, and as you know will split when forced.

Personally, I would probably scrap the grip and start over. If you're feeling creative, you could use the hole as a location for some sort of inlay. Another option would be to shape a wine cork to fill the gap, but it won't match the grain of the cork.

Joe

Your right....."that's not enough!" It needs go dry to the spot it will seat, snugly but not forced. Better to start over, as otherwise it will always be a repair job.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2011 08:13PM by Phil Erickson.

Kyle,
Start with a new grip and then ream, ream and ream as required so that the fit of the cork is an easy slide to the final position. Even if you have overreamed it a bit, it is no big deal. You can always add a wrap or two of masking tape to build up the blank if needed for a nice fit.

Remember, you need a bit of room for glue. So the cork should be a "nice" fit with very little slop and absolutly not tight anywhere on the blank.

Take care
REW

Put it on the bench. Go fishing. Have a beer. Come back to the bench, replace the grip all will be well. We have all done it. Replacing entire grip is only way to go.

Buzz

Thanks guys, that's what I figured. Might as well do it right the first time.

As far as removing, any other tips besides an exacto knife, sandpaper, and solvent to clean up?

How about reaming? There has to be an easier way than sand epoxied to old blanks and doing this by hand. Seems like someone would have figured out something to chuck in a drill by now.

I use the Dream Reamers from Batson. I found them for a favorable price on a black Friday/Cyber Monday special a few years ago ;). I usually go by hand, but they can be chucked and used in the drill. You could make your own by spiraling and gluing narrow sanding belts around sections of a solid fiberglass blank.

I use sections of junk blanks (usually plucked out of trash cans at fishing piers), spiral wrap with coarse sanding belt in quarter inch strips. Cheap and effective.

Rufus
Port Saint Lucie, FL

Kyle,
If you have a way to turn the blank, you don't have to remove all the cork. Just turn/sand it down to within about 1/8" (more okay but no less) of the blank. DON'T sand into the blank. You're basically using the bad cork as an arbor. You can glue your new grip right over the top of it provided the butt of the blank is not too big to begin with. As far as reaming, try the flex coat pilot drill bits or the reverse pilot bits. They don't make a taper, but if you're able to sand this one down, you won't need a taper anyway.

I broke a cork grip once, repaired it, can't feel it, but I see it every time I use the rod. I don't think you'll get a satisfactory repair, like a couple others on the string.

Batson Dream Reamers, Batson Dream Reamers, Batson Dream Reamers. Just be careful you don't go too far as they remove material pretty fast when chucked into a drill driver.

Also, for grips, many use epoxy that has a normal set time rather than quick set types- to give more time to fit the grips properly.

Kyle,
You can use many different things for reamers.
I use circular files chucked into a variable speed drill turning backward. I have several different sizes so I can start with the common 1/8th or 1/4 inch hole and ream up from there.
I also have a set of 10 flute machinist chucks that I use which make quick work of the cork as I get near to the size hole that I need. They are also chucked into the drill but used in the forward direction.
I also have a set of 20 inch drill bits of sizes ranging from 1/8th inch to 1 inch. These also make very quick work of enlarging the hole in a cork grip.
I have not used sandpaper to ream out a grip for a very long time.

None of the afore mentioned tools wear out reaming cork. So, once you have made the purchase, you don't have to purchase or remake them again.

When working on a bunch of rods, I have several different drills with various reamers chucked into them. So, I just grab the reamer needed for the next reaming step and go from there. By using different reamers in different drills, I don't have to waste time changing bits.

Of course the best thing to do, is what the factories like St. Croix do. For their production runs of various rods and handles, they will have a custom reamer made for a given blank and handle.

The reamer is chucked into a drill press and the operator, grabs the handle, runs it up the length of the reamer, and the handle is exactly ready to go in one operation. But of course that makes perfect sense when the factory will be making several hundred or several thousand of the same blank and same grip. The expense of making the custom reamer is paid back many times over by the increase in efficiency by having the one step 10 second operation to ream a given handle for a given blank.

Take care
Roger