A mouse or a rat or some rodent decided to chew up this EVA handle. I guess the smell of fish guts was too much to walk away from. The rest of the rod is in good shape. It is only the foregrip that has issues.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

What are my options for fixing this? Are there any "fillers' out there to bring the missing chunks back up to surface level? I thought about some shrink wrap material, but not sure how I would hide the front and rear cuts??

Has anyone ever put on an EVA foregrip from the butt?

Any ideas?

I just redid one a couple of weeks ago, I just cut it down along the middle of the grip and took it off piece by piece, and took a Dremel tool and cut off as much of the rodbond epoxy off as I could then sanded the rest, then i just reamed the eva handle to where it would go on from the butt end , but I had to make a arbor from dry wall mess, to get it snug, it is holding really good.

Would you believe Crickets did that ! I've got one in the same condition, except it's the EVA butt cap. Left in the garage for a week or so. I caught him in the act !

J.B.Hunt
Bowling Green, KY

You can make an EVA plug to cove the holes, dependin ghow many and how big. YOucan also wrap an EVA sheet around the grip.

Fix I use for party boat rods.

Fill the holes with Rod Bond. When cured sand to the shape of the grip. Cover with shrink wrap and rod is back in service.

Capt Neil Faulkner

In the past, I have filled the voids with bath tube silicon then "flocked" the grip.

Ed Smith
Flat Rock, NC

Jess,
It is a bit difficult to tell the action and power of the rod from the picture.
But to ask:
Do you need a for grip on the rod?
If you don't just cut off the for grip, clean up the blank and do a wrap on that section of the rod.
Or, if you need a for grip, perhaps you might like to put a "cord" for grip on the rod.

If it is a 2-piece rod, you would likely only have one guide in front of the for grip. Cut the guide and grip off of the rod. Install a new grip and rewrap the guide.

If it is a single piece rod, just cut off the guided and grip, clean up the blank and rewrap the guides that you might have been thinking about rewrapping anyway.


Take care
Roger



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2012 10:59AM by roger wilson.

P.S.
In the future, you might want to be keeping your rods in a bug or rodent proof case to prevent future damage.

Roger

Here's another alternative. If you have a lathe, turn down the grip past the damage. Shape to a straight taper cylinder. Now size a new grip, with an ID matching the OD of the turned down grip. Slide it over the rod butt and epoxy it over the turned down grip. Then turn the new grip to shape and you're done.

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

Thanks for all the ideas. I was hoping to get away with something that doesn't require taking off the reel seat or the rear eva...both of which are fine. May have to go the shrink wrap route.

Jess just an idea as Ive never done it ,but,you could possibly turn down or cut off the old grip,take new grip sized just snug to the blank and slit it with a razor bl;ade end to end,rod bond blank and contact cement grip,down both sides of slit, and just spread it and clamp over blank with hand.Turn seam underneath and sand a little after it drys.Might work and eva is pretty cheap if it dont.

Jess,
It doesn't take that long to cut off guides and rewrap.
Cut off the necessary guides, slice off the for grip, install a new for grip, rewrap and recoat the guides.

Take care
Roger

Bruce,

I think your idea will work as well as any. I have done cork ring replacement that same way with good results. EVA should work as well.

Bill

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio