Are there any tricks to replacing a new pre formed half wells cork grip from the bottom of the base section? I realize that I would remove the present reel seat but of course the taper of the inlet of the new cork will not be as sweet as when putting on originally from the top down. Problem is there is some nice art work above the winding check that I wish not to disturb and that would prevent the new grip from going back on from the top of base section as done originally. If I just lather on a lot of rod bond to fill the void toward the top of the cork grip, will I be OK? Thanks for your insight.

Sure

ream to fit

Then with 1/4" tape make several arbors so to center the handle and make it fit snug
When it fits the way you want -- glue in place

Bill - willierods.com

Rob,
Very simple.
Use a pair of common pliers to chop up the old grip and peel the pieces off of the rod.
Use a heat gun to heat up the epoxy and a heavy knife held at 90 degrees to the blank to scrape off the heavy epoxy that is left on the blank.

Take the new grip and bore out the center of the new grip to be the same size as the largest size of the butt section of the rod. By the way, if the new grip has an integrated butt cap, bore the grip only to a bit before the butt cap so that you can use the integrated butt cap.

Then, take masking tape - I typically use 1/2 inch wide tape - and starting from any area where the blank starts to thin down, add tape wraps until the blank is the same size as the butt.
Then, leave about 1/16th inch gap - to allow epoxy to flow between the tape wraps to the blank - and do another wrap. Continue the tape wraps until you are up to the reel seat.

Mix up a good batch of slow drying epoxy - coat the inside of the grip, coat the rod blank, making sure that you have good epoxy penetrate down to the blank between the tape wraps.
Slip on the grip. Remove any excess epoxy with a paper towel and DNA as needed. Let dry and you will be good to go.

The entire job should take about 20 minutes.

Take care
Roger



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2012 02:00PM by roger wilson.

Also if you can turn the old grip so it is the arbor and bore the new one to fit You can just slide the new onto the old and glue

Bill - willierods.com

bill boettcher Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Also if you can turn the old grip so it is the
> arbor and bore the new one to fit You can just
> slide the new onto the old and glue

Exactly right!

Chuck

_________________________________________
"Angling is extremely time consuming.
That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane

yea

To bad i did not think of that on the first post Doooo

Bill - willierods.com

Thank you all for your excellent suggestions. Will give it a go.