I haven't seen this discussed anywhere & I'm wondering what the best procedure is for getting a composite cork butt piece sized to fit the handle base on a spinning rod.

Here's my current process & I'm hoping for some improvement...

I build the base grip for the spinning rod on a 1/4" mandrel and turn it to size using a drill press.

I ream out the id of the handle & bond it to the rod.

Next I take a composite rubber cork ring without a hole and bond it to the base of the assembled handle.

I take a file and various grades of sandpaper and begin hand sizing the composite ring to the diameter of the handle. This is a long process because the composite ring is harder than the cork and doesn't file or sand very well.

I eventually get to the point where the diameters match, but there's got to be a better way!

Thanks - Bob H.

Bob,

I've done similar handles but my approach is different. Not necessarily better, but maybe quicker and easier.

I go ahead and bore the composite ring and mount it with the other rings when gluing up the grip. After turning and fitting to the blank, I then fill the bore hold in that last ring with a mix of epoxy and cork dust/chips. Then file and sand the bottom smooth. On the composite or burl type rings, it really doesn't show up like you might think.

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

I do the same thing Tom K. does, except I drill out the hole in the final ring to get a clean, accurate hole and fill it with a plug cut from solid composite stock with a plug-cutter. I get a perfect fit and after sanding you can't even tell it's there.

Another method maybe even more difficult? I use a Dremel tool with a metal cutter to taper the composite ring to the diameter of the grip, hollow out a round cavity inside the smallest diameter end of the CC just a shade larger than the diameter of the blank butt. I cut a small slice of composite cork from another ring, shape it tapered round and use it to plug the composite ring hole. Sand it and it disappers. Then glue up the butt grip and the composite cork as it will now fit over the blank end, countersunk overlap, Uh!

I end up with a flared composite butt cap.