I know there is more than one way to do this. Both on the rod and on a mandrel. But what are the pros and cons of each? I will be starting with individual cork rings and if I can save the step of moving the grip from a mandrel to the rod, why not just assemble the rings right on the rod blank and turn from there? What cons would there be to this method? Just want to make sure I am not overlooking anything. Cork is expensive you know!

I turn my cork on the blank. I do it that way for a couple reasons. I think its easier. You have to protect the blank. I put tape at the spots where the rod supports touch the blank and all up and down the blank next to the surface that is being sanded. Just protect the blank.

Turning a cork grip while on the blank is ok, but, what happens when you make a mistake while turning that grip? I turn mine on a Jet Mini lath. If I make a mistake turning on the mandrel, just use a parting tool to cut off the bad and then add the new rings. No big disaster in my opinion.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]

I much prefer to turn mine on my midi-lathe. First of all, there is zero risk of possibly damaging an expensive blank, secondly, I can do the reel seat recess which you cannot do on the blank!

Hi Bob,
Always pro's and con's for most stuff. Turning on the blank is usually cheaper as you haven't got the cost of a lathe and accessories. You need a self centring chuck to fit in your drill or you will have a huge problem getting the blank to spin properly and if it is not supported adequately you can break the blank from whip. Even with a self centring chuck your grip may not be perfectly concentric with the blank. You have to protect the blank as mentioned. With a lathe it's much easier to get everything concentric. I just got a cheap lathe that will do for turning grips and so far have turned a number of foam cores and it's much easier and better for getting stuff concentric but you have to make sure your reaming is also concentric.
You can get good results with either method but they're both different. You can get good results with a drill powered lathe if your careful and take your time.

ESFNEM Col
Port Kembla, NSW
Australia

I like the idea of turning off the rod so errors are easier to correct and the blank is not jeopardized. I do mine on a cobbled setup: 1. Drill each ring to 5/16 diameter to fit onto 5/16 threaded rod, 2. mount rings loosely onto 5/16 rod that has been waxed, 3. apply epoxy and provide compression by nuts on the rod 4. add a jam nut on each end of the grip blank, 5. slide the rod into a 5/16 bearing mounted in a board, clamp the board onto the bed of the drill press while also putting the other end into the drill press chuck, and tighten. 6. Turn the cork into shape using coarse sandpaper, finish with finer paper to get the finish desired. You can have multiple components mounted on the rod to save setup time. You can also turn foam core blanks in this way to make grips, ramps, etc.

This works fine, and is a good place to start using the "lathe" method without a lathe. If I had a lathe I would sitll turn them on a mandrel of some sort.

I like the idea of turning off the rod so errors are easier to correct and the blank is not jeopardized. I do mine on a cobbled setup: 1. Drill each ring to 5/16 diameter to fit onto 5/16 threaded rod, 2. mount rings loosely onto 5/16 rod that has been waxed, 3. apply epoxy and provide compression by nuts on the rod 4. add a jam nut on each end of the grip blank, 5. slide the rod into a 5/16 bearing mounted in a board, clamp the board onto the bed of the drill press while also putting the other end into the drill press chuck, and tighten. 6. Turn the cork into shape using coarse sandpaper, finish with finer paper to get the finish desired. You can have multiple components mounted on the rod to save setup time. You can also turn foam core blanks in this way to make grips, ramps, etc.

This works fine, and is a good place to start using the "lathe" method without a lathe. If I had a lathe I would sitll turn them on a mandrel of some sort.

Like the others have said, there are pro's and cons to both. I prefer to turn it on the blank. The end result for me is better and I don't have to ream thru the hole handle. Just be careful, protect the blank with masking tape and work slowly and you won't have any issues.

For just turning grips, either way works great. It's easier to turn fighting butts and rear spey grips off the rod on a lathe, but you can do those on the rod as well, but you have to have a method to plug the hole in the butt.

If you ever want to turn reel seats, then getting a lathe set up to both turn grips and reel seats is a better option. Only the renzetti and the Custom Power Wrapper are adequate for any reel seat turning in wood.

If you have the space, I prefer the flexibility that the lathe provides, plus it allows me to contain the dusty work in the garage and all the wrapping and finishing in the rod room. Even a separate lathe in the same room permits you to have a dust collection system to keep things clean.

Terry

Bob,
For standard grips, it is safer and certainly a lot less hassle to turn the grips on a mandrel in a lathe.

However, there are some sorts of grips that really can't be turned very well, unless the grip is turned on the blank. In particular, the hidden hood style grip is next to impossible to turn on a mandrel and then transfer to the blank.

Your choice.

Be safe

Roger

What type of hood is under the cork - A ring ??

Bill - willierods.com

Bill,
When I build hidden hood grips I use the Fuji skeletal style reel seats.

The back grip is conventional. Then, the threaded portion of the skeletal reel seat. Then three 1/2 inch thick cork rings for a 1 1/2 inch long reel seat. Then, the front hood. The front hood is encased in a cork ring that has been trimmed for a perfect fit of the hood. Since the hood is wider than a single ring, the next ring of the fore grip has a depression milled into it to accommodate the balance of the front reel seat hood. Then, normally two or three additional rings for the rest of the fore grip.

When starting with this grip, all of the rings are full sized 1 1/4 inch rings, with the exception of the ring that is on the reel seat side of the front hood. That ring is sanded down flat far enough to be able to see the beginning of the front hood.

Then, when spinning the blank and shaping the grip, the initial cut out of the one ring allows the builder to sand the ring around over the front hood, without going through all of the cork and ruining the grip.

The nice thing about the hidden hood grips is that the hand rests entirely on cork and gives great comfort and sensitivity to the fisherman.


For example:
[www.rodbuilding.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2013 11:00AM by roger wilson.

The KS and SK split seats look interesting for this Wonder if the spin hoods are a smaller OD then the other hoods ??

Gives me another thing to play with Was also thinking of fly hoods ??

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2013 11:25AM by bill boettcher.

I have always shaped cork ON the blank, mostly because that was the way I learned.
I do NOT spin the blank to do the shaping; rather I use a 10" disc sander/belt sander combination. I protect the blank for about 10" above the front cork, and the reel seat, with masking tape. I slowly, and with a light touch, rotate the blank/cork combo against the sanding disc or belt (usually the disc).
I use a cone-shaped bit in my drill press to ream each ring to fit the blank. The rear cork rings are labeled alphabetically (A is the bottom cork, B the next, etc). The foregrip rings are numbered 1 thru whatever. I use a ballpoint pen for this.
After the rear cork is reamed and in place, I slide the reel seat down the blank to provide proper spacing, and then ream and fit the foregrip cork.
Once the corl is prepared, I glue up the rear grip, then build up the blank under the reel seat with drywall tape and glue the seat in place, and finally glue up the front grip. The whole thing goes into a clamping jig I made with hardwood and threaded rod. I make certain to measure each aide of the jig as I tighten the clamp, assuring the cork won't be unevenly compressed.
Once the epoxy is cured, I mask the blank and reel seat and shape the cork as described above.
The man who taught me (long since passed on), actually did perfect shaping of cork on the blank using a 3/8" hand drill with a sanding disc bit. Watching him shape the cork on saltwater rods was to watch a master at work. He held the rod in one hand and the drill in the other. They were always perfect. I never had the nerve to attempt it his way.
This is likely not the best way to shape grips, but I have never had a problem with this method, and after 40+ years, I see no need to change.

Success is the result of making good choices. Making good choices is the result of experience. Experience is often the result of making bad choices.

G'day Bob

I prefer to turn my grips on a wood lathe which i was lucky enough to pick up fairly cheaply.One of the pros is if you make a mistake is that you can start again
but if its on the blank its a bit harder to remove.I have also been using the aero seats and using a KDPS reel seat and making a cork burl hood to fit over.
I have a drill press to drill them out and then turn them down on the lathe.The walls are about 3mm thick so its a bit of a tricky process.I have also done one in
birch bark and will be doing more when i get some bark.So if you are going to get more involved in turning i suggest looking for a cheap second hand lathe
and experimenting its a lot of fun.

cheers

Ray Balmforth
Figtree
NSW
Australia

Screw up only once and you will wish you had did it on and arbor

I have a drill lath ( poor man's lath ) I have done it all even wood ( carefully ) Scrap blanks as arbors ( checked for straightness )

I shape and then seal my handles Always on my lath When I ( like them ) then ream to fit the blank

Don't need paying for another blank If it screws up

Just takes one time

Bill - willierods.com

If creativity and artistic expression are important to you, turning handles & reel seats separately will be necessary. The cost of blanks makes experimenting on the blank prohibitive.

Good point , George. A comment on an ealier post, I cannot see why contacting cork is more sensitive than contacting aluminum or graphite which is glued with epoxy to the blank. Same for cork vs epoxy or rigid foam ramps. Is there a technically based argument for cork?

Bill Boettcher, you wouldn't be trying to jinx me, would you?

I recently had some work done on a 22K gold fountain pen nib. It was cut, ground, made thinner, and re-shaped to a "cursive italic" type nib. One mistake, and a nib that costs more than any of the blanks we build on is destroyed.
The people who do this work are true artists, and they typically have a waiting list of between 6 and 12 months. And the work is done freehand on a very fine grinding wheel. Talk about tension!

If I mess up a blank at this point, I will chak it up to the cost of doing business It hasn't happened in 40+ years. Yep...it might. And if it happens next week, I am going to find a voodoo practitioner to pay you back! :-)

Not trying to jinx you Gary

I do them off only cause I have had some though lack of paying attention came out a little thin
had one blank slip off the holder Thank God it did not snap

Just feel safer to make and finish them Then ream and put on the rod

Don't be sticking any needels in any dolls with my name on them LOL

Bill - willierods.com