Has anyone ever used either of these to make a complete grip out of? If so, now is the material to turn on a lathe?

[www.mudhole.com]

[www.mudhole.com]

I want to try to use it for some grips on some walleye trolling rods.

Hello Mitch.

They are mostly used as trim because of their weight (kind of heavy) but a few people like them enough to not care about the weight.

Tight Wraps & Straight Guides.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

I've only used them as trim, but have noticed that the "spotted" is harder to shape due to it's black matrix heating up while trying to turn down. Definitely harder to get a smooth, eased edge with it, at least for me. Between the 2, I'd choose the reg rubberized. Being trolling rods, I guess you're not too concerned w/ their weight?

They can always be cored if you want to reduce the weight.

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I use the rubberized cork for ends and caps because they are much more durable and resist chipping. When shaping on the lathe, they are easier to use regular turning tools and are less likely to tear out compared to regular or even burl cork. I've never made a full grip out of these but as Tom said, you could core them and use a urethane insert for weight reduction.

The burl corks are heavier than regular cork, but lighter than the rubberized. I've seem some beautiful grips made from these and finished with Tru Oil or regular varnish/urethane. These work particularly well for rear grips on spey rods as a little extra weight in the butt is desired. Again, you can core them for weight reduction. Most of the burls are tougher to sand than regular cork so if you use them as trim, use a sanding block to ensure even sanding between the two materials. Going with all burl removes this problem.

Terry

I use them a lot for the ends of rods. They are heavy and I like to use them to balance out a tip heavy rod.

Thanks! Im not too concerned with the weight since these will spend their life in a rod holder, plus the blanks diameter is larger so there wont be a ton of material left after reaming them to fit. Seems that they are ok to turn, so i think im going to give them a try.