I had a bunch of long cork handles to glue and wanted to save time.
I remembered a "how do they do it show" showing how the Sage Fly rod factory put together rods. I remember, that they had the blank vertical on a slowly spinning table, while they were gluing up cork rings to form the cork handles prior to shaping.

So, I took one of my slow speed DC wrapper motors made from a surplus 24 volt Sears cordless drill and used my bench vise to hold the motor on end, rather than horizontal.
Then, I simply took my stack of cork rings on a threaded rod, and while turning the stack of rings, brushed on Tite Bond Glue to glue the assembly together.

I find it easier to leave the 1/4 inch holes unreamed and unbored during glue up. I would rather drill the entire handle in a single pass to save time.

After gluing the rings together, I drill the handle out to 3/8th inch for a larger and stiffer mandrel to turn the grip. Then, I do the final reaming for the nice fit on the rod and glue it to the rod.

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The nice thing about having the stack of cork vertical, is that any excess glue just runs down the stack, rather than dripping onto the bench. Then, since tite bond is water soluable, I just use a damp rag to wipe off the excess glue before anything has set.

Be safe

Roger, are you adding a ring at a time while applying the Tite Bond, or somehow keeping the stack of rings seperated?

Phil,
I put the threaded rod in front of me, and I thread all of the rings on the threaded rod, placing each ring at the location, where I want it.

I make sure that the threaded rod is long enough for at least 3 inches free end to hold the rod and another 3 inches of cork movement between the loose nuts.

Then, when I have everything set up, my cup of glue loaded and my damp brush ready to go, I turn on the motor to about 4-8 rpm. This seems to be about the right rpm, to quickly apply glue, but not so fast as to sling glue off the stack of cork.

After starting the stack spinning, I grab the next to bottom ring and apply glue to the first ring. Then, I let the next to bottom ring drop and let my hand slide up the cork stack to hold the stack stationary while applying glue n the next ring.
etc. etc. etc.

Every now and then, I will put some good downward pressure on the rotating stack to squeeze out excess glue.

I continue, until the last piece of cork has been glued. I am generous with the glue, since I am only applying glue to one surface. This is why, every now and then I hold down the stack of slowly rotating cork rings, to have the rings slip against each other and insure that both cork faces have glue fully coat each face.

When all of the rings have had glue applied to one of the faces, I tighten down the wing nuts against the washers and cork rings to insure that excess glue is squeezed out and that all parts of the rings are completely coated with glue.
Then, I will use a semi wet rag to wipe off the excess water based glue. Finally, I will speed up the rotating stack - and continue to work off any excess glue that is on the surface of the rings.

By doing this, there is no layer of glue to cut, when I first start to turn the grip on the lathe.

I let the stack of cork rings dry for 24 hours - with the threaded rod clamp in place.
Then, I remove the threaded rod clamp, and use a fan go blow air through the hole and continue to dry out the inside of the rings, and cure the glue.
When I remove the threaded rod, the glue will not have cured at all on the threaded rod, nor on the inside surface of the rings.
So, I then, let the stack of rings dry for another 24 hours, before taking it to the lathe to enlarge the hole for a larger stiffer mandrel and grip shaping.
After the shaping is complete, I will do a final ream and drill of the grip for the final fit to the rod blank.

--
If I am in a hurry, I will use epoxy for the glue, and put up with the fact that there will be some glue on the outside of the grip that I will have to cut out with a rasp. But, using 20 minute epoxy, I can glue up the stack of cork and have it to the lathe 2 hours later for shaping and turning. But, the epoxy is much messier, tougher to clean up and many times more expensive.

Be safe

What's your method for drilling out the grip after glue up Roger?

Terry

Terry,
The key thing for a grip, is to have a clean entrance and exit hole on the grip. That is the part of the grip that is visible.
For the inside hole of the grip, it is all right if the hole is a bit ragged, since a bit ragged hole will help to hold the glue better, and you get an even better joint.

I have a series of different diameter circular files. I use these files in reverse to ream the entrance and exit hole into the cork.

After getting a clean hole in the ends of the cork, I use the appropriate sized aircraft long drill bit to drill out the center hole to the appropriate size.
I use a cloth glove when holding the grip in my hand. The cloth glove lets me slip the cork grip now and then, as I am drilling to let the grip rotate a bit in my hand. This tends to keep the drill bit centered in a long grip.

I have the complete series of aircraft bits in different sizes, so I will start at the original size of the cork hole - 1/4 inch and begin enlarging the hole. By taking the hole up in steps, the hole stays centered and clean. I only drill 1/2 way through from each end.
I keep an air compressor hose with its attached blow gun handy to continue to blow out the hole periodically. If you don't keep the hole free of drilling debris, the bit will tend to jam and begin to drift off course.

I will generally enlarge the original grip to a hole size of either 3/8th or 1/2 inch for a nice fit on a mandrel to put into my lathe. I find that the 1/4 inch rod is too flexible for the lathe to give a good finish on the handle. But, by going to the larger stiffer rod, the grip can be easily finished off in the lathe without any non uniformity.

Once, I have the grip turned to the final dimensions with clean ends, I will then do the final fit to the rod blank.

Now, I use a caliper to measure the diameter of the blank at the location where the butt and the tip of the grip will be located. I use one of the files, chucked into the drill running backward to clean up the end of the grip to the size hole needed for the blank.

Then, I use the appropriate sized aircraft drill bit to drill from the butt end for the larger hole, and use the appropriate sized aircraft drill bit to drill form the tip end of the grip to obtain the correct sized hole for the blank.

I do a test fit of the grip to the blank and when correct, then make an appropriate sized plug to fit the hole that is in the end of these long grips.

Finally, I do a final clean up with the air compressor blow gun and mix up a batch of 30 minute epoxy and glue the grip in place and glue the butt cap in place at the same time.

I have made an addition to a disk sander that I had sitting unused after obtaining my last lathe. So, I decided to add a cross vise to the disk sander, so that I could clamp the glued up grips for a final sand of the end of the grip to insure that the grip had an end that was at 90 degrees to the end of the grip. The addition of the cross vise is a wonderful help to keep the end of the grip square with respect to the rod.

Even on this long 20 inch grip, the entire process, including the handle turning, boring and gluing is typically less than 30 minutes. I do 0 hand reaming and use 0 sand paper reamers. I only use steel circular files and steel aircraft bits for prepping the hole in the rod.

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This is the cross vise disk sander who's single purpose is to insure that I get a perpendicular end on the end of cork grips.
Normally, I have a plug sticking out of the end of the grip after gluing. I insert the grip, cushioned with paper towels or rubber bench cushions, and after turning on the sander, advance the vise just enough so that I "clean up" the end of the grip, sand off the protruding plug, and insure that the face of the grip is clean and square with respect to the rod.

Be safe