Hey folks. This is my first post. Finally gonna bite the bullet and strip the composite grip off my evotec Spey. I want to do a birch bark/burnt cork/laguna cork grip with the majority being the birch. Can the inner bark be used for the rings or just the papery layers . I have rings cut and drying for both. I can get a lot more for my effort with the inner cork like bark and it is sooo much easier to cut the rings out and looks pretty cool clamped up on all thread. The papery rings are maybe a 1/16th thick with a few a bit bigger. The inner bark rings are an 1/8th+ . Another question...glue for the papery rings. I can't get titebond III here where I live . Will epoxy work or should it be a wood glue? If so could you suggest a few names I can look out for. Thanks in advance!!

This is the article that started the birch bark grip craze. You should be able to find some answers here:

[www.rodbuilding.org]

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Thanks Tom. I have read this article previously. I think the problem with me understanding how the rings work was that the bark I had was very thin. Today I went out on a bark hunt and found some that was 1/8" and solid, not flakey like the first batch I found. Made a cutter(ground off hole saw). Worked great! I have about 6 sqf of the bark that is now drying. The only glue I could find was lepages waterproof wood glue. Will this be ok? My plan is to glue up 1-1/2" sections , ream each section to fit the rod , glue it and then shape. I obviously will need a tapered mandrel? How do I know what I need. The rod is a loop evotec 8 wt Spey 13-6".

G'day James

I have had a bit of a dabble with birch bark and worked out a few things that may help you.Firstly using a hole saw is the best way to cut out the rings i found.I make them 32mm
so you have them a bit oversized.I also do some at 35mm if making foregrips for KDPS hoods.There can be a bit of rough edges on the rings so better to be a bit oversized when
you clean them up.Also by using the hole saw you get a quarter inch centre hole so i then glue them up on a same size mandrell.After i have glued up a batch of rings i then bore
them out to around 16 or 19mm. Then insert a graphite arbour which has been bored out to 10mm and then glue up sections of birch,burl,cork and whatever else tickles your fancy
on the 10mm mandrell.Once dry i then turn them up on my lathe.You then ream the graphite arbour to suit your blank.Its a lot easier than trying to ream the birch and cuts down on
weight a bit.Hope this helps.I just wish that i could go for a walk and collect some birch your very lucky.

cheers

Ray Balmforth
Figtree
NSW
Australia