I'm in the process of doing my first set of Birch Bark grips. What is the best way to finish them? Should I use an epoxy thread finish or a wood finish like a marine grade polyurethane, or something else? They are going on an ice fishing rod.

Steve Hartzell
Lake Conroe - Willis, Texas

I did a bunch of coats of tru oil on the grips I've have done. Turned well.

Where do you guys get the bark? Do you dry it before forming rings or do it green? I would like to try it, but don't know a source for the bark.

Steve,
Some folks use other methods, but I have used two coats of guide finish on the wood or bark grips with excellent results.

After the first coat, I just use 1000 grit paper on the spinning grip to clean up any minor issues. The 2nd coat takes care of the final finish.

Be safe

Steve,

I also have used guide finish, with nice results. CA glue is too brittle for this (my opinion), but PermaGloss works out good (more than one coat needed).

The only issue I've had with using the guide finish fishing, was it was slick when handling with wool gloves. I purchased some gloves that had a silicone grip pattern, and that solved the problem.

Take care,

Chris

Tru-Oil works very good on Birch Bark, brings out the color and Character! Apply as many coats as desired to achieve amount of gloss.

Thanks for the suggestions. I thought about the Tru oil but will it make it water proof for the long haul? I'll do some tests on small segments I've put together.

Steve Hartzell
Lake Conroe - Willis, Texas

I always start out with a 50/50 mix of mineral oil and tung oil which will seep into the bark nicely and bring out the tigers eye quality of the grain. You can apply it with a finer grain wet sand paper than you used to finish the grip which will help fill in any imperfections. Once that has soaked in over several applications, I may switch to only tung oil or continue with the 50/50 mix depending on what I feel like doing at the time. You can finish it matte or glossy. The 50/50 mix will dry faster, but will be a much thinner layer. The tung oil does yellow the bark slightly, which I personally like for my grips; some of these other methods may leave the bark less yellowed.

As for sources of birch bark, we offer birch bark in sheets, rings (unsanded) and ready to use rings. We also have our exclusive birch bark starter kit that includes 2 sheets of birch bark and a birch bark ring cutter which should be more than enough birch bark to create one standard 7" grip:
[customflygrips.com]

You can see some of the birch bark grips that I have created with this method at our Facebook page below.

Joe Moriarity
Director Of Operations
Custom Fly Grips LLC
[www.customflygrips.com]
[www.facebook.com]
joe@customflygrips.com

Randy,

I've got a brother that lives in northern Minnesota and he sent me a large box of sheets of birch bark for which he gets two ice fishing rods. You can also find them on the big @#$%& site. I've never used the ones from Custom Fly grips but I have ordered some of Joe's cork products and find them to be some of the best I've used. I especially like the vertical wave cork rings. The bark pictures he has on his Facebook page look very nice.

Steve Hartzell
Lake Conroe - Willis, Texas



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/2014 07:18PM by Steve Hartzell.

Joe,

I looked at your Facebook page, are the bark grips you have there finished with the 50/50 mixture you mentioned. They've got a very shiny appearance which I like but I didn't think you could get that with oil.

Steve Hartzell
Lake Conroe - Willis, Texas

Steve, it just takes a few more coats to go from a matte finish to a shiny finish. Every birch bark grip I have made has used this method. It really seeps in well and brings out the grain in the bark.
Also, thank you for your kind words about my products. Check my other post for our Cyber Monday Sale if you need any new cork.

Joe Moriarity
Director Of Operations
Custom Fly Grips LLC
[www.customflygrips.com]
[www.facebook.com]
joe@customflygrips.com

I use 100% tung oil and I like the look of it. It gets shiny also with several coats. Just be sure you are glued up well because these rings are made up of
many many layers which are less than paper thin. Go very slow when turning or else you will break several times like I did on my first attempt.

Yes Tru-Oil will waterproof. It also soaks in on the first couple of coats.