Hey, I'm a new poster here. I've been building for about 1 1/2 years now. I'm still experimenting with different grips, seats and guides. The build I'm working on now is a MHX blank with microwave guides. For the handle, I used Syncork and so far I really like it. Very light and the texture is nice and it was pretty fun to shape the handle. It's just that one more touch that makes it more personal. The one thing I couldn't figure out from watching the videos was what the butt cap is supposed to be. For mine, I only took the syncork down to about a 1/2 inch from the end. I used a American Tackle power wrapper to turn the handle and the chuck needs something to grip so it was either leave some blank for it or glue syncork all the way to the end and hand sand the part the chuck gripped after shaping it. Does anyone have a better method than that? It worked, but I'd rather have the syncork all the way to the end but even then it would leave a hole in the end of the handle so it would need capped with something.

Thanks,
Paul

Hi Paul,

You would need to turn the syncork on a mandrel, then glue it on the rod. This way the chuck grips the mandrel not the cork.

Take care,

Chris

The hole in the end can be handled by filling with a mixture of epoxy and the syncork dust, or put a black rubber "cap" on it. Available from Mudhole, or the interior trim display at O'Reilly auto parts.

Don't turn Syncork on a mandrel, only glue rings to the rod, it will seperate at the joints turned on a mandrel much like birch bark will.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2018 06:09PM by Spencer Phipps.

x10 on Spencer's comments.

Turn Syncork on the rod, after the rings have been glued in place.

To turn the rod blank when doing this, take a piece of glass or grapthite solid stock and while having it chucked in the lathe or in a variable speed drill hold it against a belt sander or piece of sandpaper to taper the solid stock to match the inside taper of the the rod blank in question.

If you do not have access to solid stock that is a large enough diameter, you can then just use any smaller piece of appropriate solid material and use layers of masking tape to build up the diameter of the solid stock for a tapered fit on the inside of the blank.

For the best grip, insure that you have a nice friction fit up 4-5 inches up on the inside of the butt section of the rod blank. Then, put the solid stock in the chuck and with enough rod supports to support the spinning blank full length turn on the lathe, starting slowly to insure that the blank does not whip due to rod support spacing issues and turn down the grip. If you find that the rod wants to whip or oscillate when you first turn on the lathe slowly, then, run your hand down the blank as you start and stop the lathe to find a null or quiet point in the rod blank, and move the appropriate rod rest to that location. By placing the rod rests at natural null points in the blank during high speed rotation, you will prevent the blank from going into destructive oscillation and destroying itself.

Yes, if you do turn the blank, you do, potentially need to be able to move a rod support any where on the blank from the butt to the tip to appropriately support the rod when turning the glued on grip materials for shaping.

Syncork makes an excellent grip, but the syncork to syncork glue joints are strong enough to make a great long term grip, but may not hold up to being taken off a mandrel and moved back onto a blank for gluing. Hence, the better solution to glue the syncork rings to the blank and to each other on the blank for turning to shape.

By the way, this advice is directly from the person who developed Syncork.

Good luck

Hi Paul,

If it can't be turned on a mandrel, then the way Roger described is your best bet. Works great.

Take care,

Chris

Everyone, this helps a bunch! Much appreciated Roger! I thought about a dowel but this looks better. Roger, this gets syncork down to the end of the rod. What do you suggest for a cap?

Thanks,
Paul

I was looking at several different built up rods using a syncork grip.

Most of them either have a rubber butt cap or a cork cap.

A very simple solution - but with a larger butt cap is to use a crutch tip or a rubber chair leg bottom.
You can get a larger one that will fit over the end of the grip, or you can take a smaller one and glue it on the end of the blank. If you leave the grip 3/4 of an inch short, you can built up the diameter of the blank with tape and then glue the rubber butt cap, or the cork grip on the end of the blank with a solid end with no hole in it.

I would think that with the black color the best look would be the use of a matching size rubber butt cap.

When I use a rubber chair leg bottom for a rod butt cap, I will obtain a form or shaft to hold the chair leg tip. Either use a piece of shafting the same size as the id of the grip, or use a smaller one and then use masking tape to increase the size of the shafting for a snug fit on the end of the shaft. Then, put the shaft in your lathe and turn up the speed to its maximum setting. Then, starting with coarse sand paper and a backing block sand the bottom of the chair leg tip flat. Then, using the sandpaper and a backing block sand the sides of the tip to parallel sides. Then, use your caliper to match the od of the cap to the od of the syncork grip. When finished, decrease the grit of the sandpaper for a smooth feel. Then, use epoxy to glue the new rod butt to the tip of the blank that has beens sized to accommodate the new rod butt.

Good luck

Thanks Roger! Much appreciated.

You can put a tenon on your last ring on the rod, grip this with your chuck, do your turning, than cover the tenon with any butt cap of your choice for a clean finshed look. You can even make a butt cap out of Syncork, one ring with a hole that fits tight over the blank's butt followed by a blank ring and just put the rod back in your cork clamp.till the glue sets.

Never used Syncork, any advantages to it's use?

Lighter and denser than cork, works real well in rod holders, you can give it different textures depending on how you finish it. Doesn't glue up as nice as cork, but all the tools you use to shape EVA apply. Shur-Form files, dry wall screen, 60 grit sandpaper is about all you need. One of my rods I built over ten + years ago has it, the guide fishes it all the time, still looks almost brand new, light sanding with 60 grit to bring up the original nap again is probably all it needs. One of my Rod Guild mags had a good article on it maybe 12 years ago.
The seller of Syncork was a sponsor here not long ago, had a vid on glue up, usage and shaping on their site.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2018 09:24PM by Spencer Phipps.