Planning a set of freshwater live bait rods and will be using the flocked heat shrink. I’m assuming the best option is to use an EVA grips as a “base”, or are there other preferable options?

Cord is another option.

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If I read your question correctly you are looking for an alternative base to apply the heat shrink instead of EVA.

EVA is probably the best but you could use cork preferably the lowest grade to keep the cost down. You could fill in the voids sand it smooth and not worry about the final appearance since it will be covered with heat shrink.

John

The original purpose for graphite sleeves was to make cheap cork grips look good, the foam core came later.

Spencer Phipps Wrote:
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> The original purpose for graphite sleeves was to
> make cheap cork grips look good, the foam core
> came later.

In both directions - the foam core was intended to be a base for nylon flocking, the carbon skins came later. Either way, they joined up about a month later.

But I think he's talking about heat shrink tubing as the grip surface itself. X-Grip sort of thing.

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Tom Kirkman Wrote:
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>
> But I think he's talking about heat shrink tubing
> as the grip surface itself. X-Grip sort of thing.
>
> ..........

Correct - will be using X-Grip type heat shrink.... and just checking what the best options for the underlying “form” would be

If you simply want to increase the diameter of the final grip - cork (cheap stuff) will be your lightest bet, unless you want to pour up some urethane foam. If you want some sort of texture to the grip, then nylon cord can be wound in any number of ways. Leaving gaps will provide more of a textured final surface. No gaps will still offer a bit of texture, but not as much.

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Hello Michael.

You can use a lot of things depending on the thickness of your blank where you are going to put the X-Wrap.
I have used cork tape, EVA, old beat-up cork(gaps filled with glue & dust), cored wood, and even just some rubber cement on larger rods.
Then you have stuff you can use under the wrap, like different size cords, I once took burl cork rings and glued them on 1/2" apart then used X-Wrap over the rings.

I saw a guy take rounded seashells, drilled them to fit on the blank, glued them up then covered with the Shrink-Wrap, I guess you could do it with the X-Wrap or Scale-Wrap.
But you can do anything you want, it's your rod, you have but to try it, you might like it.


Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

Good info - I was thinking EVA would be the cheaper route but didn’t realize cheap cork might be and lighter as well

I’ll look into options. Thanks all