Probably a dumb question but can you use all burl cork rings to build a handle, i found a company that has a selection of all different designs that look really good. Or do you just use them for trim bands. Thanks

Keith Langford



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/2020 04:42PM by Tom Kirkman.

I use all burl for my grips.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/2020 04:42PM by Tom Kirkman.

Most likely, Cork Specialties and Custom Fly Grips LLC have the same or more designs and they are both sponsors of this forum.

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Yes. It beats sitting through regular cork rings to find the better ones or having unexpected large voids show up in n a grip. For the split grips that I use on my rods most of the time the weight penalty is manageable and adds the extra weight to a part of the rod where it’s far less critical.

Burl cork looks beautiful when finished with products that enhance the contrast. I often use wrap epoxy over it on spin components and it can be stunning. Like a green blank with green burl. The green in the burl is between the chunks of cork so you get a rich brown from the cork and a hint of green from the spaces between the chunks. Others have used polyurethanes, and I 've seen pics that are very attractive, not as glossy as the wrap epoxy. But I haven't found any polyurethane products, that are stated to be UV resistant. Permagloss gives a little contrast, but essentially disappears. I haven' found it to be suitable.

As with most things with building, if you think you are treading new ground with finishing it, test your idea before putting it onto a rod that took many hours to build.

Thanks Tom and everyone else, I will try Cork Specialties since they are a sponsor here.

If you want to make the grip lighter you can bore out the burl cork and glue onto a 20 mm polyurethane foam arbor Works really well, and cuts the overall weight.
Norm

As Norm stated burl and rubberized cork is heavier. Natural cork is the lightest material of any.

Lighter than carbon fiber?

Not even close to being lighter than carbon, but it is greatly reduced once it has been arbored

I find it's difficult to make Carbon fiber grip as light as cork grip, and I make some ;-)

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Eric
[www.emfishing.fr]

Thomas, are you comparing carbon fiber to natural cork or burl cork? thanks,

A well made foam-core carbon-skinned grip is going to be about 15% to 20% lighter than a comparable natural cork grip. It's anywhere from 50% or more lighter than most burl or composite cork grips.

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I wonder what a foam core covered with a 1mm skin of granulated cork weighs?

Not much.

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I can,t find my dang scale..lol.

ben belote Wrote:
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> I can,t find my dang scale..lol.


i just found it and a urethane mud hole 63/4"stick covered end to end with sanded granulated cork weighs 13.94 grams or about 1/2 ounce..and it,s tough as nails or as the epoxy holding everything together

My comparison was burl cork to carbon

It's not the carbon skin that saves the weight - it's the urethane foam core. They can be made in different densities so they're going to vary based on what you buy or use. 4lb density is going to be half the weight of the 8lb variety. So on and so forth.

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Since burl cork is made of compressed granulated cork, i,m suggesting that instead of boring out the burl grip and and gluing it to a urethane core, take a urethane core and shape it then epoxy the granulated cork to it, then sand the cork down to the desired texture..it would be even lighter..