Besides perfect thread work, the sign of a good build are even shoulders on your cork grips that are turned on a lathe of some sort.
I mean the area where your grip, and fishting butt, meet the reel seat. The cork reveal should be equal 360 degrees around the seat.

Uneven reveal can happen for two reasons:
1. Slippage of the blank or mandrel while in the lathe.
2. The main reason, however, is the fact that the foam arbor was not reamed concentric to the blank.

Using the following method, you will install the arbor directly onto the blank - not into the reel seat.

The way to avoid this is to use the principal of The Intergral Calculus. Since it is easier, and more accurate, to ream a short piece of arbor, rather than a long piece, cut the arbor into 4 equal pieces.
So as not to mix them up - number them 1-4 with a pencil.

It is easier and more accurate to use a grit-coated reamer instead of a sandpaper-wrapped reamer to do this.

Place a piece of tape on the blank to mark where piece #1 will sit.
Ream #1 careful to maintain concentricity. Inspect it periododically to ensure the walls are even. If not - take a little off the thicker side.
DRY FIT THE PIECES OFTEN. WHEN NEAR THE FINAL RESTING LOCATION GO VERY SLOW.

The 4 pieces should be snug to where you want them to sit.
If the arbor is shorter than the seat - be sure to leave spaces between arbor pieces. Or use a short piece off of a full arbor. In thta case you will have 5 pieces.

When all pieces are snug to the blank - epoxy in place.
I rotate mine so epoxy does not flow out.
Careful when cleaning-up. Make sure you don't use free flowing alcohol - it will wick undere the arbor and weaken the bond.

When epoxy is cured - install the seat. If seat fits loosly - bush with a spiral of thread. If still loose - spiral back. If still loose - use flu line backing.
For a good bond - make sure that you wet the inside of the seat with epoxy as well as the arbor.

The above should be used for builders using pre-made grips also. An non-concentric seat will not fit nicely into the port of a premade grip.

Herb.
CTS



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2022 11:45AM by Herb Ladenheim.

Thats very good information. Thank You for sharing .
Steve

I sometimes have a little concentricity issue with ramps that I make for the ends of spin seats, and I always make sure to orient the parts rotationally to not show it when viewed from above.

I don’t know what all the fuss is about; I never experience non-concentricity issues…yah right. I have come to the conclusion that the only way to obtain a PRECISELY concentric grip is to employ the largest possible boring bar on a metal lathe (or a highly modified wood lathe). But the taper is a real PITA. When all else fails, I employ Michael’s approach; I just tell everyone to not view the rod from the side lol.
Nonetheless, thanks Herb for the tip. With no guarantee the grip, arbors or bushings are concentric to begin with, it really boils-down to reaming slowly and checking often.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

Mark, I have never seen a non-concentric arbor, bushing, grip, or reel seat. My problems are always of my own making, not having a lathe, and relying on good reaming technique, which is not always perfect. I don't see the taper as an issue. Maybe I'm missing something.

Michael,
I was referring to (taper) boring a grip with a boring bar on a metal lathe, not a typical tapered rod building reamer. You are either luckier than me or spend more money on your cork, arbors or bushings. I have had a number of them which were not concentric. Again, it all really boils-down to reaming slowly and checking often.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.