So - Been looking forward to trying the Kutzall Rasps that I posted a couple of weeks ago.
Short review - sending them back. Stanley Sureform have them beat for rounding cork grips.
You guys with conventional lathes with rests and gouges - some of us don't and need a reliable tool to round the grip.
Herb
CTS

Herb? Do you not use a tool rest or some sort?

I've been collecting the things I think I need for making cork grips, and from what I'm seeing, a tool rest is going to be pretty important. Just curious ...

A tool rest is very helpful for making the grip concentric. But you don't use the Surform against a tool rest. It's just for cutting the grip down quickly, not necessarily to concentric.

..........

How would a wood lathe (midi?) do for this work?

By the time you buy a wrapper and all the accessories it seems you could find a used (or budget) lather much cheaper.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

I've been using the Flexcoat cork lathe powered by a 3/8", 2500 RPM drill very succesfully for many years.
I dont use, or need, a tool rest.
If I used gouges I would have to use a tool rest.
I just use the Surform to round the grip. Just hold it lightly against the grip until all high spots are gone. You can feel when that is. No more "Tick-Tick-Tick".
Then 60 grit - 120 grit - 220 grit and finish with 320 grit.
Herb
CTS

I'll be using my power wrapper as a lathe. I can make a more than adequate tool rest for it. What I have been wrestling with, is whether or not I should invest in a tail stock. As for right now, I am leaning towards being able do without. Much like the one foam core carbon sleeve grip I built, I'm just wanting to build a cork grip or two, just for the sake of doing it. And I love the possibilities it presents. I've got what I think are some ideas for some sweet looking grips. I just need to execute them.

I know I am running into things I didn't expect to run into to the degree that I am. Which is why I've bought a small drill press, and will be making a cork ring boring jig like that featured in an issue of Rod Maker Magazine. I saw a short Youtube video of Tom using it, and it sure looks like it will remedy the unexpected things I've run into.

I want to take the opportunity to send a shout out to a board sponsor, Custom Fly Grips L.L.C. I purchased a few items from them. The items were just as I had hoped they would be, and shipping was extremely fast. I will be ordering more from them within the next day or two.

And Herb, I will be ordering some low grade cork rings to practice on. I will definitely give your method a try.

I use a Midi wood lathe for all my grip constructions, be it cork, wood or composite

David,
Over and over and over again - when using a drill or similar device for grip shaping etc. I wanted a tail stock badly, nearly every time that I did work on the "lathe"

Finally, I received a Midi Lathe with a tail stock, multiple chucks, multiple tai stock accessories and I could not be happier.

A tail stock lets one use the full capability of a lathe and it can be used for so many more tasks that are simply impossible to do with out the tail stock

-------------------
One very main job that I use the tail stock for, is to do perfect concentric drilling into the end of a round object. It may be a cork, or foam grip. It may be a piece of aluminum or brass to create the perfect object for a tool or accessory.

This sort of work is literally impossible to do without the use of a tail stock and the presence of various chucks and work stabilizers.

Does one need a lathe and a tail stock - No, maybe possibly not. However, by having a lathe, tail stock and lathe bed extension - so many jobs are now childs play that were either impossible or very very difficult to do properly and quickly without these tools.

-----------------

Also, for myself, I don't ever use my power wrapper for lathe type work. I have never used the power wrapper for lathe type activity with the standard - low speed motor drive that I use for power wrapping.

However, I do have a reused cordless drill motor with its attached chuck that I can use for touch up work on a grip or similar activities on the power wrapper, when working with full length completed rods.

For example:

[www.rodbuilding.org]

This drill motor was a $2 surplus 24v dc cordless drill motor complete with 2-speed gear box and a keyless chuck.

My power wrapper control box contains a 10 amp 24 volt DC power supply that powers this cordless drill motor very well with precise pedal control.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

After many years of use, for various small jobs the motor went up in smoke one day.

So, I disassembled the motor mount and pitched the drill motor. Then, about a year later, I had another need for a similar motor and found a new 24 volt cordless drill lying around which was no longer being used because of bad batteries. I removed the drill motor, gears and chuck from its plastic case and pitched the case. I retrieved the former motor mount from the previous heavy duty motor - and it turned out that the new motor slipped into the former motors mount with no modification. So, I have the use of a heavy duty motor again for cleanup work on the grip of a full sized rod using the bed and rod supports of the power wrapper.

------------------------------------
Could you do more and better work with a tail stock for your lathe? Absolutely.

Best wishes

p.s.
Penn State industries have nice merchandise and supply quality products in the form of lathes and lathe accessories:

For example:

[www.pennstateind.com]

Roger, I appreciate the response. As far as to get a tail stock or not. I know a tail stock would be the way to go. And I may just end up getting one. But for now I'm going to see if one of the rod stands on my wrapper will work. I just don't plan on building more than 3 or maybe 4 grips. I'm picky about the work I do, so if after practicing turning a lesser quality grip or two, I find that I really need a tail stock to get the results I'm after, I'll get one. It's going to be one of those try it and see kind of things.

I also thought about buying a small lathe. But because I would have no other use for a lathe other than turning a grip or two, I just can't see going in that direction. I'm not saying my power wrapper would be as good as a lathe, but it will definitely do what I need it to do.

I have used sandpaper on a block against cork rings on a 5/16 inch mandrel, running on a drill press with a lower stabilizing bearing, for many years and don't recognize ever turning an eccentric grip or needing a rest. The only eccentricity problems I have had have come during the reaming, they are if anything rare rather than usual.

This setup cannot handle harder woods, (it might if I could get cylindrical rather than square wooden blanks) but for cork, EVA, and foam cores it works just fine.

I like to keep the dusty cork turning out in the garage away from my wrapping setup.

Michael, good to hear your success with your drill press set up. I am quite certain that my power wrapper will be more than up to the task. As for the dusty cork turning in the garage goes. I completely understand that. When I was making that carbon fiber grip I referenced earlier, it created a lot of dust. After that mess I decided to make a dust collection system using a small shop vac. It works very well. I still wipe down and clean everything before I wrap any guides or apply any finish though. So far so good.

And Custom Fly Grips LLC just must be that good. I ordered more items with them yesterday (on a Sunday) and they shipped today. The folks there are definitely on top of their game. I am loving it !!!

David - Michael -
This was one of some wood grips that I made some years ago for ice fishing rods.

The tail stock - as shown in this picture was used to bore the centered hole full length through the wood grip.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Here I was using my drum dryer to hold the wood grips that I had made and was drying the grips after coating them with two coats of flex coat thread coating epoxy. A very nice final result:

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Looks good Roger. Very nice.