I don't have any experience with carbon fiber grips. I need to generate a grip of a size not offered, so I'd like to know if they behave the same as cork, EVA, ect. in that you can cut them down without adverse effects. I'm thinking of making two grips out of one piece and creating tenons on the ends. Will this cause the fiber material to fray? I'm pretty confident that the foam core itself won't be a problem. Thanks!

Dave Sytsma

David,
CF and FG respond quite well to machining; Aramid (Kevlar {including Spectra and Dyneema}) absolutely NOT. All are quite abrasive (Aramid in particular) to tooling and require a very sharp tool to reduce fraying as you mentioned = start with a new tool or properly sharpen an existing one. Although the matrix (resin / epoxy) encapsulates and holds the fibers, the matrix is basically plastic and thus will easily soften with heat, reducing its ability to hold the fibers rigidly. Machining (cutting in your case) is all about “speed and feed”. You will have to experiment with your own particular situation; sometimes fast speed and feed work best to avoid pin-pointed heat buildup, other times slow and slow work better.
One way or the other, plan on concealing the edge under a seat, butt cap or winding check or sealing the edge of the composite piece with epoxy to reduce or eliminate fraying in the future.

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 was thinking of trying a miter saw with a fine high tooth count blade. I've used it very successfully with rubberized cork rings. With the manual miter saw I can control the speed and have almost no pressure during the cut. The grips are really too expensive to experiment on, but I've got to do something.
Dave

David, please post pics before and after so we can learn too. Video is even better, but I’d love to know how it goes and I’m sure others would too.

Karry Batson mentioned on a Blank Talk that he cuts the carbon fiber skinned grips with a chop saw after taping. I think it was the centerpin blank talk.

Also, Mudhole has the customizable foam that you can add the carbon skin to the top. It may also be an option.

A local paddle shop used to use a small wet saw for cutting down paddle shafts. Ymmv

David Sytsma Wrote:
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> I don't have any experience with carbon fiber
> grips. I need to generate a grip of a size not
> offered, so I'd like to know if they behave the
> same as cork, EVA, ect. in that you can cut them
> down without adverse effects. I'm thinking of
> making two grips out of one piece and creating
> tenons on the ends. Will this cause the fiber
> material to fray? I'm pretty confident that the
> foam core itself won't be a problem. Thanks!
>
> Dave Sytsma
Once you've glued it to the foam it will be pretty rigid.
I cut mine down with a Dremel and a cut off wheel.
It about like cutting a blank.

I greatly appreciate everyone's thoughts and suggestions. It sounds like this is going to be doable. I have two miter saws I use: an old Jorgensen hand miter saw in an adjustable base that I found a high tooth count blade with small teeth for, and one I got off Amazon that model makers and craft people use. The slots in the miter box are very narrow, probably less than .5mm. I've cut cork rings and handles with both saws and was amazed at the fineness of the cut. You have a hard time seeing which was the cut side vs. the manufactured side, so I'm thinking that is going to work. The problem centers around two steelhead rods I'm going to build for a customer. He wants a carbon fiber 5" fore grip and a 14" rear grip that is not tapered, but straight. Nearly everything I've found has a taper. I'm thinking my best option is to get a 19" center pin blank and divide it to create the two grips I need. I can probably cheat 1/4" or so to create tenons for the reel seat or just butt them against the seat or a trim ring. If Chris can cut it off with a Dremel wheel, I think I'm good to go. Keep your suggestions coming. What I didn't want to do is just shoot from the hip and ruin a $44 piece of carbon fiber grip.

Dave

Here is a grip I cut in half many years ago to show the carbon skin thickness. Whatever you cut the grip with, if you're worried about getting it perfectly clean just give yourself maybe a millimeter of additional length and then follow the cut with a second or two lightly and squared on a disk sander.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

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I’ve trimmed the preformed carbon fiber grips (the textured type on a foam core) by placing it on a mandrel, spinning in the lathe and using a razor blade to score then cut

Michael Ward Wrote:
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> I’ve trimmed the preformed carbon fiber grips
> (the textured type on a foam core) by placing it
> on a mandrel, spinning in the lathe and using a
> razor blade to score then cut

I've seen people using razor blades with a lathe...it gives me the shivers.

I tape the area with masking tap to help hold the fibers in place then cut with a fine tooth Japanese style miter saw using a miter box, then sanded the cut to square it up. Really don't have to sand that much because it makes a fairly square cut.

David, with you saying you are wanting to make tenons on the ends leads me to believe you a power wrapper or lathe? If so, mount the grip on a mandrel, get it spinning and use the edge of a small jeweler's file or even a small mill file to make the cut.

It makes an extremely clean cut. No fraying or anything even resembling such a thing. You can even use the edge of the file by hand, to cut through the skin of the grip then carefully peel it from the foam core. An Xacto knife slid around the inside of the skin helps to leave the foam core well intact.

I used the above procedure a grip that I made myself, and on a factory CFX grip that I needed to shorten its' length a bit. If you have a way of spinning it, it's pretty simple.