Noticed an inquiry about making your own butt caps. On just about all my casting and spinning rods I have been making my own for some time now. Those black plastic or rubber ones are sure ugly.

I flatten out the end of the cork butt with a sander. Then make a form about one inch deep using masking tape wrapped around the cork butt. Plug up the blank about one ince down inside with a small wad of paper to prevent the epoxy from getting too far inside. Mix some five minute epoxy with a small amount of cork dust, pour into the form and let harden. Sand to desired size and shape and out comes a great butt cap. Sometimes I add a little color using a pigment made for gel coat coloring. Red makes a nice tinted finish.

These butt caps are tough as iron and really come out neat. Fast too, once you do a few.

If anyone wants more detail on the entire process email me direct. Or if there is enough interest I can post the entire procedure here.

Capt. Harold

Harold,
I tried this (admittedly halfheartedly) and the problem I had was the seam around the bottom of the cork was not pefectly equal and some epoxy seeped a little and some did not. Wound up with an unequal seal. Will the cork dust thicken it up enough to prevent that? How much dust? Also, what do you dye the eopxy with?

The butt of the cork handle must be nice and flat to make a tight seam where the expoxy joins. I use a sander for this purpose. The form is important too. I make about two courses of 1/2 tape below the edge so the epoxy will be slightly larger than the diameter of the cork handle. Then make the form of 2 inch tape leaving about 1 inch deep for the butt cap. I then use a vibrator sander to shape the entire butt cap to the desired configuration after it cures.

To eliminate any bubbles and to make sure the epoxy gets all around the cork handle I use a small probe to poke all around in the mix before it sets. Using five minute epoxy you have to work fast. I suppose you could use LS supreme or some other slow setting epoxy and do a neater job. I just like to use the fast setting stuff so I don't have to wait long for the finished product. It also makes for a very tough butt cap.

It don't take much cork dust. Too much and you end up with something like mud that don't cure well or pour too good either. You really want the mix to flow good. Not thick and heavy.

To dye the mix I use a tube of pigment made for dying gel coat on boats. I have several colors and generally end up using red or blue. This stuff can be acquired at West Marine or any place that sells boat repair kits. It only takes a very small dab to get a color tint.

Capt. Harold