I'm trying to find a way to install a butt cap on some Lamiglas BattleGlass rods. The butt cap that comes on the rods falls off after a little use, it is just glued to the end of the cork handle and is flat. The bottom of the cork handle is expose and gets beat going into and out of rod holders (tube style). I looked at a rubber butt cap that would fit over butt unfortunately the lip of the butt
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Wondering about making cork grips look perfect. Do you have a favorite way to smooth and fill imperfections in cork rings/grips? thanks D.
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I am restoring some older boat rods and they have what I think are hypalon grips. They are softer than EVA but the outsides have gotten crusty and hard. I was told that I could just sand them a little and they would return to normal. Has anyone ever done this? Do I need to just go ahead and cut them off and replace? What do you guys think?
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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
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I am always looking for a better tool than a Stanley Surform to round my cork on my FlexCoat lathe. The SureForm chews-up the cork something terrible. And if not careful will cut too deep For those of you who do not have a wood/metal lathe and use turning chisels on a rest - consider buying a "Kutzall Wood Shaping Rasp". I bought an 8" half round in Fine and a Coarse. The Fine
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Following are the exhibitors and seminars for the upcoming Expo in February: Exhibitors as of January 4- AMERICAN TACKLE ANGLERS RESOURCE/FUJI ARCHIE'S CUSTOM FISHING ROD HANDLES BANANA RIVER RODS BILL BALLOU'S CUSTOM GRIPS CENTURY RODS CHASE'S CUSTOM CREATIONS COMPOSITE VENTURES CORK4US DECAL CONNECTION EP'S CUSTOM ROD & REEL HFF CUSTOM RODS HITENA U
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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,
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As an admitted weight weenie, I am looking for some arbors that are (as the title states): rigid, light, and thin. The outer diameter needs to be at least .55 inch or 14mm. The inner diameter, the smaller the better. Even a solid disc would be better as I can drill it myself. Some of the blanks I have is 4mm or so and no arbor I have found has a hold that small. I suppose that I can ge
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Hi all, what are your favorite epoxies to assemble handle components and glue them to rod blanks, and why? I understand there is no perfect epoxy product..
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What is everyone doing for cork handles…do you buy your handles already made or are you using the cork rings and shaping your own? I don’t do a lot of builds but am getting tired of suppliers not having stock available so was looking at mini lathes and cork rings. Also, for those of you doing your own handles, what grade cork are you using? This is a hobby and when I do build a rod, I am gener
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Hoping someone may know about this. Google wasn’t much help. A friend gave me an old bamboo rod. It is A two piece rod and hexagonal. There is a sticker that has congress fishing tackle and below that SBM company. Does not appear to be a flyrod, and relatively short by today’s standards, probably about 56 inches. The tip is interesting, it is dome shape with two holes drilled at 180° angles. T
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Hello, In a thread below Mr. Kirkman linked to his article on Grip Boring Great Looks - Less Weight, in which he discussed the process to bore holes in wood stock intended for rod grips. Perfect timing as this is just what I was about to start researching. I recovered some parota wood off the beach in Mexico after a hurricane on a recent fishing trip, and I want to build some grips out of the w
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Hello Rod Builders, My name is Richard Lucas and I'm the owner of LUCAS MFG. Co., a Family owned Company since 1930. One of our most popular products that we manufacture is our line of LOWBOY Foot Operated Variable Speed Controls I don't know how to make or wrap a Rod, but I do know how to manufacture the "Best" Variable Speed Control & its not a plastic housing. You may
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What do you guys do when you glue the cork rings together to make a grip on ha a steel rod in the middle. Do you wax the metal, so it is not glued together with cork and makes it possible to retract after the epoxy/glue has hardened?
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I'd like to try my hand at shaping some handles for a build using Carbon Fiber handles. The Carbon Fiber handle kit will be where I start, but I do not have a cork / EVA turning lathe. My rod wrapper is the most economical single speed (CRB i think). How else might I shape the handle? I'm looking to do some rounding and tapering of the ends. Any cheap lathes out there that I might look into?
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Going to use a fighting butt as a foregrip. One end is cork composite as is the need to be glued on butt cap. I like the look of the cork composite on both ends. I want to glue the butt cap on and then drill it out to match the I.D. of the rest of the grip. The cap is rather thin maybe 3/16ths. Hole does not need to be perfect as i don't need much over a 1/4" and the edges will be hidden by
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Getting back into rod building. I have a couple projects going now! Being from WI, I make mostly walleye jigging and musky casting rods, with an occasional UL or fly rod for panfish and trout. I have done several feather inlays which looked really nice. I am doing a walleye rod for my father who uses buck-tail jigs, almost exclusively. Anyone ever pull off some sort of whitetail deer - buck-
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Hi all - I've done a lot of reading on this topic, but there isn't too much clarity around what i'm looking for specifically. There are a few schools of thought, but I wondered if personal experiences would help to solve some of the challenges i'm concerned about. Firstly, I build my grips from individual cork / rubberized rings directly on the blank using a combination of 2 part bonding epox
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How do you turn a grip that has wood and cork. Do you turn the wood first? I've noticed when I shape mixed corks the plain cork want to shape much quicker. Just wondering about any tricks I guess before I do my first attempt. Thanks as always
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I looked over my favorite fishing rods that get a lot of use the other day. Then, I made a decision. Time to do some restoration work on the grips. Sure, one can build a new rod and or modify an existing rod, but if a particular rod works very very well - it is nice to just freshen it up a bit. So, I took 16 of the rods that I use on a nearly daily basis and took them to the laundry
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Well maybe not completely, but here is a unique handle design from Stillwater Rods. This is custom built by tournament inshore angler Jason Dail! Photo: The handle was custom crafted and built by Jason. But this rod also features the American Tackle AERO Spinning Seat and MicroWave 25 Spinning Guides The blank used is the CB72/ 8-15 blank! A perfect selection for running baits and swim
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Looking at starting to turn my own grips and need help with a lathe. I've googled, searched on here, and done other research but still have too many questions. I understand what a lathe is and does, but I'm lost with all the attachments. Can the experts on here point me in the right direction? What type of chuck is preferred for turning and or reaming grips? Which tools, chisels, cutters, e
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Hi, new member here. I am trying to put together a diy lathe with which I can turn a grip on the blank. I have seen a number of builds using various rollers. Several members here have recommended cable guides used in aerospace applications, but did not specify what they are. I looked around and figured out that they are called "sheaves". They are probably of higher quality than garage d
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I was all excited to finally start assembling the handle of my NFC 703. I am using a full handle as opposed to a split grip. I was assuming that the procedure was straight forward....send the reamed cork handle to its final position at the bottom of the blank after having marked where the barrel of the reel seat will span and rolling two or three tape arbors in strategic places for it to slip o
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I’ve come across a few things about maybe scuffing the inside of a reel seat for install. Is this something that is recommended or over kill? Also what about metal reel seats that have channels in them? Just curious because I’ve never done it.
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This is probably a revisitation on an old topic, but I have several ice rod blanks I want to sand down before I build the rods. The problem with nearly all the blanks I've been able to access is the lack of a consistent bend. The "ultralight" 1# - 4# rated blanks all have a good limber tip, but when you get about 25% down from the tip they get really stiff. Most of the guys I talk to on
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Most of us have had to enlarge the hole in a butt cap in order to fit the blank perfectly. Some are easier than others especially ones that are drilled straight through. In the link below is one that is neither drilled through or flat in the bottom to help a bit. I was wondering if anybody has drilled this type and if so any suggestions on keeping it perfectly vertical would be appreciated.
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Ok so i have not jumped head first yet, but have done some research leading up and wanted to get some opinions or guidance from those with actual experience. I am planning to do some smaller grips for casting and spinning rods with cork and eva. What i was planning to use is something basic, with a corded drill as the power source (one have should be sufficient with 2500rpm). I have looked at som
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Other than speed is there any benefit an individual rod builder realizes from using a power rod wrapper?
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