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Post 27 Jul 2020, 10:07 • #1 
Guide
Joined: 06/30/20
Posts: 251
his all. my first thread. I recently built 2 rods. One was a refurb of an old JC Higgins rod that had sentimental value to me. The other was a new rod from a Proof Vapor blank (thanks Matt!) In both cases, I needed to put on new cork grips.

I found boring out the cork grips VERY time consuming and annoying part of the job. I was just using sandpaper on a dowel to ream it out. can anyone help with their techniques to make this annoying chore easier and more precise? Thanks in advance all! Some pics for reference:






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Post 27 Jul 2020, 10:56 • #2 
Guide
Joined: 07/29/05
Posts: 108
Location: Mexico,MO
That can be time consuming. I found that a round wood rasp to be much faster. A round coarse file can also be used.

Those rods you did look great

Dave


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Post 27 Jul 2020, 11:22 • #3 
Guide
Joined: 06/30/20
Posts: 251
Thanks Dave! The white rod with pink wraps is for my daughter. she's getting into fly fishing now, so I let her pick the thread colors and she helped me wrap a few, too. Now I just need to find a nice 3 weight reel to balance that rod!


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Post 27 Jul 2020, 11:25 • #4 
Guide
Joined: 06/30/20
Posts: 251
oh also can you recommend a set? I know little to nothing about files or rasps.


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Post 27 Jul 2020, 12:22 • #5 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/04/12
Posts: 705
Location: SE Pa
I have a long 1/4" drill bit, extended length, about 10" long. It serves a a bore guide. Toward the base of the bit, I attach a 6" of larger diameter hollow thin wall brass tube, secured with tape. I use whatever diameter is slightly smaller than the rod blank I'm building, and use a Dremel to score "teeth in the end of the tube that will actually cut the cork.

The bottom 1/2 of the tube is shimmed to the bit - also with tape, while the front half (cutting part) retains a gap between it and the bit. These brass tubes can be bought at hobby shops in whatever diameter you want.

As the bit guides and ensures all is straight, the tube (w/teeth) will cut a diameter that you selected. Cork will collect between the bit and the tube. After an inch or so, I back it out & use an exacto knife to pick it out and then bore some more - going from each each end of the grip.

Once the bore is complete, I use a rasp to get the exact diameter.


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Post 27 Jul 2020, 12:31 • #6 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 03/16/08
Posts: 3540
Location: Upstate-NY
I keep an assortment of different diameter threaded rods,
and "cheat" by pre-boring each ring to within an 1/8" or so of final size,
before glueing-up the rings to make the grip.

Then, after all rings are glued together, and the grip is turned/shaped to my liking
I final bore with a rat-tail file. Dry-fitting to the blank often to check fit.


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Post 27 Jul 2020, 14:46 • #7 
Guide
Joined: 06/07/15
Posts: 162
Location: US-PA
I drill them out with increasing diameter drill bits - don't need long ones just hit it from the front and back. start w a bit just a hair bigger than the existing bore dia and go carefully to maintain the "centeredness" of the existing bore. I stop at a diameter just smaller than the rod blank and use a wood rasp for final fitting - takes about 10 min.


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Post 27 Jul 2020, 14:56 • #8 
Guide
Joined: 01/25/13
Posts: 338
Location: Avondale Az
Or you could just purchase a reamer set to do it. https://alpsforecast.com/products/gear- ... ndividual/


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Post 27 Jul 2020, 19:40 • #9 
Guide
Joined: 06/30/20
Posts: 251
The reamer set is what I ended up going with, thanks to all for suggestions. Much appreciated!


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Post 27 Jul 2020, 20:20 • #10 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/11/05
Posts: 1008
Location: US-NY
If you can do it, it’s always preferable to build the grip up from cork rings, fitting each ring to the blank individually. This ensures a snug fit. If you try to fit a fully assembled grip, it’s too easy to over ream it. Especially parts near the center of the grip that you can’t see. A grip fitted this way may feel mushy when you cast it.


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Post 28 Jul 2020, 09:01 • #11 
Sport
Joined: 07/20/20
Posts: 36
Location: Long Island, NY
The Dream Reamers make short work of it when used with a hand drill. On large diameter blanks I graduate drop bits first to get close. The tapered hole is sometimes slightly wider at the butt but is easily filled with epoxy paste. I'm not sure how one could get the middle of the grip over-reamed. Much worse IMO to over do it or wind up with a shape that you're not happy with on the outside of a grip that is already glued onto the blank.


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Post 28 Jul 2020, 10:14 • #12 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/12/16
Posts: 4094
Location: USA-CO
I have the opposite problem in the middle of the grip. Using tapered reamers from both ends creates a constriction where the opposing tapers meet. I used rasps to get rid of this, but tended to over-ream the ends. Then, I saw some tubular sanders in Woodcraft and made a device that allows me to open up that internal node while not touching the ends with the grit. You can see marks on the right end where I've chucked it into the drill.


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Post 28 Jul 2020, 10:50 • #13 
Sport
Joined: 07/20/20
Posts: 36
Location: Long Island, NY
I have had that "hourglass" result with using a file narrower than the bore. I now only use tapered reamers that are correctly sized and only work from the butt end.


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Post 28 Jul 2020, 12:03 • #14 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 12/31/15
Posts: 1238
Location: Northern Rockies
Tapered reamers solved the problem for me.

My biggest frustration is inletting the reel seat hood. I have lost a few too many cork rings to the Dremel method. But then, the cost of those rings is only a few dollars compared to the cost of something more reliable.


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Post 28 Jul 2020, 12:06 • #15 
Guide
Joined: 06/30/20
Posts: 251
This is the solution I went with. Just ordered and should be here this weekend to help me on my Wright and McGill Denco 8A restore / rebuild.
Tomah wrote:
... tubular sanders in Woodcraft and made a device that allows me to open up that internal node while not touching the ends with the grit...


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Post 28 Jul 2020, 12:50 • #16 
Guide
Joined: 01/25/13
Posts: 338
Location: Avondale Az
Inletting issue can be solve very easily with the use of this. https://www.mudhole.com/Craftys-Cutter


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Post 28 Jul 2020, 14:46 • #17 
New Member
Joined: 09/26/18
Posts: 21
Location: The West Coast of Sweden
I do not have the vast experience of many of the contributors to this forum, but I built the grips on the blanks, using epoxy, and formed afterwards without issues.

Slight grades and irregularities in the upper end of downlocking seats acted as small "sawteeth" when the reelseat was rotated against the end of the grip, after building up the diameter under the reelseat, thus it where "inletted" before final glueing.

Inletting the whole hood of a an uplocker is of course quite another problem.


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Post 28 Jul 2020, 17:28 • #18 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/09
Posts: 5561
Location: Relocated to the Drought Stricken West.
I ream each ring separately and glue them up on the blank and then turn the grip on the blank. I use rat-tail files in successive diameters. I start with a file that is a little tight on the ring and force the ring down over the file (a little at a time). When the hole is the size of the file, I move to the next size.

I use a clamp to compress them and keep them tight when the glue dries.

Reaming the whole grip at once is a pain, and if I were going to do a lot of it, I wold buy a set of the tapered reamers.


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Post 28 Jul 2020, 19:54 • #19 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/11/05
Posts: 1008
Location: US-NY
Tone wrote:
...
I'm not sure how one could get the middle of the grip over-reamed. Much worse IMO to over do it or wind up with a shape that you're not happy with on the outside of a grip that is already glued onto the blank.


It can happen if the taper of the reamer doesn’t exactly match the taper of the blank. Then you are forced to compensate by focusing the reamer on the inside of the preformed grip. That’s where the trouble starts.

I usually copy the dimensions of a grip that I already have and like, so screwing up the outside is not likely unless I’m careless.


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Post 06 Aug 2020, 08:41 • #20 
Sport
Joined: 10/17/14
Posts: 68
Location: US-PA
Another option is to get a cheap rod blank or junk rod, cut it into sections and wrap with adhesive sandpaper.

Tim


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Post 06 Aug 2020, 11:27 • #21 
Guide
Joined: 11/23/17
Posts: 314
Location: Lehigh Valley, PA
For fly rods I found commercial power reamers to be too steeply tapered over their short length. So I used longer sections of fiberglass rod blank sections to make my own set of reamers. For grit I cut 1x30 sanding belts (120 grit) lengthwise and spiraled/bonded in place with Rod Bond. From steel rod I fashioned metal inserts for chucking into my drill. These inserts are bonded into the broad end of the blank section and look and function the same as the commercial reamers . My home made reamers have tapers that better match the fly blanks I build on. Reaming is uniform, as I only enter the grip from the bottom - no high or low spots.

These two reamers cover from ~.250 to ~.450.



Regarding Inletting, I only build fly rods so only require a narrow range of inlet cutting diameters. This tool, used to square the ends of pen making wood blanks, allows me to cut inlets ranging from around .750 to .800. The tool blades need to be kept sharp, and cut to ~.750. I glued a piece of sanding belt paper to the tool's barrel so after cutting to .750 with the blades, I turn the barrel around and the sandpaper expands the size of the hole.



Last edited by PENZZZ on 08 Aug 2020, 06:52, edited 4 times in total.

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Post 06 Aug 2020, 11:27 • #22 
Guide
Joined: 12/28/19
Posts: 129
I use wood drill bits but you have to keep an eye on them . As far as inlets , I dont like them and hardly ever use them .


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Post 06 Aug 2020, 11:58 • #23 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/11/05
Posts: 1008
Location: US-NY
Years ago I bought a set of reamers from Clemens. They're basically fiberglass blank sections covered in carbide grit. i use them to ream out individual cork rings. I first drill the holes out to approximate size using pieces of hollow brass tubing.


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Post 06 Aug 2020, 14:23 • #24 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/12/16
Posts: 4094
Location: USA-CO
I like PENZZZ's solution, a lot. The high spot in the middle is 100% due to reaming from both ends with reamers too steeply tapered.


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Post 06 Aug 2020, 23:05 • #25 
Guide
Joined: 02/13/16
Posts: 326
Location: US-TX
dave potts wrote:
That can be time consuming. I found that a round wood rasp to be much faster. A round coarse file can also be used.
Dave

This is what I landed on as well. I use a coarse round file to just enough to get the very coarse rasp to fit. Both are tapered and are have a slight convex shape, and I've learned how to avoid the hourglass effect. The rasp takes off a lot of material quick so I just work it uniformly around and take off wherever it's needed. I don't know if it would work a super long length though but I doubt I'll ever build a two hander.


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