What are the best rod supports I can build or buy to support rod while shaping handle on rod while turning with drill ?What rpm is best for cork?How many supports will I need for a 7ft rod?Also are all rods the same taper in the butt area?For example,my particular blank is .875 at the end.12in. up the blank it is.800.12 more in. up it is.710.If I buy a cork reamer will it have the correct taper to fit my rod?If all blanks dont have the same amount of taper per inch how can it fit all handles?Surely Im missing something.Im wondering if I want just a straight handle if its worth the effort to build it as cheap as you can buy a premade handle assy?But even that will have to be reamed. Thanks Sonny Kemp

No, they don't all have the same taper.

You can make your own reamers for not very much money. There are several companies listed to the left that offer reamer making kits. You only need to find some old glass rod stock (yard sales, etc.) and make up a number of them to cover about any size you'd find yourself working on.

It's always good to make a few non-tapered reamers. These can used to create a taper inside a grip simply by the angle of attack you use.

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Bruce,
For reaming premade cork handles, i simply use a tapered file, spinnning in reverse to get the first 1/2 inch of each end of the handle to be a nice clean fit on the rod.
Then, I simply use a 24 inch drill bit to drill out the rest of the handle to fit the blank.

You can go to Harbor Freight . com and pick up a very inexpensive set of 24 inch drill bits to accomodate any handle drilling requirements.
Use a drill bit that is as close as possible to the fit of the taper on the handle. Use a larger drill bit to drill 1/2 way through from the butt end that is sized to match the butt section of the rod.
Then, use a smaller bit to drill from the tip side of the handle to and you will be good to go.

I have used various types of sandpaper coated and or grit coated reamers, but find that they don't work well and take a long time to ream out a handle.

A long drill bit on the other hand can drill out a handle in a few seconds.

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Another thing to consider is the use of machinest reamers. These reamers are constant diameter reamers, that are used by machinests to bring a hole in metal to a true size that is perfectly round. They work very well in cork, because they have many blades on the sides of the reamers and cut very smoothly. If you purchase these reamers new, you will end up paying $50-$100 each for the reamers.
However, if you search surplus stores, the internet and @#$%& sites, you can often find these reamers for less than $10 each. The reamers are generally a foot long or so, and will do a very clean job of enlarging a handle.

Again, since the reamers are made of hardened steel, there is never any maintenance on them as long as you use them in wood or cork.

Good luck
Roger

p.s.
Most of the production rod building houses have an assortment of machined reamers which match the taper and are length sized such that a handle can be reamed and sized in a single 3 second operation.

i.e. a large long reamer for a heavy flipping stick or salt water application, and a shorter smaller reamer for a light spinning rod application.

These reamers are simply installed in the chuck of a vertical or horizontal shafted motor - or drill press type machine and the numbers of handles for the days or weeks production are quickly sized.
Then, the person on the line, coats the rod with epoxy, and slips the presized handle on the rod for a quick and easy fit in a few seconds.

Such is the ability of a manufacturer who produces several thousand items of a particular type and size.

Take care

Roger

Roger if I use a drill bit how much slack can I have inside and still get a good job with rod bond? Thanks

Buy yourself some grit and take some old rods and and epoxy and make some reamers. Its quick and easy and dirt cheap and 1 small bag of grit will last forever. Just put the epoxy on thick and pour on the grit. I push the grit in a little and let dry. Once it is dry ream some wood like pine once of twice or some old cork to make sure there are no loose pieces of grit ............

Bruce,
I make sure that I have a snug fit at each end of the handle. If the center of the handle is not as tight as I would like, I will add a wrap or two of tape to build it up.

Take care
Roger

If the center is not tight, and the ends are, then you may have a problem sliding the grip over the tape.

Make your own reamers from scrap sections of rod blanks. I use abrasive strips from a snding belt, spiral wrapped and glued to the blank sections. Batson's Dream reamers take the hassle out of making your own, but the process is the same for replacing the sanding strip.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/06/2009 12:37PM by Ted Morgan.

As for supports when using a drill for power, Flex Coat's drill powered grip lathe is a pretty good option. Grizzly's hobby lathe also works well for doing cork, light wood and EVA, but you have to adapt a headstock support to use as a mandrel/rod support.

I've seen quite a few setups made similar to the flex coat unit, in a range of materials, with wheels, bearings and o ring cushioning on the wheels. Such a unit can be put together for not very much cash as well.