Posted by:
roger wilson
(---.hsd1.mn.comcast.net)
Paul,
When I have a cork grip with a hole in the butt cap of the rod, I finish it as follows:
1. I use a tapered reamer to cut a nice tapered hole in the end of the butt cap cork.
2. I either take an existing plug, or make a new cork plug that will be larger than the hole. Then, I take a very small drill bit, like about 3/32" and working from what will be the inside of the plug, insert the drill bit into the plug by about 1/4 inch.
3. If you work carefully, you can use this short drill bit handle inserted into a variable speed drill to spin the plug.
4. With the cork plug spinning, I hold it against a belt sander with about 100 grit paper on it, to sand a matching taper on the plug that matches the taper of the tapered hole in the end of the grip.
5. Then, I coat the inside of the hole and the outside of the plug with 5 minute epoxy and glue the plug in place.
6. After the glue has cured, I use a disk sander to sand the plug flush with the end of the butt cap.
this is the reamer that I use to run the tapered hole in the end of the cork grip. I generally remove the handle, and insert the reamer into the end of my 1/2 inch variable speed drill and quickly run the tapered hole into the end of the butt cap.
[
www.zoro.com]
This is the sander that I made, based on an old well motor that spins at 3600 rpm. I had a disk made that screws onto the threads of the well motor. Then, I made a sanding base - with the purchase of a cross vise that is bolted to the motor base. With the use of the cross vise, I can clamp the rod handle in the vise, and then use the two screw levers to advance the butt cap to the spinning sanding disk and get a perfectly flat perpendicular end on the butt cap.
[
www.rodbuilding.org]
Take care
