i have started to build a few composite rods, and am having trouble reaming cork to fit these larger butt diameter's. i have plans for a building an s-glass rod, and the butt diameter is even larger on that one. do i just need bigger diameter cork?

any tips?

If you are working with cork rings just go ahead and bore them larger first. Make the bore almost as large as the rod you are working on and then after they are glued up you can do the finish reaming which shouldn't be much work. You can bore them on a drill press but you'll find that when working with individual rings that a good coarse grit reamer will blast through them quickly. You have to be careful not to take out too much cork. Make sure you also have some larger reamers and move to a larger size as the bore gets bigger. You want to use them in twisting motion instead of a push - pull thing.

Matt,

I am new at this, but I have had VERY good success by putting a medium-grit reamer in a cordless drill!
I turn it at relatively slow speeds and make sure to back off and clear the dust every few seconds. Works GREAT and is much faster than doing it by hand. In fact, I will never do it by hand again, after discovering this method. Just make sure to tap and blow out the cork once you are done, to make sure not grit is left behind. I've had no problems in this regard, but I've been warned enough to take it seriously.

Hope this helps, and feel free to ask for more details if you need them.

TH

do you put the cork in a vise? is it hard to keep the hole straight and neat?

Matt,
The reamers (made from pieces of rod blank) are tapered. Because of this, they are self-centering, if you don't twist the cork or try to jam it down on the reamer too hard. I suppose clamping them may work, but if you simply hold the cork loosely, and slide it down the reamer until it contacts, it will center itself every time. Every few seconds, lift it off and tap or blow out the dust, and then slide it a little further down.

The cool thing is that after a couple of handles, I know almost exactly how far down the reamer I need to go. I stop just a little short, test fit, and then do just a little at a time to make for a perfect fit.

Like I say, I will never do it any other way, unless it proves to be easier.

TH

I turn my grips on a lathe prior to mounting. After they are formed I reamer with a very long (4 ft) reamer I made from a solid fiberglass blank by glueing heavy gritt sand paper in long spirals in the same direction that will turn in the lathe. It looks like a long tapered drill bit. The gaps allow the dust to shoot out the back. Turned at about 600 rpm and moving the pre-turned grip very slow it does the job effectively and accurately.

thanks guys!