Any suggestions on a proper method of cleaning old cork rod handles?
Use a fine sandpaper and lightly sand until you get to fresh cork.
has anyone ever tried oxalic acid? it's used as a wood brightener and i'll bet it would work great on cork!!!!!
I did a major cork cleanup when I sold my ocean fly rods. I used either alcohol (non drinkable) or acetone-forget which. I would try alcohol first. At any rate, they looked like new.
Dawn soap + warm water + sponge. see how much you can get off with that. If that doesn't clean them up sufficiently, some 400 grit sand paper with the rod spinning in a rod lathe does the trick.
Cover cork with shrink wrap (the one with a pattern) then better than new.
I have refinished a few cork grips and use 120 grit if they are in bad shape (Divots, splits, or gouges) then 380grt to 400grt. You can fill in with cork filings mixed with Elmer's Glue or wood filler....I like the water soluble filler. Sand lightly to get the desired finish,then coat with U40 cork sealer.
If the cork is in good shape and just dirty then by all means use John's suggestion.
I use methylated spirits (Aus term) on a terry cloth rag and rub till clean, and flip over the rag and continue till a little cleaner.
Once the cork is where I want it, I seal it with Bondall Multi Waterproofing solution; it safely seals concrete / masonry / timber / canvas sealer. This product has a very watery clear feel to the fluid and it soaks into the cork at a rate of knots and I generally do 3 coats of it and the cork is preserved for life. No water gets in...
Finished result below - just see the cork grips of this old Trent Salmon rod I cleaned up and sealed with the Bondall product (only pic I have on file sorry).
Have to give that Bondall a try if it's available around here.
Its an Aussie product so unsure if they have it in other markets? There would have to be a similar product is based overseas.
Funny how this subject came up, since I just refinished an old glass rod with cork handles. The cork was in pretty bad shape I had to fill a lot of damage to the bottom end. What I did in this case was initially sand with 100grt to get it down to original color and to smooth down the repair work, then went over again with # 320 wet/dry paper after cleaning up all the dust I wiped it down with denatured alcohol. I have U-40 Cork sealer so that is what I plan on applying this time,and then I will see if I can find the Bondell product you mention.
I wanted to "refresh" my cork handles but sandpaper seemed too much for the first try. Dawn dish soap and a toothbrush did pretty well, but Mister Clean Magic erasers did work like magic. After cleaning I air dried overnight, and then applied U40 cork sealer. I was very happy with the results. If a new rod appears in my collection I now apply the U40 before I use it. The cork so far still looks new on those with the treatment, and feels the same (to me) as before the application.
Jon Vadney,
What is your recommendation for a cork sealer, or do you believe in sealing cork?
Thanx,
Leo