rod grip repair

[thorhammer]

This comment is actually about two topics, but here goes: where I live there is a large dam with a lot of striper fishing befind it. Specialized spinning rods for max distance are custom built for this application, and a favorite for over forty years has been the 13' 8" lamiglas and  old Fenwicks. These are one-piece BTW; I have gotten measured 145 yards with the set-up. Anyway, they were always built stripped down to reduce weight with no grips; I used to wrap with cork tape but this adds weight and also ends with a larger diameter on an already large glas butt. I decided last week to try some x-shrink tube, but just rewrapped the sticks last year, so I needed to get over the reel seat to do the fore grip.....and it's a Fuji 30....so I go see my local tackle guy who hooks me up with 3' sections at $9.00 a section..it's $12 / foot at some of the catalogs, plus exhorbitant shipping. The stuff went right over the 30mm seat and shrank in perfectly with the heat gun; I did all three sticks in twenty mins and it looks great.

Points are, this is an easy DIY fix if you need to cover a worn cork or foam foregrip (or bare blank if ID is close), and I expect it work fine to update some of the old wooden handle Maganflex's I have laying around as tabacca sticks (you can tell where I'm from); the stuff shrinks 50% to get over the seat; second point is buy local when you can; BPS doesn't carry the esoteric stuff this site needs and won't exactly hook you up either.

These rods are an interesting niche build, I have one more to rebuild and will post pics.
John

[Newell Nut]

If you do another one try to use a small nylon cord and X wrap it on about a 1.5 inch spacing for the X pattern. Then do the shrink wrap on top of that and it is an awesome grip for wet hands.

[mike1010]

Pictures?

[Newell Nut]

This is showing about an 1/8 trotline cord. I recently did one with about 1/16 diameter cord that has a really nice feel as well. Just depends on how much grip you want.

[mike1010]

Nice.  Thanks.

[Dominick]

Cool Dwight.  Dominick

[doradoben]

Dwight, does the cord have to be epoxied to the blank?

[Tiddlerbasher]

I just super glue each end - the shrink wrap will hold it in place

[Newell Nut]

What works really well for me is on each end of the grip I put a one inch wide piece of double back tape used for golf grips. Carpet tape is even tackier. Once you make your first turn it bites down really good and when you get to the other end make one wrap and reverse the pattern to make the Xs. Really easy once you get one of them done.

[thorhammer]

NN, I thought about the cord and will probably do it on the remaining builds. it does make for a nice hold and I'm so pleased I started looking at other sticks that are gonna get the bidness when i get time.

[Newell Nut]

Another tip for the guys that are using EVA is that I like to shape my fore grips like an hour glass. Fat top and bottom and center section thinner, then add the x-wrap cord and shrink wrap. Increases the grip even more. The center section that I sand down is roughly the width of my hand.
It is a lot easier for me since I have a high speed rod wrapping lathe and just hold a sanding block on it while it spins. You can do it by hand but just a little slower.

Just did this one a few minutes ago.

[Reel 224]

Just before I I came to this post I was getting ready to ask that very question on your cross wrapping for grips. Question answered, only thing I would add on the turning of the grips is that you can make an arbor with a dowel to fit into the blank and put a drill on the other end to rotate it at a high speed. What I have is an old half of a two piece rod with the solid Ferrel and I cut it to an 8" piece for that purpose, I can also use it for turning spools to load them with thread from a larger spool.     

[Newell Nut]

I actually have a drill press with a set of EVA reamers. I can just shove it up on the reamer tight and turn on the motor and do the same thing. Some times I get ahead of myself and glue the handle section without thinking about the contour until later on and that is when I do it on the wrapping lathe.

[Reel 224]

I actually have a drill press with a set of EVA reamers. I can just shove it up on the reamer tight and turn on the motor and do the same thing. Some times I get ahead of myself and glue the handle section without thinking about the contour until later on and that is when I do it on the wrapping lathe.

No matter it's a great idea, and the next Rod I do I plan on using that idea. I really like the look as well as the application for gripping the rod.

[Newell Nut]

It makes fighting a heavy fish much more comfortable. Ergonomics are important in fishing too.