I'm building a 6 weight with an Angler's Workshop full wells grip. I'm thinking about turning down the grip to make it a bit more comfortable in the hand. Will doing so remove any cork filler and expose the cork voids? What's the process for filling if I find too many voids? By the way, I cut off the top cork ring and replaced it with a rubberized cork ring and then turned this down to shape. I must say it turned out really nice. Will nicely match the small fighting butt with rubberized cork cap. Thanks, Olyfly
Yes it will. I added some 1/4" burl cork accent rings to a preformed grip and it exposed some additional defects in the cork when I did the re-shaping. Since the filler usually falls out over time anyway I didn't worry about it. Check out the rodbuilding.org forum--this has been discussed in great length there. Use their search feature and be sure to select "All Dates". I have not done any cork filling myself so can't speak to any specific method. Example: http://www.rodbuilding.org/read.php?2,215068
Voids are usually the result of using sub-standard corks. If your pre-formed handle was made of good cork, you shouldn't have a problen turning it to a different shape. If not, be prepared for "voids". (do a search as suggested). SuperDave
You can make your own cork filler by mixing some Elmers exterior glue (don't use epoxy or polyurethane) with cork dust. Either use the dust you created from sanding your grip, from a spare cork ring, or you can buy a piece of cork at a hardware store. Dab the mix onto the rod and then press it into the void(s). Let it dry overnight & then sand it smooth. Some folks use light colored wood putty for this. I tried it & prefer the cork dust. Tom
