[NIrodneck]

Just finished this rod for a client. He became a client when we were talking and said he wished he could find an old model St. Croix Imperial blank in either a 8'6" or 9' in a 5wt blank as that was his favorite rod ever. He gave his to his son who also loved it. I happened to have one from a rod building class I taught years ago that a student started and never finished. Bingo-new customer! He got a rod he wanted and I gave a old blank a new home!
Anyway he wanted black and blue wraps and also supplied the wood for the grip. The grip woods are; end caps-spalted birch burl,walnut/cherry checkerboard, and chinese elm. the reel seat is acrylic penn blank to match the wraps. I do need to break down and get a better camera and setup to take pics. He does polo in Spokane and you may know him as Donny. Thanks for looking.

 

[seanengman]

Looks great. I am a fan of your grips, a great custom touch.

 

[Steve Saville]

The rod looks great. Mabe you can help me out. I bought a Cam Sigler 12 wt. rod. I fish the salt in Mexico yearly and the rod has been used well. The cork has a lot of the filler and there is a small chip on the fighting butt. Can the cork be re-filled and the butt repaired or can a new handle & butt be installed?

 

[Tom Bowden]

Steve, my formula for cork filler is about 75% cork dust and 25% Elmer's exterior wood glue. This is a light brown colored glue - not a polyurethane or epoxy, which dry too stiff. Apply the glue mixture with a flat wooden stick (I use popsicle sticks), let it dry for 24 hours, then sand. Replacing the fighting butt would be fairly easy, but you'd have to take off the guides to replace the front grip. There is a way to replace a grip by cutting cork rings in half and gluing them on, but it's easier to just take off the guides and replace with a pre-formed grip. You have to be really, really careful when removing old grips from graphite rods, so you don't nick the blank. Shoffs (still open as a mail order business) or Anglers Workshop in Woodland has all the stuff you need to do this.

Tom

 

[NIrodneck]

I do what Tom does but use Titebond III, tan color and waterproof. U40 also makes a cork filer I believe. I have never used it though. If you go the replace the grip route you might want to go with removing everything including the reel seat. Remove the guides, cut off the grip but don't scrape to the blank and then put the reel seat and blank in boiling water. every 30 seconds take out and try to twist reel seat up and off. Once seat is off continue to boil and wipe with a rag until the majority of epoxy and cork remnants are gone.

 

[Steve Saville]

Thanks for the information. I'm very familiar with the Elmers wood glue. I doubt I'll go to the trouble of replacing the handle. The rod didn't cost all that much to begin with (on ebay) so Ill probably just try the filler and see how that works. Thanks again.