Cork

[wsender]

So there are a few 'gouges' in my TFO grip. I was thinking about buying some cork rings and making some nice cork dust and mixing it with some Elmers to make a putty. Has anyone had any luck with this?

Also, the cork doesn't seem as nice as some of my other rods. Is there anything I can do to condition the cork to make it a little nicer?

 

[Heritage-Angler]

This stuff is what a lot of custom builders use:

Elmer's Wood Filler

Golden Oak is about a perfect match to cork when dry and sanded.

Step 1 - wrap blank and reel seat with masking tape up tight to the cork grip. Cover them far enough to avoid damage while sanding.

Step 2 - using a piece of plastic card, fill in all gaps and imperfections in the cork with the filler. I like to overfill them a bit. Plastic "fake" cards that come in credit card offer junk mail work great for this. Fill in all the spots, then set aside to dry overnight. It's gonna look like hell at this point, and you'll be saying "Just wait until I see that H.A..."

Step 3 - Sand using a strip of medium grit sandpaper. It helps to use a "shoe shine" motion with the sandpaper, while someone else holds the rod by the seat and the blank. Sand only until the filler is level with the cork around it.

Step 4 - Sand using fine grit sandpaper as above.

Your cork will come out better than anything TFO ever put on a rod. This is really easy to do, and the sanding part takes just a few minutes to get it looking great.

H.A.

 

[Fredrick]

Thxs Ed i'm being thinking about doing this my self to one of my rods

 

[Heritage-Angler]

No problem. The finer grit sandpaper you use for the last step, the better. The cork comes out velvet smooth, and looks like new.

 

[jdaddy]

From a woodworkers perspective, I would suggest the first grit be 160 grit, then 240, then 320. Do not skip grits. Do not start a grit higher than 160.

Take every thing I say from this point forward with a grain of salt as I have never done this type of work. However, my knowledge of wood fillers and adhesives is pretty darn good. I would think that Elmers wood filler would shrink a bit seasonally given its wood product make up. I think it would be subject to cracking. Extensive exposure to moisture over time will result in failure of the filler. Your idea of making a filler with Elmers and cork is probably more stable over time. If you go that route I would suggest using Titebond II due to its stability in wet environments.

I believe I have some Elmers wood filler in the basement from my wood working days. If I do, I will throw it in with the line and router. Any thing else I can send up there to ya? lol.

 

[gfen]

jdaddy wrote:
I believe I have some Elmers wood filler in the basement from my wood working days. If I do, I will throw it in with the line and router. Any thing else I can send up there to ya? lol.

I know what you can send over here.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

jdaddy wrote:
Do not skip grits.

Especially for breakfast.

jdaddy - your advice is sound, but with cork, you can get away with a bit more. The Elmer's stuff lasts about as long as anything else - I've tried a bunch of things, including the cork dust bit. Clemens in Allentown used to sell a filler glue especially for use with cork dust. All filler falls out over time and use on cork grips. The binder glue flexes different than the surrounding cork. Might as well take the easy way!

 

[bikerfish]

I've used wood glue mixed with cork dust. I just used old wine corks, shaved some dust off with a file and mixed it with some glue, messed around till I got the right ratio. the repairs have been holding up for years now.

 

[wsender]

jdaddy wrote:

I believe I have some Elmers wood filler in the basement from my wood working days. If I do, I will throw it in with the line and router. Any thing else I can send up there to ya? lol.

lol, i actually have some elmers wood filler in the basement. I needed to fill the holes from the nails when I made my tying desk.

 

[wsender]

jdaddy,

You seem to know what you're doing. Is this valid, or not valid: http://www.rodbuildingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=4859 ?


Also, does anyone have experience with U40 cork seal? Is the finish so soft that it preserves the natural soft feel of cork or is shellac like?

 

[Fredrick]

I'm curious also

http://www.jsflyfishing.com/cgi-bin/item/OR-097030-0000?source=google_base&kw=OR-097030-0000

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Therer's a lot of different techniques for filling pits in cork. When I asked two of my friends that are custom rod builders, they both told me to use the same stuff in
this link.

I've used the "natural" color, and it stands out too much for my tastes. The Golden Oak color is about a perfect match. I was repairing a pretty expensive rod, and didn't want to take a chance on the repair.

 

[afishinado]

I've built some of my own rods and have sanded down the cork and filled them. In addition, I've sanded down and reshaped nearly all my factory rod grips to fit my hand and I have filled them. I've tried the cork dust and Elmers and also the Elmers Golden Oak filler. The Elmers GO works well and seems to last. JD's advise on sandpaper is good - start with a medium grit and progressively go finer. I finish with 1000 grit.

Some tips to add: The GO filler is water based and it helps with adhesion if you use wipe the cork with a damp sponge before applying. Also you can add a drop of water (or even some Elmers glue) and add some cork dust from the handle if you wish, but GO seems to match the cork very well.

I've found that turning the grip and sanding works well for shaping, but in the final sanding step, I sand lengthwise along the grip while turning. The cork has a grain just like wood, and sanding lengthwise (about 1/4 section of the handle at a time) is sanding with the grain. It leaves a smooth finish and does not gouge out the filler. This should be done only with the finer grit sandpaper and most importantly TAKE YOUR TIME AND KEEP ROTATING so as not to leave and flat spots. I mark the grip and sand it 360* and move to the next section. I keep doing that until the handle is completely sanded and go back as needed before I move to a finer grit sandpaper and repeat.

I've used U40 Corkseal on some rods in the past. It works well, for sealing the grip, but I don't like the results because it makes the grip feel hard and slick like plastic. Not for me, but other guys use it quite a lot.

I suggest you try filling and sanding a cheaper rod first to get a feel for it. Take your time and the project will turn out just fine. Good luck.

 

[PennKev]

Heritage-Angler wrote:
Therer's a lot of different techniques for filling pits in cork. When I asked two of my friends that are custom rod builders, they both told me to use the same stuff in
this link.

I've used the "natural" color, and it stands out too much for my tastes. The Golden Oak color is about a perfect match. I was repairing a pretty expensive rod, and didn't want to take a chance on the repair.

This seems to be the same stuff as the elmers wood filler IMO. There are also a couple other brands available in hardware stores. All are nearly indentical and they all seem to work great. As good as the glue/cork mixes and the natural and gold oak shades match cork very well. The glue/cork mixes are durable and efective, no doubt, but they tend to stay very dark, rather than blend in with the surrounding cork.

Kev

 

[jaybo41]

I've had great success with the methods HA described in post #2. Nothing more to add here, he's nailed it.

If the U40 is similar to the Birkenstock cork seal, I wouldn't even consider it to seal the cork. I added it to a cork grip and it was very slick, so much so that the rod would slip out of my hands. It seems a little different though. The Birkenstock Cork seal does have a great use beyond the obvious. If you own a rod with a fighting butt with an all cork fighting, it's ideal to seal up the bottom with since that part of the cork often comes in contact with the ground.

 

[bikerfish]

as for sealers, I don't like the look they give cork, probably make them slippery as well. cork is very easy to wash if you want to freshen it up, or leave the fish slime and scales on! I use a mild dish soap and a sponge to clean the ones I like to keep nice. sometimes I'll hit them with some extra fine sandpaper after they dry to really make them feel like new!

 

[jdaddy]

I can't imagine why one want to seal the cork. I think the natural ability to deal with moisture, the natural patina it takes on and the ability to repair it is what makes cork a great handle material. Like others have said, cork is easy to clean, if one so desires, say for selling or something.

That cork filler at JS has to be the same as the Elmers imo.

If you really wanted to fill it with a nice flexible permanent material, I would suggest a water based grain filler. You could incorporate wood dust, cork dust or fill with 100% filler. This stuff is the bomb for grain filling. I have a bunch in the basement if anyone wants some.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17353&source=googleps&utm_source=GoogleBase&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Google