# Cork removal ?



## fbiprez (Jul 6, 2009)

Today's rookie question is a really simple one. What is the best way to make the 1/4" hole in the cork grip more like the size of the rod? I have seen the high priced reamers in the catalogs but isn't there a decent way to ream the cork using hand tools that most people may have on hand? A round rasp/file comes to mind on a drill but I want to see what the experienced folks say. I have a drill press, can you drill the hole out ?

Thanks
Joe


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

You could use an old rod blank as your reamer. Use the 1/4" sticky sandpaper rolls for the market style reamer and make your own reamer. Or coat your rod in epoxy and dip it in sand.


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## rocket (Dec 1, 2008)

I'm a rookie as well and I recently had to do this exact thing. I decided to use reamers. You are right, it's expensive and I ended up needing 4 different reamers to get the job done since it was a 10' surf rod. It was pricey and it was a lot of work but I was happy with how it turned out. It wouldn't be a bad idea to try to make your own if you have any old/broken blanks to use.

One word of caution if you decide to order a reamer from mudhole.com. Do NOT purchase the "Professional Reamer w/ handle". I ordered it first and the first time I tried to use it the tape came loose and the grit completely fell off the tape. Worthless. I ended up getting the entire "Extreme Reamer" set and I found those to be of much higher quality.

Here's another product I considered purchasing. It's not cheap either, and you'd still need at least one reamer, but if it works it would save a lot of time...

http://www.mudhole.com/Flex-Coat-Concept-Reverse-Pilot-Bit

Here's a youtube video showing how it works starting at about 1:40 into the video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTVGL8zTB1Y


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## mbg60 (May 11, 2008)

Old style was to use a rat tail file. Mark circles, with a pen, evenly around the existing hole. Then ream away. Remember to follow the rod taper when you are making the circles. Getting the cork ring centered around the blank is the goal. Then glue it all up and shape to your liking. And yes, the drill press is a better way. It should keep the hole centered.


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

fbiprez said:


> Today's rookie question is a really simple one. What is the best way to make the 1/4" hole in the cork grip more like the size of the rod? I have seen the high priced reamers in the catalogs but isn't there a decent way to ream the cork using hand tools that most people may have on hand? A round rasp/file comes to mind on a drill but I want to see what the experienced folks say. I have a drill press, can you drill the hole out ?
> 
> Thanks
> Joe


Are you reaming individual cork rings to be assembled into a handle -- or a solid length of cork handle ?

It's easier to ream each cork ring individually to just under the approximate size needed, then glue together and finish reaming to get the right final fit. Keep in mind the rings closer to the butt end of the rod will need to be reamed slightly larger than the ones toward the tip-- so make sure and keep your rings in the proper order.

If you want to make your own reamer you need a blank that has a taper similar to the one you are making the cork grip for.

You can drill out individual cork rings in your drill press to get started, but it might be tricky getting the hole centered. Trying to drill out an entire cork handle will be tough to do (centering and clamping)-- and a drill bit won't give you the inside taper you need for a good fit.


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## fbiprez (Jul 6, 2009)

I am talking the entire grip. I like the looks of the reverse pilot bits, that looks like a nice way to maintain a centered hole. Still need the reamers though from what I saw, that video was great, sure made it look easy and on the money.

Thanks
Joe


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