Fuji Alconite Guides & MHX

It's either American Tackle guides or Fuji Alconite...
I guess this should be okay...

Fixing up the reel seat and EVA form split-grip handle

Slow... but managed to fixed up the reel seat and EVA form split-grip handle.

 

Next, guide placement..

New BC MHX 8-14lb

While waiting for my tonkin bamboo blank from China and my Matagi reel seat from Japan, I have to put that cork handle aside.... at least for a couple of months.

To keep myself occupied, I am building another casting rod. It's a MHX IM6 1 piece blank , lighter poundage than before. Although it is a 8-14lb blank but it seems quite stiff to me. Fast action rod.

Testing the FUJI ACM reel seat on the blank

Carbon fiber effect at the exposed reel seat.

Just finished shaping the EVA split grip handle and here are the tools I used.

Reel seat and split grip handle pending installation.

 Rear EVA grip

EVA form split-grip fighting butt with butt cap

Sanding cork handle to shape

Since the cork handle is not straight, sanding it with my lathing drill set is virtually impossible. I have to do manual sanding. It took me about 30 minutes to sand it into shape.

It's done for now until my flat face trigger reel seat arrived..  which I do not know when.
Here are the photos of the cork handle for my bamboo casting rod.

Top view:

Round at the front part where the reel seat will be connected and flat at the back portion.


Side view:

 

Straight at the front part and bend downward at the back portion.

Gluing up my offset cork grip

After the glued plug dried, I have to bore holes according to the arrangement of the cork rings from straight and slowly offsetting it.

The arrangement of the cork rings is offset by half an inche and it is not so obvious in the photo.

I hope it the offset can be seen clearly after I have sand down the cork rings.

Patching up bored cork rings

I stopped by the hardware shop the other day to get a hole puncher for the job. A few cork rings was "sacrificed" for project.

Using the hole puncher, I punched holes on the cork rings to make the cork plugs to seal up the bore. Here's how the process look like..

Some cork plugs made by the hole puncher.

I used TB III to glue the cork plug to the ring. A dab of TBIII at the hole and push the cork plug in.

My patched cork rings are ready for its' next process.

Next rod - rear cork grip project

I am in the midst of looking for some cork rings to make off set cork grip for my next bamboo casting rod.
The rear grip is slightly off set and pointing downwards so that it would not hit the arm while casting, something like the Megabass Pagani bamboo rod.

I need some cork rings which doesn't have any bore in the center. I have to bore the hole myself in order to form the offset.

Found a few sellers in eBay that sells good quality corks, but it's a bit pricey. I still have some bored cork rings which I bought for my fly rod project. I think I will try to plug the bores...