I glued-up my first grip ever on a blank and when I turned it in the drill lathe the seat hood showed through on one side. Obviously the grip became offcentered somehow. The reel seat is a REC with a round hood. I epoxied in a threaded REC fighting butt insert and then used a headless bolt threaded into the insert chucked into drill lathe. I did notice a little wobble that disappeared after a while. My thought was that the fighting butt insert or the reel seat itself was not centered. The difference between the width of the edge of the cork ring arround the hood is over 1mm. I would have noticed that difference if the reel seat was off by that much.
I then glued up another cork grip on another rod. Same model seat but without the fighting butt insert. I used the bushing made for the seat and it was centered perfectly on the blank. I bushed an old blank and inserted it into the butt end of the blank I was turning and it fit perfectly. Before I started I noticed that the cork ring over the hood was symmetrical at the aft end. When I started turning the grip the same thing happened. While I was careful not to exrose the hood like the former one, it still wanted to become offset. I sanded the high spot bringing the grip back to symmetrical. After I finished the grip is great but the ring over the hood is still offset.
To produce a straight stick of cork I epoxied 60 grit paper to a smooth board and applied it carefully to knock down the high spots. I use a Flex Coat lathe with 2 steadies.
I can't figure what I am I doing wrong.
Advise would be appreciated.
Herb
I then glued up another cork grip on another rod. Same model seat but without the fighting butt insert. I used the bushing made for the seat and it was centered perfectly on the blank. I bushed an old blank and inserted it into the butt end of the blank I was turning and it fit perfectly. Before I started I noticed that the cork ring over the hood was symmetrical at the aft end. When I started turning the grip the same thing happened. While I was careful not to exrose the hood like the former one, it still wanted to become offset. I sanded the high spot bringing the grip back to symmetrical. After I finished the grip is great but the ring over the hood is still offset.
To produce a straight stick of cork I epoxied 60 grit paper to a smooth board and applied it carefully to knock down the high spots. I use a Flex Coat lathe with 2 steadies.
I can't figure what I am I doing wrong.
Advise would be appreciated.
Herb