Hello everyone. I keep watching this swap section of the forum looking for something interesting to come up that I might like to join in on. Since nothing new is popping up I thought I would start something and see if there is any interest. How about a fly rod grip swap?

Here’s how it would go. Anyone that joins up would be responsible for making one unique fly rod grip. All participants would be assigned a number and at the deadline date (lets say July 31st) I will do a random draw of numbers and let you know who you need to send your grip to.

Rules for the grip would be:
1. Fly rod grip of standard size (6.75-8")
2. Center bore of 5/16" or 3/8" with NO recess at the end
3. Any shape style goes (include matching fighting butt if doing a full wells grip)
4. No junk cork.I know this is an arbitrary statement, but use your best judgment and just try not to use crappy cork. You don't need your top of the line stuff, but just decent cork.
5. Accents required (i.e no all plain cork handles).lets be creative here. Wood, foam, burl/burnt corks, etc….are all welcomed and encouraged. Use your imagination

Does this sound OK? If you see any need for changes or additions to the rules please let me know.

I'll shoot for at least 6 people to actually get this thing off the ground, but the more the better.

Who wants to play along?

1. Yonks311
2. Kerrye
3. Froggy
4. Trout Trainer
5. Rovercat
6. Landrodz?
7. Baitwaister
8.


Matt

Mark me down for this one. What with moving, working on a house, setting up a shop, putting out a garden, mowing an acre of yard with a 21" push mower, I haven't turned anything since early last fall.

Would all wood with accent of other material be acceptable?

That is perfectly fine with me. Shall I count you in then?


Kerrye - Thanks for joining in!

matt

Count me in


Chris

Please do- I'll get busy.
Stan

Excellent! Trout trainer and Froggy are in. Should be a fun swap.

Matt

This sounds fun but I am reworking my shop this summer. My tools are out in the side yard, got an unexpected shower and now I'm bonna have to steel wool and oil all my machinery. If I get things back together in time I may join.

Mike

I just might take a shot at this one.
Brian

After taking inventory, (looking through boxes) I find I have a Fenwick style Juniper grip ready to deliver upon notice.

- Mike we'd love to have you join if you have the time. Bummer about the rusty tools. Hopefully they clean up nice for you.




Excellent. I'll count you in!




Sounds like an interesting handle. I suppose I better get to work on mine. Got some things in mind...a little bark here a little burl there...a dash of cork here....I think I can cook something pretty cool up.


Plenty of room to join in folks. The more the better.

Matt

I am in - hope I can get my cork in in time to finish by the 31st - I do not have what I need in stock.

I just put a third coat of tung oil on mine. It's a natural cork reversed half wells with cherry burl ends and a center ring. (I love this cherry burl!)
Do you want pics?


Chris

Landrodz? - Thanks for joining in!



Man you guys are quick Guess I better get to work. Still prepping some of the birch bark I plan to add.

Chris - I always enjoy pictures, but thats up to you.

Matt

Geez Chris ... seems like someone sent you this many moons ago ...

Here you go. My humble offering to the swap.



Chris

Chris ... I like that ...

Maybe I should try and play with something like this if it would be acceptable?

Something I started for a Forecast blank ... insert is finished but the Grip isn't yet.

Chris - Sweet handle. I like it. I'm curious what the black trim pieces are made of......burnt cork, ebony, phenolic????




rhossack - Thats one wild handle. Pretty neat. I'm drawing a complete blank trying to think of what material that is you have on there. Would love to have you join the swap and make something wild like that. Shall I count you in?

Matt

Just for the sake of clarity I take rule two to mean that, "NO recess" means that the butt end of the grip not be recessed to accept the front hood found on many reel seats. Any comments?

You got it. Since most of us will use different reel seats its just easier to fit it yourself I think.

Matt

Oohhhhh! I thought "NO recess at the end" meant I couldn't go play on the playground when I was finished
So I can go play now?

The black accents are pieces of craft foam.


Chris

Matt, that is Red Fir Bark that I have cut up into rings and glued together ...

The bark looks like this:


There are actually three layers to this bark. Outer which is rough and useless. The center which gives the wild look and if you are lucky and can find some thick 'inner' bark it makes nice end pieces.



The nose of this grip is inner bark and the main body is the middle layer of the bark. The brown is some cork I have here to give it some accent.

That depends ... when is this due?

I'm still waiting to complete an insert swap that the fellow that started it seems to have journeyed elsewhere ...

Rhossack - The due date is July 31st. Still 1/2 month away.

I looked at joining that insert swap too, but it appears it has dropped off the map now. Dont worry....the handle swap is here to stay.

My cork arrived this afternoon, I am out of town - but I got my delivery notification email!. I will glue it up on Monday night - turn it on Tuesday night, and applie various coats of tru-oil over the next couple days - should be good to go!!!

Grip is all glued up and I will turn it tomorrow, Is it ok to tru-oil the grip? I could just cork seal it - but I was planning 4-5 coats of tru-oil. I will definitely be ready for the 31st - I am gluing up another one incase something goes horribly wrong - no matter what I will have a grip to swap!!!

That is impressive - wonder if my grip will be the only one without wood in it ?

Is it too late to join the fun? I have been busy fishing, going to weddings, smoking whole hogs for parties( yes I know it is hard to get them lit LOL) and trying to get a few rods built, so I have not been on the site much.. Do I ahve to have it shipped by the 31st or in the mail?

Tru-oil is fine by me. Whatever finish you like. I plan on using some tung-oil on mine. I have glued up some bark for it and will glue the rest of the handle pieces together tonight. Hopefully that means hitting the lathe on saturday. Want to get it done in case like what you say....something goes horribly wrong.



Baitwaister. Definitely not too late to join in on the fun. We will leave the doors open right up until the end, just have to have a handle ready that you can drop in the mail. I will draw names on the 31st and ask everyone to PM their shipping info to the person who is sending them a handle. Then everyone can drop them in the mail. I think that should work out ok. Thanks for joining!

Matt

well I think I went a little too thin on the grip - looks sharp, but a little thin. i may have to use a cottonwood grip and butt that i finished a few weeks back. That grip is beautiful. i will have to check the grip with calipers and see how small it is compared to a store bought grip. hope i can use it.

Nice looking grips so far. Bravo! I really wanted to play but have been very busy with work. Good to be working steady but it sure has been cutting into my fishing time. Now to the real problem, still don't have the shop together. New drywall, insulation, paint, lights, and other stuff. Got the primer coat down for half the floor this AM. Gotta sort through a ton of crap and make some mobile bases before it can go back together.
Show more pics, I'm jones'n here!
Here are some pics of my mess.





Mike

WOW mike ... the mess is on the wrong side of the door

Is that a swivel head lathe I see pictured there?

My neighbor who makes custom fine furniture has offered to make me benches (with rollouts for the Miter saw, table saw, and a rod building bench area after I finish with my conversion ... (insulation is in and the sheet rock on the walls and ceiling)

This pic only shows half the garage ... now this is a mess ...



What you can't see is the belt sander, miter saw and router set up for mortised inserts.

And the box fan in the pic is fastened to one of the wood lathe I use to make grips on and will be wheeled out today to do two grips. The metal lathe (yellow between the foam pieces) has been largely unused due to being awkward to get at and I need to finish adjusting it.

OH ... the best thing about this pic is the lighting source. they are 'natural bulbs' and even in the dead of winter they make it look like natural sunlight in there so you can see the actual color of the objects being turned.

I think mine looked a little worse than that before I started. What you dont see in the pile is router table, 2 table saws, 2 miter saws, jointer, planer, heater, 3 routers, plate jointer, culms of bamboo, forms, beveler, and WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE. Bunch of wood on the other side of shop. Gotta thin this stuff out or the shop will still be unuseable. Hmm... where can I fit a metal lathe? Have to think on that one.
Oh yea, that is a Craftsman 40 in lathe, works OK but would like a Jet or Powermatic some day.

Mike

Wow guys! I gotta keep these photos around for when my wife starts complaining about how crowded my garage is.....I can just show her these.....I dont have nearly this much stuff! Gotta love all them toys!

Matt

Matt ... hope you use this to encourage her

My wife opened the garage door and said ... "Why is there four sewing machines on the floor?"

Told her I was going to strip them down for the motors and foot controllers and the thread tensioners. "what did you pay for those?"

I could happily grin and say, "Nothing ... traded some wood pallets for them"

We've been getting wood pallets at work lately with some pretty exotic wood. Last two weeks the runners have been out of Purple Heart and another out of mahogany ...

Ha... I can just imagine the look I would get from her!


Got to the lathe tonight and turned my handle for the swap. Hope you guys like....



End caps are Australian Myrtle burl, center is birch bark, the rest is burl cork. If I had to do it again I would probably use regular cork in place of the burl cork, but I do like the looks of this one anyway. One coat of tung oil on.....about 5 or 6 more to go and it should be ready.

Matt

Wow - I think I have to use my cottonwood grip and butt - these grips all look way better then what I am working on!

My offering to the swap. Mahogany butt and fore caps with B/W/B acrylic trims and Ash as the main body. Needs a couple more coats of Tru-oil, but will be ready on the 31st.

Here is a way too dark pic of my grip on the lathe - there is a matching butt. Grip is all cottonwood with a CA finish. The Butt is cottonwood, blue burl, and burnt cork.

Some nice looking handles there guys! Just a reminder to everyone that the deadline for the swap is this saturday, so make sure if you dont have your handle done, that you finish it up very soon. I will draw names at that point and let everyone know who they will be sending the handle they made to.

Matt

Wow ... that is really nice looking ... is it that yellow/gold look naturally or the lighting when you took the pic?

it may be the lighting, it is so much better in sunlight. The colors wood patterns are very pronounced - wish I had a better pic!

Better pic

Ok guys the deadline day is here. Hopefully you all have your handle done and ready to send out. Did the drawing for names this morning, Had my son help me out with that. Here's the method I used. Cut out pieces of paper with each persons name on it. Drew the first name. The next name to be drawn sends the handle they made to the person who was drawn immediately before them. The last person drawn is sent the handle from the very first person who was drawn. Seemed like a good way to do it to me. Here is the breakdown of who is sending their handle to who in order of our initial sign up for the swap.....



Participant.........................................Receiving handle from....

1. Yonks311.......................................Rovercat
2. Kerrye...........................................Froggy
3. Froggy...........................................Baitwaister
4. Trout Trainer..................................Landrodz
5. Rovercat........................................Kerrye
6. Landrodz........................................Yonks311
7. Baitwaister.....................................Trout Trainer

So each person find your name in the left column and then look over to see who is sending you your handle. Please send this person a PM with your mailing address.

I will send everyone a PM myself telling them who they need to send their handle to and who they should be receiving one from as well.

Please be prompt about sending our your handle, and let the other person know when it has been dropped in the mail.

Thank to all for taking part in this swap! Oh and lets post some pics of the cool handles we receive in the mail!

Matt

This grip is going to Rovercat. Rocky mountain juniper, cottonwood bark, ponderosa burl, burnt cork and copano burl. KE

Sweet Grip!! Rovercat is a lucky man!

This is the Grip I received in the mail today. The picture doesn't do it justice - this grip is beautiful. The Australian Myrtle Burl is Amazing!!! I may have to make myself a 6wt rod for bass with this grip

This beautiful grip ended up in my mailbox today. Great workmanship and beautiful grip. Dave, I thank you!
Stan Grace

This is the grip I recieved today.


I believe it will work perfect for a nice little 3wt for myself. A two piece this time I think...


Chris

Kerry
I received the grip a couple of days ago. Thanks it is nice and has a comfortable shape to it.
Very nice work also.
Brian