Poured Urethane Grips

[bjmartin1]

I just started pouring urethane and shaping into grips on my lathe. Here are some of the first ones. Actually I have ten in the garbage can that were the real first ones, they are getting better as I go. Urethane is suppose to be 40% lighter then cork and I believe it after getting some of these done. These are made with 2# and 8# foam mixture that is creating a 5# finished product. I made the blue grip with 8# and did not sleeve it with anything, just several coats of fiberglass epoxy and finish rod epoxy. With the red one I tried to build the reel seat bushing into the grip, came out great. Same on the butt cap. I'll add the finished rods on another post.

 

[BustinBass197]

got any pics?

 

[Fat Albert]

<font face="comic sans ms,sand" size="4">looks good however, lots and lots of work....FA</font>

 

[BustinBass197]

Those look great!

 

[Guest]

Looking good. My next purchased rod will have poured urethane foam. Are you able to re-use your mold or did they get destroyed in the process? Most of the guys that I know that are playing with it are just turning it, not pouring.

 

[bjmartin1]

I pour the foam in a 1 1/4 mold and then turn it on my lathe. You need to use a release agent so that the mold can be reused. I don't pour them into the final shape.

 

[ditchdoc666]

emoThumbsup emoThumbsup sweet looking ,great job

 

[hotdawgwash]

Looks nice and maybe you can make me another rod with the foam grip!

 

[Ericb]

they really look good, what kind of rods are they on, intersted in maybe buying one to see what they are like?

 

[Ericb]

really do like the silver scale pattern!!!

 

[bjmartin1]

I build mostly on ATC, All-Star and Batston (Rainshadow) That silver scale pattern is cobra skin. I will I could make a wrap like that out of thread.

 

[bjmartin1]

You might have been looking at the black one that you called the silver pattern. That is a composite skin under epoxy. It is a very cool look.

 

[Guest]

I am hearing reports that rods dropped overboard float higher with new foam than cork. may save someone a from a lost rod rod one day. BJ, have you heard anything of that nature?

 

[bjmartin1]

Well I never even thought about that one. David Letterman does this skit call "will it float". He brings out a big clear box with about 100 gallons of water in it and lets the audience pick it something will float or sink. I just did that with a grip I built. My guess: it will sink like a stone. WRONG - it does float. And the grip had a carbon fiber skin and epoxy on it. I don't know if it will hold up a rod and reel but it was very buoyant. It popped up as fast as a big bobber. That tells me the longer the two grips are the more likely it will hold up a rod/reel. Good question!