The kids' rod handles (in progress) and new one - pics

[EyesOnThePrize]

Vikings handle clamped with ruberized cork for butt (which I will sand down)

and Packers foregrip

packers handle after sanding and re-finishing.

Vickings foregrip (both drying)

Next project (handle on the lathe)

[EyesOnThePrize]

fixed the images...

[upnorth]

I played with it for a while and found that for some reason it is adding a dash between rod and building. Not sure why. You could try renaming your folder to something else and moving the images to there.

[EyesOnThePrize]

Yeah - that's what I saw as well however in the images' tags in my original I removed the dashes and still didn't work. I just ended up moving them to my main folder.

Thanks

[upnorth]

If you can pull off the inserts/inlays on the handles like that you can certainly do an advanced butt wrap at least with some practice.

Those are very nice I am impressed!!

[EyesOnThePrize]

Thank you - of course being the builder I know where all the flaws are. I'm finally getting down a method. The key is to start sqaure and keep it square, I built a couple of squaring jigs for clamping and use a strap clamp around the jigs. When I first started doing these I used about 6 different clamps. With the jig and strap I only need one more on the ends (even with multiple cuts at a time) and the results are much better.

Now I just have to figure out a way to get a less-than-45-degree angle cut to get longer inlays with the limited tools I have.

[upnorth]

There is no such thing as totally perfect. I have never built a rod that didn't have some little flaw in it. No one else will probably ever see them(well very few anyway) but I know they are there and have just come to grip with the fact the perfection is an unobtainable goal.

I have figured out how to make the inserts and understand the concept of square(used to be a machinist), what I know I will have issues with is drilling and keeping it absolutely on center. I know if it goes off center at all it will through the design totally off. Probably going to have to build some sort of a jig for that.

But anyway thanks for sharing your work!

[hydro]

Very nice work! What kind of glue do you use to assemble the blanks?

To drill that hole, use a spur point bit and spin it as fast as you can without burning the drill or the wood. The speed helps the drill not to follow the grain. Try making your jig so that you can turn the piece around and drill from both ends, which should cut your error in half. Another option would be to find someone with a lathe where you could chuck it up and drill with the tailstock. Here is what the drill looks like;

[EyesOnThePrize]

I don't have a drill press. When I make pens I use the lathe, wood in a chuck on the headstock with the drill bit in the tailstock. The last two pictures were one of my best drilling jobs and it was done by hand, in a vise grip - I just marked the center on both ends, made sure the wood was level, and used the level on my drill (it has one built into the drill) the only real concern is horizontal centering and I just did that by sight. Once I am about half way through I flip and do the other side. I was almost spot on meeting in the middle.

[upnorth]

I typically drill in the lathe. And most of the time it stays pretty much on center. But there are times when you hit some difference in the wood it will push it off center a bit.

[Dark Cloud]

Nice work on the handles!

Yep, no such thing as the perfect rod. No matter what there is some tiny little thing that most would not see but you can...

[rodmaker]

Eyes on the prize. Very nice!!!!!