Rod Building Question

[Green Hornet]

Its been that long since I last built a rod I've forgotten weather I used to swish a bit of metho or turps inside the EVA grips to soften them up before installing them over the araldite.

I'm pretty sure it was metho, but just want to make sure.

[outdoordan]

Metho can work as as a lube to help slide the eva. However, metho is a great cleaning agent for epoxy (Araldite if your using it, I believe there are better options, but thats a different story. Use the 24hr high strength stuff if you need to use araldite.) I would be worried that eva wetted with metho would squeegee off alot the epoxy applied to the blank and cause weak join.

The epoxy glue will also act as a great lube to slide/expand the eva. I apply more epoxy than neccesary and slide the eva on that. Then clean off the excess with a clean rag moistened with metho.

If you need to soften the eva, put it in the sun or a warm spot for half an hour.

[luderick -angler]

A little thinners or metho swished inside the grips then place a little epixy glue on the blank as the grip slides the solvent combines with the epoxy and they go on easy and the epoxy will still set

[Green Hornet]

Thanks for the replies, I was pretty sure it was metho. I remember reading a booklet on rod building put out by Ian Miller years ago and that was how he fixed his grips.