Mortised Handle Bamboo Rod

I have for a good while now been wanting to make a mortised wooden handle rod. I finally got around to it in amongst completing various orders. The wooden inserts are imbuia. The bamboo strips run right through.

Rod with Hardy Marquis #2/3 reel

I was initially skeptical about how a wooden handled rod would feel but am pleasantly surprised to find I really like it. There is a great sense of continuity with the rod and a very direct feel. The handle is finished in Birchwood Casey TruOil, which is used on gunstocks.  The advantage of TruOil is that the grip does not become too slippery to hold when wet.

The remainder rof the rod is finished with Woodoc with ‘Penetrol’ added to it. I recently found a local source for Penetrol. The addition of Penetrol has lifted the finish achievable on my rods by an order of magnitude. I am delighted with it. The Penetrol ‘smooths out’ the varnish allowing it to flow more consistently creating a level surface without ‘creep’.

When I next get the chance I am going to play around with some ideas for revealing the ‘fuselage’ inner structure of the grip, which I think is quite interesting in and of itself. The fuselage in this grip is made of balsawood. It serves as ‘scaffolding’ for the inserts whilst gluing up and binding.

 

 

Steve