On 3/9/2024 at 4:50 AM, MickD said:

Me too.  One can put a ramp off the front, same diameter as the seat hood, and it's all smooth and nice up there. 

I mainly do epoxy ramps, but I love this look and idea Mick.  Do you “sand” the cork until you get the size and shape you want?  I don’t ever use cork on my builds.  I stick with carbon fiber grips.  Cork ramp like in your picture would look great with the black carbon fiber I mainly use.  

1 hour ago, Jrabbit82 said:

I mainly do epoxy ramps, but I love this look and idea Mick.  Do you “sand” the cork until you get the size and shape you want?  I don’t ever use cork on my builds.  I stick with carbon fiber grips.  Cork ramp like in your picture would look great with the black carbon fiber I mainly use.  

I drill the holes in cork rings out to 5/16 , glue the number of rings for each part together on a 5/16 threaded rod mandril, then turn them starting with 60 sandpaper and working up to about 400.  On a drill press with a minor change to stabilize the lower end.  Works great.  If you have a drill press, it easy peasy, and much quieter and more stable than the drill-driver setups. This ramp is coated with wrap epoxy.  Sometimes I don't use anything but U40 cork treatment, other times I've tried polyurethanes and Tru Oil.  Each has a different look. 

Two piece white CRB M/L blank....guide wraps painted to match the Winn Grips.

CFX reel seat insert.

Just finished a 6'8" rod geeks c3 mxf jerkbait rod paired with a lews custom lite.  Total build is 8-5/8" ounces!

This summer we went down to the Outer Banks and I wanted to finally have a dedicated beach rod.  I sort of copied one of Mudhole's build kits on the blank, because otherwise I wouldn't have considered it - But it's spot on.  

 

MHX CB905 - I built it with split cork and an SK seat with a longer handle length, Mudhole OEM guides, and finished it off with some silver trim and Justace Aurora pearl thread.  Sort of a simple no frills build in a 'salty' style.  

 

It was awesome.  It wasn't meant to be a surf rod, more of a walking around making casts and hanging on the beach rod.  I used everything from leadheads with swimbaits, big saltwater jerkbaits, and bottom rigs up to 1.5oz and caught plenty of fish.  

 

 

I finally got around to a bushido mb73/8-15 I got over the holidays. I'm hoping it will be a fun little Senko rod. 

Wanted to bang out an inexpensive rod to throw heavier swimbaits and do some night time catfishing.

I bought this blank so long ago, I forgot who makes it. I do remember it was about $50. 8' 1-5 oz lure weight 20-40lb line. Plain cork & cheap reel seat & Fuji sic guides spiral wrapped.