Burl Wood

I've recently started taking stock of turning blocks which are stabilized. I will be putting them up on the site ASAP. Some of the species I will be stocking are Birch Burl, Maple Burl, Black Ash Burl as well as some different types of stabilized horn such as reindeer and moose. I will have bigger sizes for grips and smaller sizes for reel seats

Stabilized wood is the way to go for a grip/ reel seat application. It wont split, crack, warp and its saltwater resistant. It polishes to a high finish without the need for a "top coat" of sealer.

These blocks in the photo are some cross cut birch burl. For those of you who don't turn your own I can supply you with a custom grip or seat made to your specifications
If you have any questions or would like to obtain some of this wood contact me scott@solwaycustomcomponents.com

Turning The Reel Seat

I got a chance tonight to turn the seat for this project. A piece of Black Ash Burl that matches the ends of the grip. A 1"x1" square was first bored out to my mandrel size and mounted between two bushing which get squeezed lightly with a nut on the end.I measured the reel foot and want this spacer a little bit longer than the insert that came with it.This is the beauty of custom building as you can modify anything you like.

Diameters are turned to match measurements of hardware as most of the factory inserts come a bit "sloppy". Just ready to be parted off and finished. A soaking coat of Danish Oil to bring out the grain and then wipe off the excess. Once its dry I'll just buff it with a lint free cloth. Again this wood is stabilized so I don't have to worry about sealing it.