Carbon Fiber Grip?

[troybuz]

Have not built a rod in years, so today I visted Anglers Worshop and picked up everything I needed to build our two 9' side drifting rods.
The blanks (already owned) are 3 piece graphite with titanium interwoven. Don't ask, as the rods are "Top Secret" and given to me to try them out. More on them later.
Question: I picked up a 16" carbon grip, colored green. I trimmed the handle into 13" and 3" pieces. Even after taping the stock, cutting with a 60 tooth very high quality new blade on my chop saw, I still had problems with the cut end. Specifically, the green coating flaked/ chipping off.
Any ideas how to keep this from happening, and secondly, how to fix it?
Thanks,
Troy

[69scout]

Masking tape and a file.

[Dr Strangelove]

As above, cut through tape. I'd go on to use a dremel stone (fine), rotating into the flat and out the cut side, rounding off the sharp edge, then go back and use the buffer wheel with polishing compound to shine the grind.

[Raymond Adams]

The only fix unless you would cover the chipped ends is to cut the ends cleanly as prescribed above.

[E. Harry]

If you have a chop saw or a mitre saw a diamond blade or one of the blades designed to cut ceramic tile both work very well cutting the tubing. The chop saw or mitre saw tend to result in nice square edges as well which are difficult to get when using any hand approaches.

[troybuz]

The guys at Anglers Workshop warned me of this concern. They said it only happend to the colored fiber grips, not the grey versions. If that translucent colored shield gets chipped, it show off real bad.
I did tape the stock before I made the cut, and trust me, you can not buy a better blade than the one I used...but it still chipped out. I can not polish or grind because of the height in relation to the reel seat, but cap and escusions. I tried a little eight turn trim wrap, and it looks like I can make it all work without anyone knowing...except this group .
Thats why they call it custom rod building, right!
Thanks for the help. As said, I have build hundreds of rods, just none for 20 years. And certainly none with these advanced products.
Troy

[StickFish]

Emory's advice is the best - I got a free chop saw off the classifieds just for that reason. You have to watch the bottom as the saw comes down it really wants to bust through the color. If it chips just use it. A year later its going to be a lot more chiped from wear anyway.

[2slow]

I have had good luck taking a colored sharpie and darkening the chip. Not perfect but it covers it well enough to make you have to really look to see it, especially if you press it a bit into the EVA. This works better on the Texalium tubing than on the Tennessee tubing because the Texalium have a silver aluminum type coating under the color layer. Like Ted says, be careful when the blade comes out of the bottom of the cut and you can minimize it.

[troybuz]

I was wondering about the Sharpe idea...Thanks.
And Stickfish...you are right, I think it chips out on the very bottom.
The handle is green, which kinda looks cool, but then again, could look like a cheap garden hose It's going to be an 'Oregon Duck" rod, my brothers a Duck-o-holic!

[StickFish]

It will look cool trust me. I've used green with green blanks many times - in fact 10' away is a 5' piece of green. If I use them on the ocean I wrap the grips with Rod Wrap from Better Ways - especially on a bait stick - its comes in green as well.

The bottom busting out was something I learned from 2slow - so its all his fault

[FCJ]

I have a dry diamond blade I plan on putting on the table saw and then cutting like they do the blanks at Lamiglas. Have a very small amount of the blade sticking up and then rotate the material so you cut one side only and the 'blow out' is on the inside. It is just that work and wanting to catch fish cuts into my rod building/repair this time of year.

[Roperguy]

Have you tried mixing up some 2 part clear epoxy and spreading it thin? that may hide it without adding color.