Here’s a tip that might save you a few bucks and also save that old rod you love - should you break it.
I was lucky enough to attend night school fly tying & rod building courses put on by the late Ted Knott of Ancaster - at Mohawk College many years ago……… and I learned this trick and other things from old Ted.
Most of us have snapped the last 4 to 5 inches off a rod (between the tiptop and the first guide) by catching them in the trunk lid – or a car window – or by over stressing it on the edge of a rail, pier, gunwale or tree branch.
Always save the parts of other old rods or those beat up garage sale specials you have- you can use sections of these old useless rods to mend your broken rod. Yes - the action will be a little stiffer – but it will bring it back to life.
Here’s how:
- Gently heat the tip top with a cigarette lighter or candle – then pull the tiptop straight out and off the end with a pair of pliers. (They are attached with hot glue)
- Clean up the end of the rod, and also clean up the end of the break as best you can without removing length.
- Select a 3”-4” long SECTION of the old “Junker” rods you have (by measuring and comparison) that is relatively close on its INSIDE diameters to the OUTSIDE diameters of the broken rod – equally spaced about the break. (What you will be doing is sliding a section of the tapered junk rod blank down over the tip top end so that it ends up snugging up in the area of the break plus at least an inch or so. – The lower broken rod section will insert from the bottom.
- I said above to start with a 3-4” long section – so that you have fiddle room with the trimming and fit.
- At the end of fitting you should try for at least 1” of splice on each side of the break to transfer stress well.
- Try for a snug fit – if it’s a wee bit loose add a wrap of thread, or a well-placed small piece of masking tape to snug it up.
- Try out the fitting of everything without glue till you get the best fit you can.
- Then taper sand the ENDS of your new OUTSIDE SLEEVE - on the outside - just a bit to remove roughness/burrs and more importantly: to avoid a stress notch.
- When you’re happy – two part epoxy glue the assembly and let the glue cure well. Try to smooth the glue around the end transition points
- Clean up the tip top and hot glue it back on.
- Here’s a link on that:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUn0SRZT5_0
- This fix will work fine just as is at this point – however it won’t be the most pretty thing around - if you wish to get fancy – you can add ramped thread wraps at each end of the splice and apply a finish………….. (on a budget……….. use a few coats of your ladies clear nail polish…………….)
- If you break a rod in the lower butt sections – sleeves or dowels inserted inside is the drill then………
Cheers,
OldTimer