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Now what?

Author	Comment
mdwwhw	Now what?	Lead	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 572 (06/17/09 20:31:56) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I was stripping down a Heddon Vicount prepatory to rebuilding and found this under where the grip had been. A fairly extensive crack extending from under the reel seat to within the grip area and paint. The reel seat doesn't want to budge, I've boiled it, used a heat gun and had two person tug of war with it to no avail. So, what should I do? Ignore it, leave the reel seat in place and proceed to strip? Perform my own experiment on shortening a rod? I've lawn cast it, and it felt "ok" but the stripper and tiptop were in lousy shape so I didn't push it. I don't have much invested in the rod and could take it either way. I really don't need another 7-8 wt. glass rod, this was intended to be a tuneup rebuild before tackling my 8.5 Sceptre/Hardy Fibatube blank. Thanks, Hayden "Everything's better when wet...." Steve Miller Band
flyfishing4goldentrout		#1	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 2319 (06/17/09 22:13:48) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Well if you want to rebuild the rod, cut the seat off with a dremel tool on four sides and peal it back. Then once off clean up the blank. At that point you can build a spigot to fit inside the damaged area and epoxy it up. Sense its under the grip I would wrap it good with thread and then continue the rebuild. Otherwise it sounds like you have a parts rod there. Richard
jgestar		#2	[-]
Posts: 3762 (06/17/09 22:54:48) ezOP Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	"...and it felt "ok"... I really don't need another 7-8 wt. glass rod, this was intended to be a tuneup rebuild before tackling my 8.5 Sceptre/Hardy Fibatube blank." You don't sound thrilled with this rod to begin with. I wouldn't bother. The replacement parts will be worth more than the refinished rod. Instead, keep the remains for future ferrules and sleeves. I would go straight to the Fibatube build. Tom
majicwrench		#3	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 1158 (06/17/09 23:27:34) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I love old rods, so I vote fix it. Cut the seat off if it is stubborn. One good slit, stick a screwdriver in it and spread. Is that really a crack?? Has it been filled?? Or is it just some sort of seam?? If it is a crack,, i would either stick a section of hollow glass in there for reinforcment, or just overwrap with stout thread before putting grip on, or shorten butt. Garcia makes a 7'10" 7-8wt that is a really fun rod, now you can have a short Heddon! Whatever you do, have fun with it. Keith
archfly		#4	[-]
Sport Posts: 37 (06/18/09 05:02:41) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	If you are going to fit a spigot inside under the crack, why not just cut the reel seat off, blank and all, and extend the spigot to make up the loss, then put on a new real seat and grip over the whole thing. First, you should decide if it is all worth it, but if you enjoy tinkering and want to resurrect an old trooper, then do it! Be resigned to never getting back the money you sink into it. Think of what you will learn about rod building if you do it though.
pearow		#5	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 1630 (06/18/09 05:49:15) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I'm with majic; re-do the old rod. However i would take a saw to the reelseat; saw it and the rod butt off; install a spigot of either and old rod, metal tube, dowel, whatever will fit; glue it in so that it supports the cracked area plus extends out to the same length as original; wrap the crack well with thread to support the outside, buy a cheap grip and reelseat (about $12 max) You'll get a lot of practice and you've saved an old dog from the pound; maybe its a good fisher when finished-p-
cross creek one		#6	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 137 (06/18/09 08:15:56) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	If you decide to rebuild it (I probably wouldn't): cut the seat off with a Dremel (lengthwise in strips); epoxy a spigot piece down to somewhere just north of the split--fairly stiff one to stop the rod flexing before the split; rub some slow cure epoxy into the crack; wrap the cured split area with non-stretching tape like stainless steel (wrapping that long an area with thread would give me headaches, and thread stretches/flexes--you want that area to not flex at all); install new seat and grip. All of this will increase the overall weight of the rod, but will move the weight back down the blank, so it will likely feel better than before. Not sure what stopping the flex before the grip will do to that particular rod--it may take a lighter line, but maybe not. Again, I'd probably wouldn't do all this unless I loved the rod, it had some special meaning to me, or I was bored and wanted to see how it would turn out. I recently fixed a broken tip on a Sage graphite with a piece of sewing needle, but this was to save the owner (a guide) the shipping cost for warranty replacement--he thinks some klutzy client will likely bust the rod again before the end of the season, anyway. -CC
Zenkoanhead.clarksclassicfl...		#7	[-]
Guide Posts: 115 (06/18/09 08:58:38) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Tape the reel to the grip and go back out to the yard. Hold the rod above the grip and cast normally. If the rod casts better, and it probably will, cut 6" of the rod including the reel seat and rebuild on the shortened butt section. It is possible that the rod might benefit with up to 12" off, so try that too. You now have a custom staggered ferruled rod. Once you break with the "same length" convention, there is no looking back. I mock up all my rod blanks for possible staggering. As little as 2" off can make a difference. Don
mdwwhw		#8	[-]
Master Guide Posts: 574 (06/19/09 14:20:56) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I'm borrowing a bit from all of the advice. I've put it back into the closet and ordered the guides for the Sceptre 8.5 and will do that first. When that's done, I'll try different grip and guide positions and see if I can find a shorter happy place. "Everything's better when wet...." Steve Miller Band

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