Need help with a guide...

FastEddy · 12-29-2009, 04:28 AM

The guide on the tip of my favorite rod is somehow missing the ring on the inside. Any suggestions on how to fix it? If I do need to replace it, 1) how do I take it off? and 2) how do I put a new one on? 3) how do I know what size of tip to replace it with?

Thanks

StickFish · 12-29-2009, 06:26 AM

You can replace it your self. Fisherman's should stock several replacement sizes. The tube being the most critical. They will also have on hand the tip top cement which is a type of hot melt glue (yellow in color - higher temp melting point). Take a rubber band and attach it to the eye left on your rod and loop around a door knob. With a lighter heat the metal of the tip top tube while pulling enough to put a bit of a stretch in the rubber band. Tip top will pop right off

Rubber band keeps you from overheating the tip top and damaging the blank.

Snip off a few pieces of the tip top cement and place inside the tube of the replacement guide. Heat tube with lighter, when glue melts slide on your tip align with the other guides and let it cool. Takes longer to type the instructions than to do the repair.

Ollie Damons will do this for you so will Anglers Workshop and most rod builders. Hope that helps

FastEddy · 12-29-2009, 01:40 PM

Sweet! That sounds easy enough for me to handle.... thanks for the tip on the tip.

Kerry Hansen · 12-29-2009, 07:29 PM

When I introduced this method several years ago I suggested you get a large paper clip to first attach to the tiptop then attach the paper clip to the rubber band. The clip will help insulate the rubber band from the heat. Now fix the blank so it won't move. Now stretch the rubber band a lot staying on axis of the blank and secure the other end of the rubberband. Now apply heat to the tiptop at the ring end and let the heat migrate towards the grip end of the rod. Now what happens is that the second the adheisive releases the tiptop the rubber band will pull the tiptop off before too much heat gets to the blank and delaminates it.
Kerry

StickFish · 12-30-2009, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kerry Hansen

When I introduced this method several years ago I suggested you get a large paper clip to first attach to the tiptop then attach the paper clip to the rubber band. The clip will help insulate the rubber band from the heat. Now fix the blank so it won't move. Now stretch the rubber band a lot staying on axis of the blank and secure the other end of the rubberband. Now apply heat to the tiptop at the ring end and let the heat migrate towards the grip end of the rod. Now what happens is that the second the adheisive releases the tiptop the rubber band will pull the tiptop off before too much heat gets to the blank and delaminates it.
Kerry

Kerry, its a great method, thanks for introducing it to us. I had not seen the paper clip part, someone told me about it at the Workshop at Lamigals last year.

E. Harry · 12-30-2009, 06:40 PM

Kerry,
You are a clever old dog. I usually just heat it and then grab it when I think it is hot enough to pull off and burn my fingers in the process.

Kerry Hansen · 12-30-2009, 10:48 PM

Yes I demonstrated it at Lamiglas last year. I had the tiptops installed with 5 minute epoxy. It was part of a tips/tricks presentation I gave instead of the annual Color Change Weaving talk.

The rubber bands were News paper bundle rubber bands that are probably 12" uncut and about 1/4" wide. I get a good grip on the blank in my rod lathe and then as I said before while staying on the blanks axis I really stretch the rubber band while attached to one of those very heavy paper clips (heavy wire that will retain the bend on each end will work just as well). This heavy stretch will snatch the tiptop off just as soon as the epoxy starts to loosen, so it minimizes heat to the blank. Oh, don't stand in front of the rubber band, It really flys of hard and fast. ;>)
Kerry

Kerry