Rod Tip Repair?

[jet]

I have a new saltiga inshore sa-gc 701mfs rod that has a broken tip. the rod is actually brand new, still with plastic wrap on the cork. i think it has a lifetime warranty, but would rather not ship a 7 foot rod to cali. it's broken right at the wrap. i once took a broken rod to Anglers (tip was broken a couple inches down) and all they did was hot glue a new tip that fit from some kit they had. so any ideas what tip to buy and how to properly fix?

[J.A. Veil]

Most rod tips are glued in place with a low-temperature glue. I have seen tackle shop employees hold the old tip over a candle flame to loosen the glue, then twist off the tip. When the rod cools, they sand it lightly, then select another tip with a similar diameter. Some glue is applied to the rod, then a new tip is twisted into place. The process takes less than 5 minutes -- most tackle shops will do it while you wait for $5-$10.

You can buy spare rod tips at most tackle shops or places like Bass Pro and replace broken tips yourself. I have a few spares in the garage for that purpose.

In the event that the breakage involves a longer piece than just the very tip, you can still add a replacement tip, but you will change the action of the rod. I have several rods in my arsenal that started life as light or med light action rods. I suffered breakage of 6" to 10" off the end. I added a new rod tip and now have med-heavy to heavy action rods that are slighty shorter. They don't cast as well as the original ones, but are better for jigging. With a little creativity you can stretch your tackle collection.

[jet]

thanks for the info john. should i scrape off the clear coat and guide winding/wrap?

[ronaultmtd]

Absolutely- get down to the rod blank- hot melt glue the tip top to the blank and then position it in perfect alignment with the other guides before the glue sets- it sets quickly so don't mess around-

[J.A. Veil]

Ron is correct. You want to have a clean surface for the glue. You also want to find a replacement tip that has an inside diameter that fits snugly onto the end of the rod.

[Memory Maker]

the good thing is the break was at the wrap so there is less chance of the blank being splitntered. Gently heat the epoxy to soften it but be careful not to get it too hot ....... take a razor blade and gently scrape the epoxy in 1 spot until you get to the thread ..... gently cut the thread and peel back ..... if you can get 1 thread then you can sometimes unwrap it without cutting the thread all the way to the end. This will reduce the risk of cutting into the blank. Some people epoxy the tip on ...... I suggest you use Ferrel Cement so you can adjust the tip if it is not aligned properly or you have to replace the tip in the future. You will have a heck of a time if you epoxy it.

Taking it to a tackle shop will get you a tip that they have on hand. It will work but it usually isn't the same type and frequently a different ring size.

It usually costs about $20 to ship a 7 ft tube plus the cost of the tube.

I can do it for you or give you a tube to ship it If you are going to the M&G.

Call me @ 410 215 5123 ....... I need the the size of the blanktip if you can measure it so I can narrow the tips ......

[DOGFISH]

If you are in the Annapolis, drop it off to me. I'll fix it.

[jet]

ok, i scraped the epoxy and thread off. the tip, relative to a drill bit, it looks to be right under a 5/64, if not exactly. daiwa website sates "Tough Fuji® Alconite® Guide" and when i look at mud hole, there are different sizings, but have tube sizing next to so i 5/64 would be close to 2.0mm, no? what about guide sizing, how do i determine than? so many guide options...

thanks for the offers for doing it for me, but i wanna give it a shot as i would love to builda rod soon, so why not start with the tip? ha

[Redfish12]

Best thing to do would be to find a set of cheap micrometers so that you can measure more accurately. Did you cut all the wraps off the end too? Usually people leave those so they don't have to re-do them. They do not hold the tip on, just there to blend with the other guides.

[J.A. Veil]

I am not a rod builder and have never attempted to replace a guide other than the tip. The tips are glued in place, whereas the other guides are often wrapped with thread and epoxied. There is much more effort involved in repairing/replacing a guide.

Your best bet to fix the rod tip is to take it to a tackle shop and let them try several sizes to see which one fits correctly. They can reglue it, or you can reglue it -- it is a very simple process.

I do not have any insight about the sizes of rod tips -- I keep a plastic cup in my garage with rod tips of several sizes. Depending on how far down the rod breaks, I have different sizes to fit the diameter.

[ronaultmtd]

I reload my own ammunition so I have to have a digital veneer calipers to measure precisely- it is a piece of cake to measure the rod tip diameter with them-the readout is in thousandths, but no problem-

[DOGFISH]

With rod building most things are measured in 64ths. You can get a rod tip-top mearsurer-guide for a few dollars. At that point you can just fit the tip of the rod into the right sized hole for the size. If you happen to get a tip-top that is too big. You can wrap some thread around the tip of the rod in a spiral and then slip the guide over the tip and the tread combination. The epoxy will set up over and through the thread. Generally, for a tip-top, you can eye ball the tip-top size. If it is a common type guide, most tackle shops have tips that will match up pretty well.

[ronaultmtd]

I have lost the cermanic or aluminum oxide inserts to some fuji guides at the second and/or third guide on a seven foot rod- that requires a complete replacment of the guide- cutting away all the threads of the foot of the guide (sometimes if you are really careful with the razor blade or scapel you can save the under wraps) and replace the guide with another Fuji guide of the exact same size- Of course you have to know how to wrap to do this and the first time is a lot more difficult to learn how than if you have done hundreds of these.