Hello

I just started building my first rod and I got myself into a sticky situation (pardon the pun) while trying to mount the reel seat. I think I read in Tom Kirkman's book that it's a pretty "ghetto" idea to use masking tape to build up the blank for mounting the reel seat so I didn't want to do that but I think that's what got me into the situation. I had to back out and clean everything with denatured alcohol and I'll just pick it up another day. But what is the best way for mounting the reel seat to the blank. I know there are plugs that are made by real seat manufactors to serve this purpose but what is the best home grown alternative?

Thanks
Sam

Sam we all at one time used masking tape. When I did I used 1/2 inch tape about a 1/2 inch from each end. Then I cut slits at the 4 axes off set from each other. I wraped enough tape on to have a frim fit. I als used Rod Bond as my bonding agent. Today I use dry wall boad sticky tap. I use the for mentioned method o putting the dry wall tap on Once it is on I unroll it tell there is only one turn left on the blank then I spread my bonding ageon as I roll it back on the blank, It is pouris so the bonding agent goes all the way threw. I also put 1 inch masking tape around each ends of the real seat to keep the bonding agent off the reel seat I also do this with the grips. Once the reel seat and for grip are in place I remove the masking tape and clean all the excess glue with a mixture of water, denatured alcohal and a splash of liquide soap. I then let it dry for 24 hours before continuieng on
Good Wraps Bob

Thanks Bob!! I'll give that a try.

-Sam

Last year I used graphite arbors on all my rods and this year I tried drywall tape. I have't been able to use the rods with drywall tape yet. The tape is pretty easy to use.

Has anyone used cork to make arbors for mounting reels seats

Robert years ago they used cork arbors, but the cork dampened the sensitivity of the rod that is why they use graphite or dry wall tape for reel seat arbors today. They give the rod more sensitivity.
Good Wraps Bob

Sammer,When drywall tape is mentioned I believe thay are referring to the self sticking mesh style(at least thats what I use)and not the paper type that is applied with a tape gun and joint compound.If I`m wrong please correct me.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

Easy to use the Flex Coat arbors. Glue into the seat, then ream out to fit the blank. If the space is
" very " small, 1/4" tape or thread.

I vote for the Flex Coat arbors too. For me it doesn't get any easier than that. I just wish FC would wise up and also make a size with an OD smaller than .595", then it would be even easier.

Shape the smallest ones down to the size you need. Can be done on a drill. Carefully, the go quick

I've used masking tape for many years, with a twist. Rod weight is positively zero concern in these parts, be the rod a flyrod or drift rod. Flyrods are a minumum 9 weight, and drift rods are 10-11 feet.
Now that rod bond is out there, it's step one.
the fly reel seat is positioned over 3 arbors built up from tape. Very snug. Of course a challenge is, With many reel seats there are longitudanal (sp) "webs" inside, and with others a bang-on perfect ream job is quite difficult to do. The top two arbors are spiral slit with a blade, to allow resin to pass by.
The bottom arbor is rod bonded to the blank, the cork and the reel seat, for a solid liquid tight bond.
Next, a quantity of a 2-part thinner resin (envirotex, cyrstal-coat, cyrstal-sheen, etc) is mixed in a 20 CC syringe, and whipped to a froth inside the syringe with a bamboo food skewer, mixing nice the thorough. the pointy part of the skewer is inserted as a plug in the syringe, and the long top part is a handle while the mising is done.
This resin is then slowly injected at the top of the reel seat, heated wtih a hair dryer, allowing the resin to flow past the arbors, down to the last rod-bonded one (liquid tight), effectively filling the entire cavity betwen the arbors and the blank.
As soon as all the air bubbles quit coming up out of the seat, and the heat of the hair dryer has popped all the mixing bubbles, the project is set vertical for a time, and the level of resin re-checked in the reel seat. More is added, if more air was displaced.
We now have a reel seat with every void between it and the blank filled with a cured, flexible resin.
In all the time Iv'e done it this way, not one failure. Not one, even when the sport uses a big boat reel with U-clamps on the seat and the rod.
And for the extra few grams of weight the resin adds, really, a non-starter.
Works for me. Your mileage may vary.

I've used masking tape for many years, with a twist. Rod weight is positively zero concern in these parts, be the rod a flyrod or drift rod. Flyrods are a minumum 9 weight, and drift rods are 10-11 feet.
Now that rod bond is out there, it's step one.
the fly reel seat is positioned over 3 arbors built up from tape. Very snug. Of course a challenge is, With many reel seats there are longitudanal (sp) "webs" inside, and with others a bang-on perfect ream job is quite difficult to do. The top two arbors are spiral slit with a blade, to allow resin to pass by.
The bottom arbor is rod bonded to the blank, the cork and the reel seat, for a solid liquid tight bond.
Next, a quantity of a 2-part thinner resin (envirotex, cyrstal-coat, cyrstal-sheen, etc) is mixed in a 20 CC syringe, and whipped to a froth inside the syringe with a bamboo food skewer, mixing nice the thorough. the pointy part of the skewer is inserted as a plug in the syringe, and the long top part is a handle while the mising is done.
This resin is then slowly injected at the top of the reel seat, heated wtih a hair dryer, allowing the resin to flow past the arbors, down to the last rod-bonded one (liquid tight), effectively filling the entire cavity betwen the arbors and the blank.
As soon as all the air bubbles quit coming up out of the seat, and the heat of the hair dryer has popped all the mixing bubbles, the project is set vertical for a time, and the level of resin re-checked in the reel seat. More is added, if more air was displaced.
We now have a reel seat with every void between it and the blank filled with a cured, flexible resin.
In all the time Iv'e done it this way, not one failure. Not one, even when the sport uses a big boat reel with U-clamps on the seat and the rod.
And for the extra few grams of weight the resin adds, really, a non-starter.
Works for me. Your mileage may vary.