God, as long as I've been doing this, you'd think most of my questions would be answered. Yet seems every day I learn something new and have yet another question. Guess part of that's due to the wide variety of rods I've been building and I'm striving for the best job possible.

Last night I started to build the heavy Calstar as recommended on the curve of the blank. I didn't need any arbors for the AmTackle slick butt, it fit snug and tight to the blank (it wouldn't slide any further). Then I used mesh tape and rod bond for three bushings for the reel seat. I rolled the tape on to fit the seat snug, unrolled, then rod bonded and taped so the bond went all the way through from blank to reel seat. Thought I did a great job, slid reel seat and foregrip on.

This morning I checked and found the reel seat and slick butt have a small space between them. The threads of the reel seat touch on the side I was looking at, but somehow something isn't straight. Not very big, but reason it concerns me is it seems an access point for moisture and saltwater to get inside the rod butt and reel seat, especially since these rods are used offshore. I don't understand how that could happen, I didn't have to ream anything so it wasn't like I reamed something crooked or off center.

How does this happen and how do I keep it from happen in the future? Is it too late to fix or should I seal the space with something?

Thanks all as always.
Phil

not a problem since you didnt use any materials that will break down from moisture. Its just a small cosmetic flaw that only you will notice.

Phil,
If it is a very large gap I would think that you could sight down the blank and and it would be obvious if the reel seat or the slick butt or both are not on straight. If it is a very small gap I guess I would be inclined to fill it with epoxy. If it is a fairly large gap I guess I would try to heat the part that is not straight and take it off or if it is the reel seat cut it off and put a new one on. All it takes is a minute of carelessness or lack of attention to detail to create a hour or so of unpleasant work. I have done the same sort of thing numerous times.

Thanks for the advice guys. Its not a big gap, maybe 1mm if that. Just big enough to be noticable. I was thinking about pushing some rod bond into it just to keep water out. It just urks me and I need to figure out how to keep this from happening. I did it right before I went to bed last night, may just need to watch things for awhile longer before retiring so they don't get cockeyed on me as they dry. This is one of the large AFTCO aluminum seats, cutting it off wouldn't be pleasant, I'm sure.

I've had this happen on eva and cork. I blame air pressure. Since then, I always keep a weight of some sort on the reel seet (I dry them vertical). Filling with epoxy will work but I would only do that on something for myself. If it's for a customer, I would remount.

You cannot make a concentric bushing with any sort of tape unless you precisely stop the tape end at the exact point underneath where it began. Just how far off this can shift your seat has a lot to do with the thickness of the tape. If your case, the combination of the tape and adhesive could have thrown it off by enough to create a small gap on one side. I can't say for sure that this was the problem, but it's one possbility. If you want absolute concentric perfection, strongly consider the Flex Coat urethane arbors and pilot tube bits.

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One thing that pops to mind is the AmTak butt. I understand that it slid down tight & stopped right where you wanted it (that is amazing in itself), but I can't imagine that it was tight on both ends. I have a feeling that it was tight on the butt end where the blank diameter is larger, but might have had a slight amount of play on the upper end by the reel seat. My bushings are always larger the further up the blank you go because the blank diameter is obviously getting smaller. This may have contributed to your problem a little. Honestly, if you are going to try to get those parts off, you need to do it before that Rod Bond sits for a few days. I have used simmering water before to break the bond, but it was on fresh ( <24 hours ) Rod Bond.

Jay

Thanks all for the info. I don't have customers, its a rod for a friend in Qatar right now. I'm going to look at it again when I get home, will probably leave as is. Its not off by much... not enough to take everything off anyway.

Jay- the butt fit very tight on both ends. I had to flip it around because it fit further down one way than the other. It fit so tight I had to trim about 3 inches from the butt of the rod (which was fine as it was a 6' blank).