RD=resident dummie ! What kind of experiences have you-all had with "pre-loading"rod tips? At least thats what I call it. What I mean is getting a blank to cast a lighter weight more effectively(ie less effort) by adding weight to the rod tip. I've done it a number of times with glass rods that had some inside diameter at the tip by heating and shaping a piece of lead to glue inside the blank at the tip making sure not to have the weight any longer than the tip top tube. With graphite, graphite composites, S & E glass I'm not sure I can get a piece of lead heavy enough to make a difference and still not exceed the tip top tube length because of the smaller diameters. Does any one have any thoughts and/or experience with this?
I really don't know that not exceeding the TT tube length matters I just don't like to do it.
Before you ask; no I've never had a tip or blank failure on rods that I've done this to. Lucky? Maybe! All I know is "no failures". Warren

Warren,
I have done it just once and it worked fine. I wanted to "loosen" up a Fenwick six and one half foot Musky blank so it would cast lighter lures, but I would still have great strength in the butt to move a fish away from snags. I wrapped lead wire (used in weighting flys) around the tip just "buttward" of the tip guide. After test casting to see if I had the desired effect, I wrapped the wire with thread as near the color of the blank as I could find. This was followed by as many coats of Flexcoat as necessary to achieve a smooth finish. How much wire to use is a matter of trial and error. Be aware that you can't get too big a "hump" or it will interfere with the flow of the line. As I said, I used lead fly tying wire, which comes in two or three diameters, but I suppose solder would work too. Solder might be cheaper, and is certainly more readily available.

I think I would just get another blank. If you add weight to preload it then it might cast lighter lures better but you will have removed it's ability to cast the rated lure weight at the upper end. Seems that it would be more practical and would perform better to just have the proper blank for the job.

Warren, I have heard of doing this on bass rods for jerk baits. Theory was that by adding lead to the tip you could reduce wrist and arm fatigue because the weight would make the tip snap more with less jerking action being applied. Anglers also felt they gained a couple more feet depth with the lure due to the snapping action of the tip. I have not tried it but thought I might by using soldering wire and pounding it flat as possible, then bend it around the blank tip and coat like Lee describes.

I figured if a customer wants it done I will do so with full understanding that the rod has NO warranty with such alteration.