I am planning the make a short stand up rod in the 50lb class. I was just wondering how do you attack the aluminum butt? Do you have to cut the blank? Because I have not seen blanks short enough to just add the reel seat and butt onto the end of it. And can you just wrap the rollers with and underwrap then wrap them 2 times?

If the blank is the length you want the rod to be and you're after a short rod anywat, then there is no need to use a uni-butt. Just install a tough butt, aluminum thru-butt or hypalon onto the butt and install a nice aluminum seat. The purpose of a uni-butt is to allow fishermen to break the rods down for transport or storage. If the rod is already short enough and it sounds like it will be, the use of a uni-butt is really not required.

It's pretty standard to use underwraps and 2 overwraps on heavy stand up rods that are expected to see lots of use.

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I was thinking of making a 5' 6" foot rod. The aftco butts slide right over the blank? I always thought the blank was shorter and the aftco butt was added on to it. How does a uni butt install to the blank?

I always thought my aftco butts come off. But I guess they are attached to the blank? Like here on my 30s
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But this butt is two pieces on my 130?

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The uni-butt is attached to the blank by means of a short 3 inch ferrule that fastens into the forward end of the seat/butt combo by means of a collet and locking nut. Aftco also makes straight-thru aluminum butts for one piece construction. I'd go that route on a 5'6" rod.

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thanks

Al,

If your using a production blank and dont need shorter than 5ft 6inch I`d also take Toms` route of a through butt or tuff butt.

I`ve just finished an 80 /130lb stand-up for six gills and blue marlin. The client wanted an overall length of 5ft 6inch but also the ability to break it down further for storage and air transport. Cutting the bottom end off the butt meant the action on a production blank allowed it to bend quite a bit into the foregrip which was not wanted.

We contacted the blank manufacturer who produced a blank, 41 inches overall with the action virtually all in the top (tip) 32 inches. This allowed a 3inch ( 70mm) blank insert into the counter of a UB2short with wide hoods and a 14inch foregrip. The lower 17inches of the blank had a lot more carbon content to stiffen it and eliminate the bending into the foregrip.

The guides were Aftco crank on. With full harness on the client reckons he is getting around a 65lb pull against scales using an Inty 50 w with 120 braid and up-graded drag.

Hope this helps a bit Stan

I used a tuff butt and Alum seat on the 5' 6" blank, Tuff Butt installs just like a reel seat with Dry wall tape arbors. Gimbal for butt cap. Roller Guides and double wraps

Al if there is a nut above your 30 reel (it's hard to see in your picture) then it is detachable. Your 130 is certainly detachable...nice Tycoon by the way.

For 'real' down & dirty stand-up fishing I do NOT like aluminum butts. They are too long...even the stand-up butts. For that reason I use plastic slick butts. They make 8" sleaves in these and when coupled with a gimbal & reel seat you get a total length approximately 2" shorter than the unibutts. You also don't have to cut the blanks an inordinate amount when using a thru-butt construction. Some of my customers must have short unibutts on their rods and that's ok...after all they are the ones paying. But for me, I know what stand-up fishing is about and I want short butts on my rods. All my personal short rods have plastic butts on them & they are fishing machines. The one exception is when I use a short bent butt...that of course is aluminum.

Jay

thanks guys, I think im going to go with an aluminum through butt.

what is the aftco butt called that is straight-thru? With the Uni-butts you just slip them over the bIank? I have made one rod on a calstarr 700ML blank and it came out great. Is there anything I have to do with these biggger rods besides wrapping twice? And which Calstar E-Glass Stand-up Blank would you reccomend? I was going to but a shimano Tiagra 50W on it.

Thanks

Al,

The Aftco straight through butts are simply called big game trolling butts as opposed to unibutts.

The B2 is a 30 / 50 class, app. 12.5 inches below the reel seat and the B3 is the 50 class about an inch longer below the reel seat. The B2 takes a Lakeland 6163M reel seat and the B3 takes a Lakeland 7163M reel seat or Pac Bay / Aftco/ Stuart etc equivelants. These Lakeland reel seats are designed to fit over the Aftco butts more or less perfectly but the larger reel seat can be fitted on to the smaller, B2, butt with some build up. The blank has simply, by trial and error, to be built up to fit the inside diameter of the butt using whatever material you prefer, dri wall etc and then epoxied in place lining up the gimbal with your preferred blank spine position. Dont really have access to Calstar blanks in UK so can`t comment on the best choice. As an after-thought you may well be better using the larger reel seat to accomodate the Tiagra feet on a 50 wide. I underwrap in A thread and then double overwrap in A thread on heavier rods, many others may prefer C or D thread for both or either wrap, personal choice but I always reckon that the additional wrap lays using A on the overwraps may give a bit additional strength.

Stan

Thanks for the help

Al,
I use Calstar blanks T655H (40-80), T655XH (40-100), or T655XXH (50-120) for just the rod you are talking about. All are 5'6". Merrick or Mudhole on the sponsor list are Calstar distributors. So far feedback from customers has been good. And agree with everyone on the under and double over wrap. Good luck
Ron Alley