I am having a problem with Tip Tops of all things. I am not getting a good adhesion between the Tip Top and the blank. I'm not sure if I am applying to much or to little Tip Top cement or if maybe I am not preparing the blank or the inside of the Tip Top properly. After allowing the cement to set for 24 hours I am still able to move it or pull it off with only a small amout of pressure. I am going to run an experiment this afternoon to check the strength of the cement but I find it hard to believe that is my problem. Anybody have any thoughts?

Thanks again

Jim

Make sure your tip is a bit over sized. You need room for the epoxy. Not too much play , just a little wobble. You don't want a tight fit.Scuff the tip section with Scotch brite or fine sand paper. I always use 5 min. epoxy and never had a problem with it holding. If you're using the glue sticks, in my experience they don't hold any where near as well as 5min. epoxy, especially in warm weather. Hope this helps.

jim, what i do is get the top hot alomg with the glue, let the glue run into the tube, you night have to reheat the top again, you might want to use a pair of pliers to hold the top, then quickly put some glue on top of the blank while the top is still hot put it on to the blank. if you do it right you should see a lot of glue seep out. after anything cools down simply pick off the glue that seep out . you should be good to go in about ten mins. oh make sure you are using the right size top.

john

Right, you've got to get some glue into the tiptop tube. Just putting the glue on the blank tip and then pushing the top down over it means you're just pushing the glue down the blank - you're not getting any adhesive in between the top and the blank.

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Once you can touch the tip top with your hand it should be sticking, if not waiting won't help. I trim little slivers of cement off the stick and put them in the tip, heat till liquid and put it on, spinning the blank one turn to spead the cement.

Never under any circumstances ever use an over size tip. use a tip that is snug, even tight. measure the tip with a tip gauge and use the same size tip top. Excess glue is excess weight in an inappropriate area, and excess glue is detrimental to bond strength. This concept of an oversize tip is the result of a very bad article in rodcrafters journal several years ago, and has plagued the rodbuilders world for at a least a generation. Rodcrafters journal has been notorius for bad technical articles, and this one was one of the worst ever.
For optimum bond strength, a very thin bond line is essential. You cannot make the bond to thin, the problem with most people is getting the bond into the right place. For tip tops, heat the tip top under an alcohol flame (or equivelant) and using a piece of piano wire or similar tool, smear adhesive around the entire periphery of the tip top tube. Lightly abrade the rod tip section and be sure the entire surface to be bonded is covered with a film of adhesive. While metal tube is warm, assemble the parts and rotate the tip top around and around the tip section in order to thoroughly distribute the bond materiel. If the tube fit the rod tip snugly while it was dry, it will now fit with less friction as the adhesive acts as a lubricant. The resulting bond line will be very thin as it should be, and whether you are using hot melt, or 5min epoxy, it is now on until it is forcibly removed. Incidentally, never heat your tip tip any hotter than what you can still hold in your fingers.
I personally use only industrial hot melts. I have one that melts at 190 deg F. and another that melts at 350 deg F. I use the latter only when I know the tip will be used primarily in the tropics. These bonds properly used will hold even a reel seat in place. The bond load on a tip top is practically nothing. Black Jack chewing gum wiill hold most tips in place. Tips fall off because they were not put on properly in the first place.

Ralph

It bears stating that most failures that occur with tip tops adhered wtih hot melt glue do not fail because the hot melt failed or wasn't up to the task - but rather because the bonder (the rod builder) didn't properly use the adhesive; prepare the surfaces, etc. In other words, it's a "bonder" failure and not a "bonding" failure.

A simple task yet one that makes all the difference to a guy out on the water miles from anywhere. Nobody wants a tip top coming loose on the trip of a lifetime.

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I have previously requested that a manufacturer market some pieces of hot melt that will fit in a tip top. It sure would be nice to reach up and pick up a prescription bottle filled with nice straight pieces of hot melt about the size of a 4.5 tube tip top. I presently take a hot melt glue gun and extrude a long strand of the hot melt into a pan of cold water. These stringy things are cut and split into sections and placed in a zip lock bag for later use. I perform this type of task while avidly reading the posts from the Legend!

Ralph, it really would be cool if you could market Strings of Hot Melt with various temperature ratings. This would be an advancement to the craft just like the one of ferric ion free hardener and Clear Forever Finish. While I am quacking, how about a Cork Seal with matching color additives. I also need a magic voodoo incantation that will cause Rod Bond to automatically release its captive. When a broken rod comes back in for warranty replacement I would like to save the cork and foregrip! Hope you sleep well tonight!

Gon Fishn



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/02/2005 04:20PM by Bill Stevens.

I will wager $ that I am one of few that does remember Black Jack chewing gum.

Later,
Gerald Mc

I used to love that gum.

Another thing I do is take a drill bit and scratch up the inside of the tube with it for a better bond, then with a pin I try to fill up the tube with glue and scoff up the tip of the blank " Carefully " don't take the graphite off

Gerald McCasland Wrote:
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> I will wager $ that I am one of few that does
> remember Black Jack chewing gum.

You're that young too huh?

Ron

Remember when Cigaretes used to cost $ .26 cents? Now that's old ?? LOL

bill boettcher Wrote:
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> Remember when Cigaretes used to cost $ .26 cents?
> Now that's old ?? LOL

No ... never smoked ... but I can remember $ .15 cent hamburgers, $ .25 cents for
a gallon of gas ... and to make it on topic I'm glad rod componets are staying low $$$ <G>

Only with some companies ??