I built up this blank for a customer, only to have him return the rod because it separated at both ferrules excessively during fishing. On his first morning with the rod, it separated 6 times. I have test cast it since the return and find I must agree with him, even with U-40 Ferrule Lube applied.

I suspect it's due to the extreme slickness of the sanded blank with no finish. What can I do to rectify this problem?

I can think of many causes but without seeing it I would suggest using the bayonet lock approach on assembly as Tom Kirkman has explained numerous times on this site and contacting Dan. If it is peculiar to this blank he will have encountered the problem.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

Tape off the male blank at full seating depth and coat a little Miniwax clear or satin polyurethane on the tip above the tape with a cotton patch. I have painted several IVs with poly and pigment and it stays on. Permagloss should work too. One or 2 coats should do it.

What Don said has usually worked for me in the past if St. Croix's ferrule wax doesn't do the trick.

I use the Permagloss because it drys rock hard. Let it dry at least over night befor putting them together.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/28/2005 12:00AM by bill boettcher.

I was impressed to see so may posts and none of them advising wipping me with the problem rod! (:~)
We promote using NO ferrule lube and keeping ferrules clean and as dry as possible. The method used to assemble as Stan pointed out is always worth mentioning as well.
You should first clean the ferrules inside and out. The insides should/can be cleaned with alcohol and the male ferrules with soap and water.
I won't tell anyone that ferrule disconnect never happens in our rod blanks but it sometimes is a buildup of sludge problem rather than a malfunctioning blank. If the user or builder starts with a ferrule lube of some sort, he may also start the problem
Bill, If these tips don't solve the problem, please, by all means send the rod back to me for inspection with a note and I will take a look at it.

Dan Craft
Dan Craft Enterprises

You very right Dan, I usually figure that a builder as he builds a rod puts it together and finds there is a problem. Then inspects and cleans both ends ??

The ferrules started out clean when the customer purchased and fished the rod. When he returned it, I began working with clean ferrules and then went to Ferrule Lube. Neither would stop the disconnect issue. In the end, I cleaned the ferrules and added a single coat of polyurethane rod finish, allowed it to dry for a couple of days and then lightly buffed with steel wool. The adhesion seems much better now and does not seem to make the ferrules hard to separate when taking the rod apart.

The issue wasn't really noticeable when your just putting the rod together and taking it apart. I would say it felt normal to me during construction. I built another Sig V 4wt and two 6wts and haven't had the same issues with them.

Incedentely, the blank was a Sig V and not a Sig IV. Just noticed that I started the thread with the wrong blank model.