I've got a Loomiz MBR843 IMX rod that has been built with Fuji hardloy guides. I thought about removing them and replacing with Alconites. Do you think it would be worth the effort? I also thought about going to the new concept spacing. If I did would I be able to completely remove all traces of the old wraps? (If the spacing turned out different).
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Ron Greenbank

it would be easier to sell the rod and order the same blank to rebuild. that way you could build it the way you wanted. the IMX rod should sell for enough to offset the cost of the new blank. i find it very hard to remove ALL traces of the old epoxy. good luck.

Ron:

I've put new guides on several IMX blanks. Their matt finish actually lends itself well to the blank prep for new guide application. I'm not sure what your budget is, but consider putting on Ti/Sic guides as that blank is really light and you'll be sure to notice a difference in the tip weight. I use the TLNSG 12/10/8 then 6's to the tip and a TFST6 to fit.

I use a heat gun to warm the finish after removing the guides. Use a scotch pad to remove the softened finish. If you look really close, you might see the old guide placement, but it shouldn't really be noticeable to the casual observer. A painted blank on the other hand...I'd readily suggest getting a new blank. The Avid and Shikari SHX blanks are others that work well with guide removal.

Hope this helps............George

Are we talking about a spinning rod or a casting rod here?


..........

It's a casting rod Tom.

Ron

I don't think you'd get much in the way of a performance boost by re-guiding that rod. The concept guides will be a tad lighter but you'd also end up using an extra couple due to their lower height, so the final result wouldn't be worth it, in my opinion.

Now if you plan to use a spiral wrap..... That would be a whole different animal and you might end up with a much better rod than you started with.



.........

Thanks a lot Tom. I always value your opinion. I think I'll give the rod a try and then consider the spiral wrap. I've read a lot about it.
Thanks again.
Ron