I received a bamboo rod with nickel silver ferrules. It was stuck together. After iceing the join and heating the female joint & quickly pulling the sections apart-didn't work. Penetrating oil did. My question is, what is the best way to polish the ferrules to fit better? Ralph

The ferrules are probably oxidized. You can rub them lightly with rubbing compound followed by polishing compound. Try cleaning both the male slide and female with alcohal first.

The rod is new. The ferrules are shiny. They are too tight. I intend to polish them until they fit. How/what do I use? Ralph

If at first you don't succeed, go fishing, then try, try again.

You'd still want to "lap" them, probably. But you might also just try some U-40 Ferrule Lube on them. It's great stuff and works on all types of ferrules.

For lapping, just use 1000 grit silicon carbide sandpaper. Work only on the bottom half of the male ferrule, checking for fit often. As the ferrule begins to seat easier, continue working on the top half until it fits just right. Go slow, check progress often, and always clean the ferrules before each test fitting. Just wipe with a clean cloth to remove any minute grit.

The trouble with polishing compounds and the like, is that you can't test the fit unless you want to really clean all that stuff back off. And since you'll be test fitting quite frequently, it gets to be a real pain.

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try lapping them same as a valve in your engine with very fine compound (G10 or finer) even a silver polish just make sure it hasn`t got silicone in or if it has use it AFTER finishing and before delivery when they are a "nice fit ferrule lube them or a quick rub with a silicone polish should keep them sweet remembering that they will sieze over time if not fully cleaned each trip

Allen

This link is from one of the bamboo sites [www.bamboorodmaking.com] . I have been using this method and it is easy, requires no special tools and works well.

Bob

Thank you all. Bob, The tutorial is exactly what I needed. Ralph

If at first you don't succeed, go fishing, then try, try again.