I am extending a blank from 6' to 6'6". I have a piece of fiberglass that will insert into the butt of the blank to give me the correct length. My question is; should I over-wrap the the area where the extension goes into the blank with thread, or place another peice of scrap rod blank over the area where the extention goes in to give it support?

The first thing you should do, is not insert anything into the butt of that blank. You may get by with it, but it's not even close to being the best way to extend a blank by that amount. The blank should be inserted into a butt piece that is at least as strong/stiff or greater, than the blank at that point. Extending blanks can be a real science, that when properly done, gives you a blank of the correct length at the minimum of weight and nearly perfect continuity of the original blank's properties. Consult the volume 6 #3 issue of RodMaker for an in-depth article on the subject.

In a nutshell, a very thin nutshell, yes you need to reinforce any area that could be subject to a split out at the junction of blank and extension. Generally, a very snug thread wrap coated with epoxy will provide all the reinforcement needed, but this is somewhat dependent on having the correct extension piece to begin with.

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The RodMaker Magazine article that Tom mentions provides very clear instructions for extending a blank. This is just one more example of the value of a subscription. There is no other place to get such in depth information on almost all aspects of building custom rods. The Forum cannot offer the step by step coverage that makes RodMaker the treasure that it is. I strongly suggest you treat yourself to a subscription. I consider my collection of RodMakers as vital tools in my shop. They are the best investment I have yet to make in my pursuit of this craft.

Dave Gilberg

I should also mention that it's possible to use a section of aluminum tubing, or scrap graphite rod blank, for the extension. You could build the handle full length on the tubing or piece of rod blank, then cut or insert your rod blank to the correct length to get the overall length you desire.

I extend nearly every rod I've made in the past few years in order to get a faster action. There are several good ways to go about this but it would be hard to cover everything in detail in a message board post.

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Tom

Are the RB issues that deal with blank extensions, and surf rods, available on CD yet?

I know that there was talk about archival CD's in Sept according to the archives.



Derek L. McMaster
Rohnert Park, CA

Born to Fish, FORCED to Work

No, as those are in volumes 6 and 7, which are still in pretty good supply.

Volumes 2, 3 and 4 are being burned now and I should have them here in about 10 days.

I don't expect volumes 5 and 6 to be on CD for at least another year.

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What about extending a surf-rod that is already built? I have a 10 Ft Lami conventional that has a Short (21") butt, would like to get 26"-28" Did not want to strip the whole blank to extend.

Any Imput?

Strip the last few inches and oversleeve from behind. It's not going to be any harder than coming up with something to cover the junction when you stuff something into the butt. You just need to square up the rod butt in order to make a good fit. And, it'll be a lot more structurally sound.

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Thanks for the help guys! I have been getting Rodmaker magazine for the last 2-3 years but do not have that issue. I ordered the back issue today! I am looking forward to learning the right way to extend blanks.
JC