After getting burned once too many times, and getting tops that were too small, I've learned that the top sizes listed in blank catalogs are not very accurate. When ordering a blank, I now wait until I have the blank in hand, and can measure it with my gauge, before ordering the top.

I've found that more times than not, the top size listed in the catalog is wrong, sometimes by as much as a full size (the listed size is 6.0, for example, while the top actually measures 7.0). So my question: is this (as I suspect) just a natural consequence of manufacturing a graphite rod blank? Is the tolerance in the manufacturing process such that the tip size can vary this much? In other words, in a run of the same blanks with a "listed" tip size of 6.0, will some be 6.0, some 6.5, some 5.5, and a few other sizes? Or is there some other reason for this?

This is not a big deal; I'm just curious. Thanks.

It is the natural consequence of the hand labor that goes into making a rod blank. Blanks aren't extruded on precision machinery. They are rolled, wrapped, cooked, cooled, stripped and sanded and then, sometimes, finished. Hard to maintain a strict adherance to a 64th of an inch with that much hand work involved. They shouldn't be off too far, but a half 64th in either direction is quite common and to be expected.

...........

Just curious,Have you ever compared the butt measurement to the spec???is that off too?

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

Chris,

Pretty common! There are two ways around this - You can order 3 at a time - listed size, one up and one down and in mo time you will accumulate a pretty good stock of sizes on hand. You can also just ask the dealer when you order the blank to fit a tip to it. Haven't seen a dealer yet that would hesitate to do it for you.

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Hi Tom, Hi Chris,

what Tom said is in final cosequence valid for the entire blank - with the result that exactly identical blanks (same manufacturer, type, length, class, no of pieces) might have deviating attributes in a considerable way.

Tom, did I get you right?


RGDS,
Ole
Ellerau/Germany

Just order a tip top size larger and build up the tip to fit. IF you're a performance weight freak, that ain't gonna cut it, but if it's a heavier rod or you aren't concerned by .0001oz of weight at the tip, it makes life much easier.

My initial thought is that most of them are on the undersize side of what is listed in the catalogs- my pile of left overs tip tops is on the big side. Glad I don't use Gold Cermets with Titanium Frames!

Chris: In the past, when ordering a blank and guides from the same company, I asked for the "tip to fit". It came out perfect every time. John

Oh you just think getting the blank tip dimension in hand or nailed down is going to fix the problem? Then they ship you a miss labeled tip top whose barrel is the wrong size. Either way your not building... I tell them (the distributor) to test fit the top barrel to the blank tip to make sure BOTH are kosher and compatable before shipping. Its common for a blank tip to be off a half 64th up to a full 64th. Thre MFGs say it falls with in tollerance, but I make note of it when I write up the paper work on the rod. if a blank is supposed to have a 4.5 64ths tip and it measures 4.0, theres not alot there if it were a full 64th off I'd consider sending it back as that is getting just too frail. The ordering of two or three tips, the extras being a half 64th larger and smaller is a semi sound way to deal with things you might need a half size larger if a short piece of the tip breaks off. Most these Distributors sell tips sizer I tell them to put one to use on both the blank and tip before you send them along under the guise of them being compatable.

Rod and Travis:
Edited after their respective posts: The blank and tip sizing guage can be off, just so long as the same guage is used to measure the both the blank and the tip top by the distributor when he is checking both for compatability. A problem would only crop up if the distributor relayed the misguided misinformation along to you and you did not recheck it. But seeing as you did not ask for that information, only that the components fit each other any guage would work wheather or not it was properly labeled/calibrated/accurate or not.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/2006 01:02PM by Chris Karp.

When I bought a tip-top gauge several years ago, I went through all my spare stock of tip tops and found many of them to be mislabeled. The bottom line is it's tough to get the right fit unless you have several sizes on hand. The same is true of nickle-silver winding checks. As a builder that just builds rods for myself, I've always found this to be extremely annoying. It adds to the cost of building your own rod because you get killed on postage costs when you have to make multiple orders to get the parts for one rod.

Then there is the problem with the tip-top gauge being off. I have two of them, one from Pac. Bay and the other from Anglers Resource, there is almost 1/2 of a 64'th difference between the two. What are you going to do?

Darin Travis

I learned long ago to always test fit the tiptop and check the blank for scratches and straightness before I send an order to a client. Saves both of us a lot of time and trouble later.

Blank tips and tiptop barrels vary in size from what they are supposed to be....period. It happens and the best way to avoid problems is to find the right one that fits. I have a lot more tiptops sitting around than you do so it's pretty easy for me to quickly make sure it fits.

Joe Douglas

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. It seems the best thing to do is the easiest: just tell the vendor, when you make your order, to make sure the top fits the blank. I'll be doing that the next time.