I have seen the suggested rule of thumb to wrap the length ferrules 1 1/2 to 2 times the diameter of the blank. Is this for all type rods and materials, specifically what about the "pure carbon fiber" surf blanks made by Wheels Reels?

Thanks!

I built all my heavier surf rods before I heard the "2x the opening" rule, so they are all about the length of the ferrul overlap. On heavy rods like surf rods, however, I doubt the weight difference is that significant (as in, say, fly rods for trout) and I usually like the look of it being similar to the length of the guide wraps nearest to it. Just my opinion.

Hi Scott,

You mention a WRI blank. I was sent an Inferno for testing. The tip is 9' long and the handle is about 4'. The ferrule overlap is significant. I'm not sure about WRI, but some manufactures claim a ferrule overlap is not necessary. You will need to check with WRI regarding this matter. The ferrule wrap I put on the Inferno was 1 1/2" long. It was just a guess.

Should WRI tell you that a ferrule wrap is not necessary, your ferrule wrap will only need to be decorative. The reason for the wrap will be to protect the female end of the tip when someone holds the handle and tip vertically and accidentally drops the ferrule onto cement or another hard surface.

On blanks (CTS & Conoflex) in the 13' to 14' range, I am usually able to place the first guide at the ferrule. This is not always the case with softer/slower blanks.

Hope this helps,
Don

Most ferrules are internally reinforced but most rod buildes still add the wrap. The important part, is that right next to the edge which serves to protect against a split out. The very edge of the ferrule is the only place this can begin, and thus, the ferrule reinforcement thread wrap needs to be wrapped very close to the edge (female opening). The length isn't terribly important. The 1.5X or 2X that people talk about is something that came from my book and was designed for cosmetic purposes more than anything else. It was my way of making the wraps on multi-piece rods appear progressive in nature as the rod changed diameter along its length. It's more than long enough, so the important part is to get that wrap close to the edge and make it snug.

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I'm a real neophyte compared to most of the people on this board, so I say this respectfully, but I don't think the wrap is to protect it from the concrete. I suppose it would provide some protection if the rod hit sideways (parallel to the ground), but I would be really careful to avoid that kind of a drop. Also, on the really heavy surf sticks that are throwing a lot of weight, particularly if someone is pendulum casting, there is no way I wouldn't wrap the ferrul. Why not wrat it? On my AllStar 1266, rated up to 4oz, the weight of the ferrul wrap is absolutely negligible; and the peace of mind when I lean into 1/4 pound of weight is nice!

Scott;
When I wrapped my three surf rods I started the Ferule wrap away from the end and wrapped to the edge,Tied off and then Applied brush coat of Epoxy (put on-brushed off Excess) when dry i put on the top wrap and finished, Allstar 1508 12' 4" rated 4-10 oz last week was tossing 8+ bait without a care. Also fish 2 allstar 1418"s 3-6 oz at 11'6" finished the same

The purpose of a ferrule reinforcement wrap is to prevent a split-out from starting at the edge of the female ferrule during periods of heavy loads and/or casting.

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I'll have to disagree here. I've seen two ferrule failures on heavy surf rods where the builder only wrapped the ferrule about two inches. I'm holding one in my hand right now, it's a lamiglas 1502 built by a reputable builder on the outer banks. The OD at the ferrule is about .75 inches and the ferrule wrap is 2 inches. Should be enough right? Well the ferrule split above the ferrule wrap. It's not split below the wrap at all, but it split above the ferrule wrap. I've seen this twice now which is why all mine get wrapped the entire length of the overlap.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/2006 08:47PM by Clyde Roberts.

Hi Marty,

"I'm a real neophyte compared to most of the people on this board, so I say this respectfully, but I don't think the wrap is to protect it from the concrete. I suppose it would provide some protection if the rod hit sideways (parallel to the ground), but I would be really careful to avoid that kind of a drop."

Not all people are as careful as you. Some are very abusive.
Regarding the protection at the opening of the ferrule, I can only pass along what I have been told by others. Specifically, OutCast builds their blanks with a chrome ring at the ferrule and its' purpose , as I was informed, is to protect the edge. Since the ring is about 3/8" wide, it should also serve to prevent a split from occuring/starting at the edge. Quite some time ago I asked Conoflex about the use of rings and the response was that they were used in the UK but the practice has been discontinued.

Don

Clyde,

That ferrule would likely have split even with the wrap if it blew through the matrix. I've seen the same thing happen on that particular model blank even with a 5 inch reinforcement wrap. But on a heavier rod you won't hurt much of anything to wrap the entire ferrule. If it feels good, do it. Weight of the ferrule wrap won't be much of an issue on a heavy surf rod.

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ok, now we have talked about length of wrap, is thread weight more or less important? tension? finish used?
I'm mainly interested in the big guns,not speck / flounder rods.........just heavers regarding reinforcement
Wes

Wes Weaver Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ok, now we have talked about length of wrap, is
> thread weight more or less important? tension?
> finish used?
> I'm mainly interested in the big guns,not speck
> / flounder rods.........just heavers regarding
> reinforcement
> Wes


Hi Wes,

I guess the following would be considered heavers:
Conoflex Makoi Extreme rated 8 - 10 ounces (should be 10 -12), 60 - 80# line, 14' 4" long
CTS Makoi 605 rated 8 -10, 40 - 60#, 13' 6"

In the case of the Extreme, the ferrule is a spigot in handle connection with the tip being the female. Conoflex wraps both the fittings with fiberglass. As such, there should be little need for reinforcement. That said, when Conoflex builds a rod they wrap each connection for 4 to 5 inches. It looks like either a B or C thread. I wrap to cover the fiberglass. The Conoflex motto is "Power Plus Reliability"

The 605 has just about wrapped up testing. It looks like a good match for the island of Oahu, but a little light for the island of Hawaii. A 607 is in production for Hawaii. The 605 has a tip over handle connection. The first 605 prototype had a little less than a 3" overlap. I wrapped for a distance of about 2 1/2". The rod performed flawlessly when casting 10 ounces. I sanded a little of the paint off the handle fitting to achieve a 3" overlap and turned the rod over to two tackle shop for further testing (one on Oahu and one on Hawaii). Some very powerful casters used the rod with no adverse effects. The production blanks will have a 4" overlap. This is only to pacify the fears of fishermen who are used to having rods with extreme overlaps. The handles of the rods are constructed of a helix core, collinear graphite and encased in a graphite woven twill. This provides the necessary hoop strength for the ferrule.

I guess I'm trying to say that the quality of materials and craftsmanship of the manufacturers determines your wrapping requirements. In my experience, both CTS and Conoflex have delivered excellent products.

Thread size?

It looks like Conoflex uses B or C. For blanks rated under 8 ounces, I use size C. For 8 ounces and up, I use size D. Flex Coat works for me.
I do not know of any hard rules about thread sizes or coatings. I did take a class from a commercial builder and they used D thread.

Hope this helps,
Don