I have a Bass pro shops Bionic blade that i bought almost 10 years ago. The guides are all in good shape all fuji concept half double foot and half single foot...but its been heavily used and now the finish on the wraps of the guide feet are starting to fade and crack. I was thinking about taking it all down and redoing it from top to bottom. My question is this:

If I were to take the guides off I know I can get the epoxy off, but to redo the cork I would have to take off the reel seet and redo all of that as well. So is it possible to get all of the epoxy off and to get the reel seat off withough damaging the blank? and to refinish the blank would I want to paint it? or try to buff out the scratches and re do it the way the article on this site suggests?

Any help would be appreciated!

You can get the reel seat off with out damaging the blank. What I have done to remove reel seats is to wrap them in tape then use me alcohol lamp to gently heat them and then put a strap wrench(oil filter wrench?) on them and twist. To twist I brace the handle against my leg and grab the fore grip and rear grip.If done properly the reel seat will separate from the epoxy which will stay on the blank. Be sure to take your time and put the heat on the blank for short periods of time so you don' t hurt the blank. Use that tape as an indictor for the amount of heat you are applying if it starts to singe stop. It only takes a little heat and a lot of muscle to get them loose

Just how much is a new rod from Bass Pro ??

Why not sand the existing cork grips down and install the new grips over that... like a bushing?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2007 05:23PM by Steven Libby.

Steve has given you a great idea. It's the easiest way and if done right will be structurally sound once complete.

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If you want to remove the reelseat, cut a groove along the length of the reelseat with a dremel cutting disc-making sure not to cut thru to the blank-and insert a thick slotted screwdriver into the groove and split the reelseat open. Remove reelseat from the blank and start rebuilding or removing your grip.

All of the methods suggested will work.

It is sometimes quicker just to cut the blank at the fore grip, and then rebuild the handle assembly on an "extension". Follow the instructions for extending a blank and if you have the scrap blank material, its just like rebuilding on a new blank.

Terry

thanks guys I figure I'll try to heat it first and if that won't work then i'll try the other methods..I'd like to save the reel seat if I could its a good grip...But the new bionic blades are around 80 bucks or so and to refinish the rod would only cost me 10 or 15 with some new grips, thread, and finish so it would be worth the effort to try to repair it to save an old rod that has landed a few nice fish and even better memories.