i have just picked up one of the custom wood comfort reel seats from mudhole but the I. D. is a bit small for the rod blank. I am looking in to drilling out for the I. D. i need. my concern is that I will thin the walls too much . If I were to get it drilled and fit on and the thing were to crack or actually break I am going to have to remove all my cork ( custom ) and redo everything. Before I decide to go for it. How hard is it to remove a handle assembly form the blank and to clean it up ( I have a split grip to install so there will be a clean area that I willneed clean again) Am I better off just scrapping the seat and getting a new direction?

JJ

I have used the mother of pearl seats which sound similar to the one you are going to use from mudhole. Drilling could cause a problem especially if you are going to clamp the insert. what I recommend is using a rat tail file and sanding all walls evenly. The insert shouldn't break if you are not straining the walls bringing it down the blank. Hope this helps. Good luck with your project.


Sincerely,
Dan Colville

Jason,
Once you Rod Bond that reelseat to the blank it becomes a part of the blank's structure and should not fail. I've have to put some pretty thin structures on from time to time and I haven't had any fail. You'd be surprised how much load the reelseat will really take and how much load really isn't actually being applied to the reelseat under normal fishing conditions.

I have used the Batson reamer with power to ream the wood reel seats and it works like a charm. I split one once trying to drill it out. Jesse

It shouldn't split, provided you don't have to force it to get it on the blank. Ream carefully and keep the bore concentric. Before test fitting on the blank, run a brush or something down the bore so you don't carry any reamer grit onto the blank which could leave a nasty scratch where you least want one.

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If it does break after the rod is fished(I think that is what you were asking) Mr. Buky has a trick to replace it that will make you look like a genius!

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

what trick is that? Mr Buky I always thought I could look like a genius, Just never thought I would be able to act the part!

Jason Henderson