I was thinking about ways to get a better bond between the reel seat and the blank. I typically use fuji type seats with the ribbing on the I.D. I attempt to get as much glue within the ribs but imagine there is still substantioal amounts of air pockets within this area. Has anyone considered after gluing up the reel seat to put it on the lathe and spin it for a few seconds to let the centrifugal motion push as much glue up into all these nooks and crannies to get the best adhesion?

SCott, not sure it matters - how much more strength do you need? ARe you having a problem with reel seats not holding, or you're jsut worried about it? I know when I load up a guide wrap with finish and accidentaly step on teh foot pedal too hard, excess finish is thrown all over the place, so I'd assume what you want to do would work with a liquid epoxy. I don't think with ROd Bond that it would move around that much, although it might.

Never had a problem with a reel seat failing, just thinking out loud. Seems like a small step for the added security.

We've covered the mounting of components in RodMaker in a couple articles. It's really not that hard to get complete coverage of the epoxy on and in-between all mating surfaces. In short, make sure the parts will closely "slip fit." Not tight, but not sloppy loose. Just snug without wobble. Put adhesive at and above the point where they are destined to reside. Bring the seat down over the epoxy, turning it to coat the inside with epoxy and then twist or push into place.

If you were to cut apart an assembly put together in this manner, you'd find nearly 100% coverage and bonding of the epoxy between the parts.

One thing I should mention is that you need to choose the proper epoxy for the job at hand. A thick paste type product, such as PC7, wouldn't be a good choice for close fitting assemblies.

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It has also been covered that the ideal bonding situation is a thin line of agent mating the two parts. There is no benefit in filling all the recesses as the wider gap provides a weaker bond. Only the actual surfaces that come into contact matter. A thin line of the proper bonding agent will create the strongest bond. If you are building up a blank to close the gap it is best to do so until the fit is as Tom has described.. a close slip fit. Not tight but not loose or sloppy. It is important to lightly scuff the blank and the inside wall of the seat to create a water-break-free surface for good adhesion. The Gray Scotchbrite pads are ideal for this prep work. There was even an RodMaker Magazine article on making a tool for using a power drill to spin the pad inside a reel seat. Very simple and effective. Can't recall the issue.

Dave Gilberg

I understand proper prep just brainstorming new ideas, guess I'll just continue like I have been, it hasn't failed me yet. Thanks for the comments

I understand the concept of spinning the rod and "throwing" the epoxy out into any crevises, but if the epoxy is free to move like that, then it's going to leave a gap or crevice from whence it leaves to go to the other place.

Better just to make sure the mating surfaces fit closely and make sure you're getting sufficient epoxy in-between those pieces.

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Scott...Your thoughts is what makes this site so great...I totally agree what Billy says "not sure it matters" In the past I did the exact same thing as you were asking , I centfifuged with a liquid type epoxy on the Renzetti and I made sure the next time I did it I dammed it so that I would not have the same mess. I cut open the reel seat and found pockets [like Tom said] I was one of the first to get ahold of the Gel type epoxy and not a single failure that I am aware of since.

Tight Lines
Tight Wraps
Fishin'Stix by Fred

Scott...Your thoughts is what makes this site so great...I totally agree what Billy says "not sure it matters" In the past I did the exact same thing as you were asking , I centfifuged with a liquid type epoxy on the Renzetti and I made sure the next time I did it I dammed it so that I would not have the same mess. I cut open the reel seat and found pockets [like Tom said] I was one of the first to get ahold of the Gel type epoxy and not a single failure that I am aware of since.

Tight Lines
Tight Wraps
Fishin'Stix by Fred

If it worked as you say, spinning on a lathe to fill nooks and crannies, you are just making nooks and crannies elsewhere.
The polyurethane glues now are pretty darn good. Better than the original gorilla glue 10 years or so back. And they expand into a sorta foam. Tough stuff. Expansion could make a neck of a mess though if you are unprepared.
....But then, when was the last time you have a seat loosen anyway? Epoxy is something like 1 ton per square inch with the ones I use. I've think even a rather poorly filled grip would outlast the owner. Now if you are depending upon the fill to firm up the grip for things like rod clamps, then it can make a difference

I never said it worked it was just an idea! I figured the bond needs to be the strongest at the Reel Seat surface and the Blank surface. Since you don't apply adhesive directly to the reel seat there is a CHANCE that there may be areas that could possibly not have any contact with adhesive. I realize that you would create additioanl nooks and crannies somewher between these surfaces by doing this but at least both of the surfaces you want bonded will be completly covered with adhesive. I've never had a reel seat I put on get loose, but have seen it on factory rods and I never want to see it happen on a rod I built. I actually began thinking about this after a friend gave me an "Ande Stand Up" rod which the aluminum reel seat got loose. Now I realize that this is a cheap factory rod but it just got me thinking.

Scott if I recall Ralph once mentioned that the grooved reel seats was not the best idea,many felt at the time they came out that the grooves would fill with adhesive and prevent twist.this was a common misconception in reality a flat surface prepared properly actually offers a much better bond and filling in the grooves did nothing but add weight.
Many of the lower end factory rods really scrimp when it comes to time and quality of adhesives etc, almost always you will find masking tape rings with hardly any adhesive often the tape is ripped away from one section and causes the reel seat to move.
At times you would not believe what you will find under the reel seats
John

I agree with John. As the "shadow" used to say "who knows what evil lurks
under that reel seat" Just kiddin. I do a lot of refurbs and once I found what I
think was a Cardinal 3 spool reducer with the notches inside cut off to fit the
blank!!! The reducer cost more than three arbors!! Ya never know!

John