I do minor repairs for my local fly shop. A customer recently requested a new reel seat, switched from the cap and ring original on his decade old well-used custom rod to a flush mount uplock. Easy fix. When I took the rod in from the shop, I noticed three guides that needed replacement and one that needed a rewrap. I mentioned it, the shop got the okay from the client. When the rod was returned to the client, he accused the shop of cheating him because the guides were never repaired. He refused to pay, except for the obvious reel seat replacement.

I took it as a compliment that my work was good enough to be indistinguishable from the original.

Some days you just can't win.

Oh, the other rod that I worked on that week was a custom job, too. Replaced two guides, and that client also could not tell the difference. He was ecstatic.

Dave

Glad to hear it. Now here's how you convince them that you did indeed perform the repairs - always return the damaged/replaced parts with the rod. Just string the old guides onto a twist tie or something and affix it to the rod. That way they have the old, damaged parts and can plainly see that they were in fact replaced.

Of course, I suppose they could always say that you just hung some old damaged guides you got somewhere else on the rod, but most won't go that route.

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Like Tom says,,, I always put the old guide in one of those small ziplock baggies and return it, I also make it a habit to recoat all the guides, since I usually have leftover finish, I just do it, it makes the old look like new,, the customers love it ! ~

Exactly! This is what I have been doing for a very long time ... I received the same lesson and have been doing the 'baggie of old parts' since.


Tom Kirkman Wrote:
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> Glad to hear it. Now here's how you convince them
> that you did indeed perform the repairs - always
> return the damaged/replaced parts with the rod.
> Just string the old guides onto a twist tie or
> something and affix it to the rod. That way they
> have the old, damaged parts and can plainly see
> that they were in fact replaced.
>
> Of course, I suppose they could always say that
> you just hung some old damaged guides you got
> somewhere else on the rod, but most won't go that
> route.
>
> ..................

Believe me, fellas, I learned that lesson the hard way, but it only took one incident to realize what I should have done.

Dave

How do you prep the old worn epoxy for the new coats? Do you scuff them all up prior?

You'd need to clean them, scuff/degloss them, and then refinish.

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