I was stripping an old Bass Pro graphite plug rod just to have something cheap to experiment with, and I shaved a little blank off, about the thickness of thin paper. Is this rod trashed now? Will it most definetely break under a load at that spot? It's a 6' 10 -15lb blank and the scrape is about 10" down from the top & is about 1 inch long. Just curious

this has happend to me before, try to place a eye as close as possible then try to wrap over it.
should not cause to big a deal .
billy

I think it might be a big deal. The blank isn't very thick in that area to begin with and it will flex a lot in that area each time you cast or fight a fish.

Best thing to at least try is a very fine wrap over the entire area of maybe 00 thread. Finish directly on top of the thread and if a guide needs to fall in that area put it on over the top of the repair.

I've done that before. I just flexed the rod past what I thought it would if fished and it either breaks or it's ok. If it doesn't break I do what the guys above said too. Good luck, steve

Steve,
It seems that you are already aware that you have cut into the integrity of your blank. Flexing is a good option but a rod that is flexed will not necessarily receive the same stress as a hookset. We actually have a machine at this factory that similates hookset. You can do the same thing by filling a milk or juice jug with water and then attach line and hookset as if you were fishing. If the blank can take that test then you are good to go.
Sharon Johnson
All Star

Shamefully, I literally hacked a GLoomis HS 1023 while stripping the guides off to rebuild it. I guess I just had a bad day. Before I rebuilt it, I took it to a local Loomis rep here who told me depending on the rod, the modulus, and the location of the damage, some rods like the HS1023 can take that kind of abuse and keep on trucking without weakening while others can't even tolerate even a slight nick anywhere. She determined I had sliced off a lot of resin but I fortunately left the fibers alone. I'm not sure if it's true or just vendor @#$%&, but I built the rod with no real adjustments due to the damage. The rod came out fine, and for the last 2 seasons, I've hooked and landed many 35 pound plus King Salmon in all sorts of water conditions. I have complete confidence in the rods performance.
Good luck

I've got a Loomis MBR783 IMX that I bought years ago when they first came out. Its so old and been in the sun so much that the graphite fibers are starting to stick out. I assume its from ultraviolet deterioration of the resin since there was no finish used on the IMX. I have to be careful because sometimes the fibers stick out and embed in my hand. (sometimes they peel off like hairs). I keep expecting it to break, but it never does. I wonder if Loomis' warranty covers old age.....

Ray Alston

That sounds like normal wear and tear so it might not be covered. But it does sound like you've gotten some good use out of it over the years!

I wonder if the problem you're into now with the fibers actually lifting and sticking out might say something good about the blanks that are actually finished with something? Do they last longer and hold up better on account of it?

Frank,

I expect you're right about the finish. I've got some of the old Loomis IM-6 rods that are older than this one and they don't have that problem. (They had the old burgandy finish). Although the finish was chipped and worn, it never got down to the fibers in the blank. I can't exactly remember when Loomis came out with the IMX, probably 10 yrs ago or better. I used to fish a lot of tournaments and spent an awful lot of time on the lake, so I had this rod exposed to the elements (sun) more than most people ever would. Its caught mine and probably someone else's share of bass during this time. Don't know how many of the PacBay guides that have been replaced on it over the years.

Ray Alston

I believe the original Loomis IMX blanks were unveiled around 1987. So it's been closer to 15 years now. I can't imagine where the time went.

.........

I sure didn't realize it had been that long. I remember when the first IMX was delivered to the Tackle shop I frequented. I had to have one and thought I was going to have to take a 2nd mortgage on the house to pay for it. In those days, no one had ever heard of paying that kind of money for a bass rod. We were mesmerized by the idea of a lifetime warranty. Now both price and warranties like that are commonplace.

Ray