I am looking into a drop shot rod. I have the handle figured out and would like to know if there is any major difference in sensitivity with the graphite arbors as compared to the tape arbors I use for most fly seats? Is it any real noticable difference or is the tape with epoxy hardened to the point that the effects are the same?


jj

Jason,

If you're talking masking tape arbors? I like the brick foam full length the very best and I'd take the graphite arbors next over the masking tape. I'd take anything over the masking tape actually. Sensitivity wise, I think the full length brick foam are the best of the three.

DR

Jason,
The sensitivity of arbors, or how well they will transmit vibrations is determined mainly by the mass density and the elasticity of the material. The foam arbors are much better in terms of both mass density and elasticity than tape.

I concur with Duane ... polyurethane arbors, followed by graphite foam arbors, then fiberglass drywall tape. I use masking tape for holding guides on while I start wraps and for taping bubble wrap around my rods for shipping - other than that, masking tape stays in the drawer.

I'm with Jim, I replace/fix a lot of reelseats that were put on over masking tape. Never have had a problem with one put on over foam arbors!!

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Just for reference, when many think of foam they think of something that's soft and/or spongy. There are various types of foam and they come in various densities. What is sold for arbors is generally either 6lb to 8lb urethane foam and is very light yet very rigid. It cures quite rigid so you're working with something that is quite firm, if not downright hard. The Flex Coat type (cream colored) urethane foam arbors are significantly more rigid for the same weight as are the more common Fuji or Pac Bay (black) brick foam arbors.

..............

Don't use tape if sensitivity is what you’re looking for.
Don’t use tape if longevity of the finished rod is what you’re looking for.
Don’t use tape if quality of construction what your looking for.
Don’t use tape if you take into account the unanimous response you’ve had so far

In other words,,,Don't use tape. I love the foam arbors. Only in an emergency would I use tape , then only fiberglass dry wall tape.

J.B.Hunt
Bowling Green, KY

The question is "is there any MAJOR difference in sensitivity." The answer is no, there will be no major difference. Foam arbors are my choice, and will be stronger and last longer, but there will be no detectable difference.

I don't mean to throw a monkey wrench into this topic (well, maybe I do), but what about saltwater rods? I've tried foam arbors on a couple of saltwater boat rods, and when I tried to ream the arbors to fit the blank, I had to remove so much material to get the arbor to fit over the blank that I ended up with what was essentially a pile of unusable dust. I can understand the effectiveness of foam arbors when you're using a blank with a small OD, like a fly or freshwater blank, but what about a salty blank, where the OD is generally much larger (especially on surf rods), and the area you have to make up (the difference between the blank OD and the reel seat ID) is somewhat small? Do any of you still use foam arbors in those kinds of instances?

Chris - I recently had this "challenge" on a mag-bass blank I was building into a spinning rod using a 18 NPS seat. I bored the arbors hole bigger but not all the way to fit the blank's OD. I then glued the arbor into the seat to bond it to the seat's walls and then carefully did the final reaming.

A compromise I use when the diameters are only barely different is to use fiberglass mesh tape. It's sold for use on drywall corners. Wrap it to get the fit right, then unwrap it most of the way and pack with Rod Bond as you re-wrap it. It will never degrade the way masking tape will.

I have personal experience with masking tape failing over time. The first rod I ever built, in fact. After about 15 years of extremely heavy use the reel seat twisted off the butt of the rod (it was a fly rod).

Mike,
The key in using masking tape is to be sure that you use enough epoxy that the tape is completely sealed so that over time water is not able to soak into the tape. I have seen the same thing that you are talking about several times. The tape, over time, basically just turns to mush if water gets to it.
But you are right, there is no need to use masking tape as dry wall tape or foam arbors are better.

That's a great idea, Steve. I'll have to try it. It's so simple that (of course) I never thought of it.

And Mike, I'm with you. Mostly because I was advised against it when I started building rods, I've never used a masking tape bushing on a reel seat. But I have used fiberglass mesh tape quite a bit, and I apply it just the way you describe. It can be tough to prevent epoxy from getting all over the place -- especially since I'm kind of a klutz -- but so far I've not had any reel seat failures with the stuff.

I have found graphite and foam arbors impractical to use on most fly rod real seats because of the problem Steve and MIke describe and always use the mesh tape on fly rods. I usualy only need one or two wraps because its that close. Got sick of sanding and filing and boaring out arbors only to have them shatter when thin and close to being the right size.

William,

Install/epoxy the arbor in the reel seat FIRST and then ream seat and al to match the blank as one piece.

DR

Oops. That was in a old Rodmaker, too, that I just read. Only tried it on two rods....

Any graphite arbors that come in a .375 in or .312 in diameter? That was my other problem with them, too. All of them are too big for "standard" seats by REC, Struble, Bellinger and several other manufacturers......either I could order a special bore or just use the drywall tape.

William, I throw mine on a 1/4" mandrel on the lathe and sand/cut them down to what ever size diameter I need. I usually only keep 18 and 20mm in stock, I can cut them to any size on the lathe in a few seconds. In your case buy the smallest and do the same.

DR