Here I go again with my imagination. I'm thinking about cutting Fuji reel seats, getting rid of the barrel, and replacing it with a cork insert. Before you tell me about cap and rings being available, I'd like to do this with the trigger. I just ordered a Wiebe trigger, but I'm wondering if anyone has done this before.

What is the easiest method to cut the seat - masking tape as a guide, and a hacksaw? Or a cut off wheel? If possible, can you tell me what tooth per inch on the hacksaw or exactly which cutoff wheel ?grit? I should get.

Billy

I have cut them on a metal lathe ala RodMaker's tips issue last year or so but have also used a hacksaw. Wrap some tape around the barrel for a straightedge and cut away. You have to clean up the edges and square them. Easy to do on a disc sander with table, or just file it or sand it down against some sandpaper laid on a flat surface. You can do about anything with the Fuji or similar type seats.

Billy,

I have cut many a Fuji reel seats. Either to remove unused threads for no-foregrip rods or my latest R&D of making skeleton seats with a trigger. I don't use anything between the two pieces. Just expose more blank. I use a grinder to taper the inside edges for a cleaner transition to the blank but the seat must be a perfect fit to the blank. No tape or arbor build-up. You can cut the seats with a thin sharp knife or a hacksaw. I always under cut the size then grind and sand back to the tape lines. Many times the cut is crooked so I don't ruin the seat by cutting right at the tape.

Don't cut too much off the tube. Reel foot lengths vary and if you custom cut one to a specific length, another reel may not fit. Test the reel foot that you plan on using before you cut.

Mike good point - I did this once already to a seat where I "custom fit" it to a specific reel. Now I'm stuck with this reel & rod combo whether I want to switch or not.

One wuestion I do have, is if I ever hook a fish, is it possible for the reel foot to dig into a regular cork insert? How about burl? Was going to try this on a saltwater rod to be used with a Calcutta 400, but I'm not sure of the long term effects.

Billy

..I believe the foot will eventually compress the cork to match it and you may end up with a seat that you can't tighten.

I would only do what you are planning on an ultra light rod.

If your reel does become loose after a certain time period, you can save the seat by placing a shim on the bottom side of the reel foot. You can use a piece of leather or even laminate various layers of masking tape until reaching the desired results. I have done this before and it will work fine when no other options are available.

Good luck,

Bruce Young
Landing Gear

It won't cut into the cork because it doesn't sit on the cork. It sits on the threaded barrel on one end and the inner barrel of the hooded end. Take a look at the cover of the May/June 2000 RodMaker and you'll see what I mean.

Whatever you put between the seat sections is only there for looks, or weight. It does not come into play with reel mounting.

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

Thanks for the respones. I love how that seat looks, and I bet you saved a bit on weight too. The fact that the reel feet sit on the graphite barrels, implies I make the cork insert the right size so the feet sit where they are supposed to - lol.

THanks, BIlly

.......what he is doing. If it doesn't rest on the cork, it will probably be OK.

Right. As long as the insert you make is not larger in diameter than the original barrel, the reel doesn't touch it and it will never wear down. Good point. I might just try a seat with no center barrel at all!