I am trying to help someone that needs assistance with building a spiral wrapped popping rod on an 843. My problem - he wants a two piece. Spirals I can handle but the only two piece popping rods I have to deal with are the ones that are stepped on in the bottom of the boat! Thinking about it causes me wonder if the locking point on the ferrules has to match with bottom dead center on the tip section. If the spiral was to the wrong side the force to center the guides on bottom could tend to loosen the ferrule. Any thoughts - is it a potential problem or not -

Thanks
Gon Fishn

On 2 piece rods, I build the spiral so that the final guide of the transition is at or above the ferrule. All of the guides on the tip section are in line with the tip top. Good luck.

Almost any spiral will put less force on the ferrule than any guides on top wrap. As long as the tip is not trying to twist, the ferrule won't be bothered. Your transition guides aren't going to cause the tip to twist. String it up, load the line with something and lift. Does the tip try to twist? If not, the ferrule is not being subjected to any twisting force and you can stop worrying about it.

It's funny to worry about which side you're making the spiral on, when almost nobody worries about the ferrules coming loose on their standard guides-on-top rods. All of those types are constantly trying to twist the tip section around and loosen the ferrule. All of them.

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Bill
I think it's a none problem! After building and using two piece spiral wrapped rods I just follow the static guide placement procedure with good success.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

One thing that I've done on 2 pc. rods with spirals, is use alingment marks on the rod, for the customer to relate in proper section alignment. Had no problem with spirals on 2 pc. rods, in the past. The alingment marks make it easy for the user of the rod. Another issue is that all rod builders should make sure the user knows how to properly assemble and dis-assemble a 2 pc. or mulit-piece rod.

Bob McKamey -- Custom Tackle Supply

Thanks guys - I have never never built a two piece of any kind and have no clue at to how they are tightened properly and what will make them come loose. Is the logic extend the blank until the ferrule is tight and aligned and then just do the spiral placing guides where they fall disregarding the direction of rotation ?

That works well for me

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

Most bass fishermen spiral to the side of the reel handle. But which side you do it will have nothing to do with the tip twisting or coming loose. The spiral wrap itself prevents that.

To assemble a modern ferrule, mis-align the sections by 90 degrees and slide together. As they come snug, twist them into alignment with just a bit of force. This will "lock" the sections together. To disassemble, reverse the procedure.

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Hey Bill, one rule I use on which side to spiral is if the reel is a level wind, I spiral it as Tom says on the side of the handle. If its a free spool ree;, then the spiral goes to the opposite side of the handle to aid in respooling the line.

Regards......Doug@
TCRds