The BPS balance kit uses a plastic insert in the blank and a special coarse pitch thread on the bumper that holds the weights on. I do it with a brass thread insert and a rubber coated bumper with standard 5/16 – 18 threads. [
www.rodbuilding.org]
Having the weights entirely behind the end of the rod means that you can get the same balance with less weight than if you are putting weights inside the blank. If you are putting the weight inside the blank as you add more weight it gets closer to the fulcrum (reel seat) and has less leverage, with the screw on system as you add more weight it gets farther away from the fulcrum and has more leverage. Using large diameter weights keeps the overall length of the balance kit within reason, the rod in the photo is a heavy 7’6†flippin stick that uses about as much counter weight as would ever need.
The Fuji balance kit is very inexpensive but it only has three 3/8 OZ weights so they only work with rods that need small amounts of balance. The Matagi system is very nice but quite pricey, by the time you buy the bumper, thread insert and a few weights you are over $50.
It should go without saying that before you just start adding balance weights off of the butt of any rod you should do anything possible to reduce the weight on the tip end of the rod. You will always end up with a more efficient and sensitive rod by removing weight from the tip end, these balance kits are only to make it more comfortable and therefore more effective when using long powerful rods that cant be balanced any other way.
