Hi, this has come up n the past, but i did not find quite what I ws looking for in a search.

I built a spinning rod using a matte surface Batson RX7 blank. It turns out the reel seat I bought is too short and the hoods a bit too small for the Penn spinning reel I chose to go with the rod. I have the decal from Batson under Flexcoat epoxy. It will almost certainly have to go in oreder to get on the reel seat that will properly accomodate the reel I have. Getting epoxy off thread wraps is not hard to do. What am I going to run into trying to take the epoxy off the matte finish rod blank? Other than painting the blank, what are my options? In all other regards, this is the best job I have done putting together a rod and I'd like to get it back to the way it looks now.

Use a old credit card an pick it off you may have to use a little heat. As for the reel seat you have just lost a reel seat. You well have to cut it off. Use a fine tooth hack saw or a dermal cut off blade. Be careful and not cut into the blank. Did you do a search on the removal of a reel seat. Also you may have to cut all the way threw the reel seat and blank. If you have to cut the blank, cut it off at a 10 t0 15 degree angle, this well insure the butt section is in the same alignment as before, take the butt cap off and find a fiber glass plug that well fit into the top section . Make the plug about 2 inches long. Pushing the plug from the butt up glue it into the butt section, leaving about 1 inch exposed. let the plug set up, (make sure you clean up all the excess glue.) Now place your glue in to the top section and on the extended plug fit the 2 pieces together. After the glue has set up and dried, You may want to put a small wrap of A thread over the cut. Make new arbors and put the new reel seat on . If anyone can add to this please do. Jame Un hide your email

Good Wraps Bob

James, I asked a similar question a few weeks ago. Cutting the reelseat is probably your best bet. For the epoxy removal, borrow the wifes hair dryer. Get the epoxy warmed up good, and do as Bob suggested with the credit card. You could always get a different reel to fit your rod, might save some trouble.

Gone Fishin

Thanks, I dont mind buying a newr reel seat and foregrip. Those are cheap lessons, I worry mostly about getting the epoxy off the rod balnk where I coated over the blank identification decal.

Since the Batson blank is a matt finish, it is easy to restore the finish.
Cut off the grips and reel seat.
Use heat to soften the epoxy to remove it with a straight edge razor blade scraping at 90 degrees to the blank to avoid cutting graphite.
Once all of the epoxy has been removed, you can use various grades of sandpaper to make the blank look exactly as it was before.

However, from the sounds of your original post, it sounds like you put on a handle and reel seat that was too short. If that is the case, don't worry about the blank and after removing the epoxy, put on the new grip and reel seat. The longer grip and reel seat would cover up any marks from the previous removal.

Take care
Roger

p.s.
To heat the epoxy, I use an industrial heat gun. This heat gun is very very useful around the rod shop. It warms epoxy. Thins finish, Softens cured epoxy for finish removal, etc. etc.

p.p.s.
If, after removing the finish from the decal area and you find that the reel seat does not cover the area - and if you have any trouble getting the blank finish to look like you want - you could always extend your butt wrap to cover the area and move the decal to a different area, or simply forego the application of the decal entirely.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/2009 12:50PM by roger wilson.

You can also paint that section black, add decal, then apply finish over all.

DR

Thanks! These replies really improve my confidence that I can recover with my rod looking the way I finished it originally. I have to take off the foregrip and origianl reel seat. Those areas will be covered up again. It has a minimalist finish, so I dont want to paint the blank. At the same time, it seems a waste not to use the decal and identify the rod blank for anyone else who uses its. My goal is to own enough rods that I have to read the label to be sure what it is!

James,
Pick up a nib, quill, and some testors paint and sign and letter the rod youself.
Take care
Roger

Hummmm Batson blanks are super blanks. But you built this rod for your own special way of fishing correct? I put all important information in a zip lock bag and put it inside the butt section of the blank which is then covered by the butt cap. The Butt cap can easily be removed.

Good Wraps Bob