Ok, I made a huge boo boo and need to know from the rod building gods out there if it is fixable. Here is what happened. I was trying to clamp my split grip with my reel seat to close the seam in a cork clamp, doing that will end up in the whole grip just sliding down the blank unless you stop the grip somehow. Last time I just put one of those squeeze spring clamps that look like a capital A on it but it didn't seem quite strong enough so this time I put a squeeze bar clamp on and for a moment I just got tunnel vision and just kept squeezing and "CRACK", i hear this tremendous sickening crack. I take the clamp off and sure enough there are two cracks on opposite sides of the blank, only about an inch and a half long, but you can squeeze them and feel give.

By the way this is on a 6' UL Mudhole custom builder series blank. Nothing wrong with the blank totally my fault, this is the third rod I am building on these blanks so I am not blaming the blank at all! Anyways, I was thinking that because it is an ultralite and the split is between the split grips that maybe I might be able to fix it by wrapping the whole section between the grips with thread and then cover it with a ridiculous amount of epoxy. I figured that since it is an ultralite that maybe I could get away with it. What do you think? I considered pouring epoxy down the butt of the blank, but I have no way to stop it at the split. Any help would be appreciated, thank you.

James

Find a thin walled blank that closely matches the taper of you what you have now and inner sleeve the section to a distance perhaps an inch or so beyond the crack. The light nature of the blank makes this a simple and effective repair. The hard part will be finding the scrap piece to use as a sleeve.

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

You can cut a fiberglass blank section and slide it into the butt section of your rod so it goes about three inches past the splits and epoxy it into place. Fill in the butt section with epoxy so that the bottom is solid will also help make it stronger. Fill in the splits with epoxy using wraps to hold them together till they set.,then wrap this section with size "D" thread the epoxy over the thread should help hold this together. That should take care of your problem unless the rod is to badly damaged from thje pressure put on it.

Edwin Kime

Like Tom said, a scrap piece that matches the taper & fits inside is the best fix but if you
don't have any scrap or access to some, a piece of aluminum tubing of the right size
would work as well. Be glad the damage is behind the seat and not in front of it.
Bet ya won't do that again! We've all been there so don't beat yourself up.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Thanks everyone, I just so happen to be lucky enough to have a scrap piece that fits, I was about to use it to make another reamer. Good thing I didn't. I think that all will work out well and boy am I glad that this lesson was learned on a 14.00 rod rather than the 125.0o one I did right before it. Wooo. Thanks again everyone, once again you all came through tremendously.
James

Next time you order from Mudhole get some of those unsanded blanks in lengths under 6ft and various diameters. They are $5 each and make awesome reamers, plus supplies for repairs and if under 6ft do not even cost extra on shipping.

Next time - not that I know it all -- But put the butt handle on, mark, glue. Then when you put the seat on , trial fit. If it does not fit the top piece of the butt handle sand, clean, what ever to get a nice fit. Then when gluing have the seat fit the blank with a good SNUG fit. This way it is tight and fits well and will not move. No clamps necessary.

Bill - willierods.com

Another thing that you can do to find inexpensive reports is to go to the good will or salvation army.

You can typically pick up old fishing rods for 25cents to 1 each.

You can chop them into pieces and use them as needed when a repair is needed.

Take care
Roger