Have a size 18 American Tackle Halographic reel seat. I was hoping to shorten the overal length of the reel seat, and have noted that many people have used a file to take the size down. What are your suggestions.

If you are talking about shortening the threads, I use a band saw. You can pretty much use anything. Wrap a piece of masking tape around it as a cutting guide and just sand the edges. Make sure that you can remove the reel

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/2009 11:53AM by Mike Barkley.

Jay,
Any type fine toothed saw will cut off a reel seat. You can also use an abrasive wheel.
After cutting the end of the reel seat, you will likely want to use a sanding disk, sanding block, or belt sander to give a nice smooth end to the raw edge of the trimmed reel seat.

p.s.
Don't make the mistake of cutting too much off the reel seat.

Take the largest reel that you might reasonably put on the reel, open the reel to allow for an easy installation of the reel, and then add about 1/4 inch. This will give you a nice safety factor to allow ease of reel installation as well as reel removal.

It is an unhappy moment when you finish a rod - go to mount the reel of your choice and find that it won't fit.

Don't ask me how I know!!

Take care
Roger

Roger is soooo right !
I just cut one too short, I think. The 750 series spinning reel that I used to check the length works fine , with plenty of room. Another one I have just barely wont fit. Luckily it has an EVA for grip, so I can cut a short shoulder around the for grip so the nut will go a little bit further up the rod. Only need about 3/32 " more room.
I usually cut them off with a dremel and wafer blade then file the end with a fine cut file . No problem getting a square end.

J.B.Hunt
Bowling Green, KY

I put a wrap of tape around as a guide and trim it on the lathe with a parting tool.

Removing 1/2 inch improves the appearance of the seat and still leaves enough opening for nearly any typical casting or spinning reel you'll run across.

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

Jay,
If you did cut a reel seat just a bit short, you can often live with it, by inserting one foot in the non adjustable portion of the reel seat before dropping it into the adjustable portion of the reel seat.
This will normally buy you about 1/4 inch of extra room.
This is how I am able to use the one rod that I made the reel seat too short.
In another case, since I was way too long, but I really liked the reel and rod combination , was to trim the foot on the reel and thin down the seat and repaint the seat.

Every now and then, manufacturers bring out reels with an extremely long or extremely short reel foot.

As years go by, a favorite rod might see many different reels placed on it. So, builder beware and don't build a rod so that only a single reel can ever fit on the rod.

Often, a new reel will come out that will really improved the overall fishability of a rod, that one really needs to make the switch to the different reel. So, be aware that many rods outlast their reels by many years.

Good luck
Roger

This rod is a gift and of course a surprise. The guy doesn't have a reel for it yet. Hopefully he will get one with a short enough foot so I won't have to make any modifications. The Shimano reel I used to set it up has a short foot compared to some others I have.

J.B.Hunt
Bowling Green, KY

two things you could do, don.t trim the seat so as to make sure any reel fits, or you can modify any reels feet to fit the seat if need be.

Bill - willierods.com