Happy Day-After Thanksgiving
Hey guys. I'm building a 3 piece, 5 wt blank that had been snapped and repaired at 17.5" from the tip. We repaired it by placing a small metal inside the rod at the break.

I know the downsides of trying to use it but I'm willing to take the risk. So here's my question: Most of what I read says to place the third guide at about 12.5" and the fourth at about 18.5". The repair is at 17.5. So if I want to reinforce the repair with a wrap, can I vary the third and fourth guide in some way to reinforce the repair without adding another wrap between guide 3 and 4? Or should I place 3 and 4 where everything I read says to place them and add another wrap maybe one-half inch on either side of the repair? Thanks for your help

I have no idea where you're reading any such thing about guide placement - good guide placement varies from blank to blank.

I can tell you this - if you put a stiff piece of metal inside that blank - it's going to fail. Count on it. The rod will break just fore or aft of the metal piece.

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

Thanks, Tom

I'm gonna take your advice and discard it.

Gene

I wouldn't discard it, just make a proper repair ... fiberglass is your friend. Read the article in the library written by Ralph O'Quinn, it will get you headed down the correct path.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

If you will use Ralph O'Quinn's method it will hold up, no problem. I made a repair about 18 " from the tip recently on a Steelhead blank I built for a fellow as a Crappie rod. This guy is the world's worst for high sticking a long rod, thats how he broke it . He is still high sticking and the repair is still holding up. To me, that is proof enough.

J.B.Hunt
Bowling Green, KY

Gene,
Actually, depending on the size of the blank - piano wire makes an excellent blank. (spring piano wire is about the only metal that I would use - and then only in very small diameter blanks)
When I have to repair a very small diameter blank, I find that piano wire makes a better repair material than either graphite or fiberglass. If the size of the blank is not much bigger than about 1/16th inside diameter, you will find that piano wire works better to repair the blank than glass or graphite. The problem is one of stiffness. The flex of an appropriate sized piece of piano wire better matches the flex of this small blank.

If the blank is larger, I will then go with fiberglass - in particular for smaller sized blanks - solid fiberglass.

Also, I do tend to agree that in general, if I find a repair within an inch or so of a former guide, I will normally move the guide as needed to lay on and partially disguise the repair. If necessary, I might then shift one or two other guides to balance out the rod.

Just keep the action and use of the rod in mind when you make any changes to avoid causing the rod to become useless.

Take care
Roger

Thanks, Jim

I'll find that article.

Appreciate your taking time to answer.

Gene

Thanks, Jay

You're the second guy tat recommended the article by Ralph.

Thanks for taking time to answer.

Gene