I am thinking about registering for a rod building class a friend will be teaching in April. I need something for a first project so I was thinking about stripping and rebuilding
an older American made Quantum Tour bait caster that I really like for plastic worms. My biggest concern with this is getting the old reel seat and handle off.How hard is that likely to be without damaging the blank? I thought about leaving the reel seat and just replacing the rear grip but the fore grip is pretty nasty looking too. The model number is TC666F and I think it is built on a lamiglas blank but I am not sure about that. Would I be better off to just buy a new blank and parts and do a whole new rod for my first project and then refurbish this old favorite after I had more skill?
This is a great site and forum for learning about the craft of rod building.Any help is greatly appreciated because about all I have done is replace a few tips and those look obviously replaced if you know what I mean.I am in the SE corner of TN in the Hiwasse River drainage and Hiwassee Lake in NC is where I fish most often.

If you are that close why not go to the big rod expo show in High Point? I would bet you could get all new parts for only a little money with all the deals there. Its kind of hard to get old seats and grips off and they will be destroyed most of the time once you get them off.

You could leave the seat on, if you like it and how long the butt handle is. You do not really need a fore grip. Most do not use any. Streap the rest of the rod down to bare graphite and clear. Now your ready to put guides on and wrap. After static testing and sizing the guides.

Call your friend and ask him what he thinks.

Bill - willierods.com

Correct me if I'm wrong, but once you have the guides off you can replace the fore-grip too, since you can slide it on down the blank to the real seat?. To get a good fit, it is the back grip that you may need to shim a bit right at the back end of the reel seat, since the taper of the blank runs the other way.

I have never been able to save handles, but have saved reel seats twice, probably because they weren't glued on well to begin with.

If you are taking a class, I think I would go for the whole deal instead of a rebuild if you can afford the blank, since that is the only piece you will be saving. By all means come to th show in High Point and get a deal on it before your class. :)

Ed, good luck on rod build . Welcome to the world of rod building

Ed if it were me. I would start with brand new stuff, You can run into unseen problems when trying to to do a rebuild. In most cases on that brand of rod you well have a problem removing guides and cleaning up the area, when it comes to reelseats the only to remove it is to cut it off. then when it comes to grips the foregrip is easy just cut it off and replace it with a new one after reaming. Now if you leave the old reelseat on on and replace the the butt gripe, now you would have have to shim the blank so the new grip well fit. But if you remove the old reelseat all you have to do is ream the butt grip and put it on. When you do a rebuild there is always the chance of damaging the blank. Those of us who have been doing rods for awhile, to us this is easy and we make good bucks on rebuilds.. It was mentioned for you to do a static test when it comes to placing the new guides , Now what you are going to find is a rough area where the old guides were. So now you will have to refinish the whole blank. You may want want to talk this over with your friend. Oh yes welcome to the biggest drug around
Good Wraps Bob

Good Wraps Bob

You can get a heck of start in rod building by attending the EXPO seminars-by the time April rolls around you may not need that class. Get all your products, save shipping costs, be exposed to the craft from its most basic forms to its highest art. I haven't met a rod builder yet who wasn't willing to share ALL THEY KNOW to help a beginner and to point you toward the next location on the learning curve. Fishing guides are proprietary with their knowledge-rod builders can't wait to show you. Hope to see you there-it's the best initial investment you could ever make.

Just like to add the Expo has beginner rod building seminars early in the day. Get the bug and go ask questions to the many people attending. The venders will also be more than helpful. Great bunch of people.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

Oh yes ask all the questions you can think of. There is no dumb question! What you well be asking, every builder has experienced the problem. Two great guys you should talk to is Karry or Bill Batson. They have the Batson Enterprise"s booth. These 2 guys are fishing fools, besides having one of the most complete selection of blanks and component parts available. They are suppliers so you can't buy from them, But you well be able to purchase what you want from some of the other great vender's that well be selling there. If you buy there you well get one heck of a savings. Correct me if I Am wrong I think Tom has made arrangements with UPS to be there to help ship your stuff home. This way you don't have to worry about how you are getting it home.

Good Wraps Bob

Thanks guys. I think I probably will build a new rod for the class. That was a good point about the foregrip coming over the tip if I leave the seat on the Tour when I do rebuild it. I am leaning towards a batson spinning rod for my first build. I could use a new 6wt fly rod too ,though. It is about a 6 hour drive to Highpoint from Turtletown. I'll have to think about that a little more too.

Will be the best 6 hr drive you will make. The ride home will go quick with all the info your brain will be processing. I do a 8 or 9 hour ride (depends on conditions) and it is well worth it. Make some new friends and gain a wealth of knowledge.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

THE ROD EXPO-WHY TO GO?

1. Its a 6-hour drive for you-Before you walk into the hall, you will feel the electricity;
2. When you walk in to the Expo itself, you will have a feeling that is at once overwhelming and exhilarating-the only parallel that comes to mind is that of walking into a packed, raucous pro sports arena;
3. You will be momentarily mentally paralyzed by the amount of product and will you will not know where to start;
4. You will see of barrels of great blanks priced at $15.00 or less;
5. Every vendor will show you, help you, let you hold the stuff and give you their total attention-you will be treated as if you were the most important customer ever. Remember, their future sales are not only product dependent, but personality dependent-you are potentially a regular long-term customer for them;
5. Stay till the end on Sunday and the bargains get absolutely ridiculous-most vendors want to carry home what they brought and usually no reasonable offer will be turned down (my experience);"
6. You will meet and talk with "true characters" who will infuse you with complete passion about this craft;
7. If you are interested in a particular rod blank, chances are that you will be able to cast a rod built on that blank;
8. Despite being an incredible success in all respects, you are never guaranteed that the EXPO will continue, as the promoter, producer, arranger, director and force behind this massive undertaking makes an unbelievable personal sacrifice and a herculean effort to make this thing go. He also takes all the financial risks that any promoter takes-vendor participation, reserving hotel rooms, arranging door prizes and renting the hall every year on pure faith-and once all that is done, he has to defend on the weather to cooperate;
9. You will actually save money and/or make $-I have picked up dozens of great quality blanks for $10.00 and made rods that sell for $300.00;
10. This is the All-Star game, the Super Bowl game and the and the World Series of rodbuilding, all in one;
11. The admission price is $10.00 bucks and the on-site parking is free;
11. If you attend and can honestly say it was not worth every bit of your time and money, I will personally reimburse your gas money for the trip.

Rod-building depends on new builders learning, then passing on their knowledge to others-build enough and you will be teaching that class next year.

David Spence, Cape Custom Rods, Beaufort, NC

You will be a fool to miss it, this coming from some one that has not attended any Trust me.

Bill - willierods.com