Looking for tips on aligning the tip top when using the fast setting tip glue. Looks like when I get it on, it quickly sets before I can get it perfectly aligned. Reluctant to use the epoxies as they make it really hard to get off if you ever need to. Any tricks guys?
Also, is there anything wrong with reheating that tip a little and resetting it?

put the tip top on first. line up everything based on the tip top. yes, it can be shifted with a little heat.

Greg,
If you are using hot melt glue - put on the tip, clean up the excess glue, then reheat as needed to tweak the final alignment.

Take care
Roger


p.s.
One little tip that I might pass on to folks using hot melt glue is as follows:
One of the issues that folks sometimes have is to hot have sufficient glue on the rod tip and in the tip to hold the tip on under long term use.
I have found that to take care of that problem, I simply heat up a glue stick, and wipe a generous amount of glue on the rod tip. Then, I heat both the glue on the rod as well as the rod tip, and put the tip on and off the rod several times, making sure to rotate the tip a bit, as well as picking up excess glue and guiding it into the tip to insure that both the rod tip as well as the entire interior of the rod tip guide is well coated. Then, a final cleanup tip alignment and call it a day.

To clean up, I use a craft stick on the warm glue that might be on the blank tip or the rod tip, do a quick rotation of the blank and the excess is wiped onto the craft stick. Don't use your finger to clean it off or the burned skin will be left on the rod.

good tip, thanks

Greg,

Try using something like this.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Just double a piece of mono through a light bullet weight, and tie off so the weight won't slip over the knot. Then put the loop through your tip top and drop the weight through the loop to cinch your line to the tip top. Next I get my reel seat level and let the 'tip top plumb bob' do the work of aligning the tip top. It works out pretty well for me.

Joe

What I've found that works well for me is to shave little pieces of tip top glue off the stick and drop them into the tip top tube. I'll even pack them in with a toothpick or something to make sure there's enough in there. Then I'll heat the tube and slide it onto the rod. If it's not alined quite right simply reheat and adjust.

I mark with a piece of masking tap around the blank just below where the top goes. Make with a black marker.

Bill - willierods.com

Just to add to Wade's procedure. Buy a cheap glue gun from any craft store and lay down several beads of glue on a smooth surface. When the glue has set up slide a knife or razor blade under one and and lift the bead off. The size of the bead will be determined by the speed you move the gun. (slow move, wide bead, fast move, smaller bead) Find a piece that will fit into the tiptop tube and cut to length with scissors. Using a pair of needlenose pliars heat the tiptop to melt the glue and insert the rod tip. Heat the tube again to make the final adjustment.

I also use Wade's procedure.
After I pack the glue "splinters" (a tweezer helps) into the tip-top barrel I heat the barrel with a soldering iron - not gun - instead of a flame. Takes a little longer to heat but I have better control. I do not like to heat the blank directly - covered with glue or not.
Herb