I’m being so careful. The build is coming out OK for a new guy. Time for the Tip installation. While trying to manage heating the glue, warming the tip, holding the rod tip, and not burning my hand, I managed to fold over the rod tip while forcing the tip on.

When I saw the rod tip bend 90 deg. my heart sunk. Looked at it under magnification only to confirm the blank was creased. Right away I cut it off with my diamond blade and went to the computer to order the next size up tip top.

While stewing over my screw up, it dawned on me I only needed a few thousandths off the dia. and I would be good to go. Chucked it up, 400 grit paper and that tip is on! Lesson learned, a size 6 tip top will fit on a size 6 rod tip, eventually.

Tom

Denver, CO

Tom - put the glue in the tip top and heat it, not the blank.

Chuck

Tom, I trim tip top glue from the stick and then cut it to fit in the tip top, so that's all I heat is the tip top, then it goes on and is less cleanup than putting the glue on the tip. I've seen on here where other run the tip top glue through a hot glue gun and lay out strips so they can cut and insert them into the tiptop.

Use 5 minute epoxy and you will never have to worry about it. I have never had a problem getting an epoxied tip off using the rubber band and lighter method to insure the minimum amount of heat to loosen the glue.

I use rod bond or ultimate gel to put my tips on. They still come off with the lighter technique.

Ben

Would you not have to Really Heat the tip with that to get it off ??

Bill - willierods.com

if you are not into looks....as I am not.........you can tie on a single foot guide for the tip top. You get to pick the size of guide ring you want, and do not have to match the diameter of a hole to the blank. You do not use glue you have to melt, and you do not have to heat it, and it will not come loose and move in hot weather....because you tie it on with a thread wrap.....like all the other guides. That is what I do. I use single foot guides for tip tops.

Tom,

I had a bad experience with a tip top as well. I have a pile of repair work on my bench right now and I was removing the tip tops from several rods using the rubber band and paper clip method. They all popped off right away...until the last one. I heated it a bit- no luck. I heated it a bit more and still no luck. I heated it more...nothing. I have no idea what was used to put the tip top on, but it did not react to heat. My only choice was to cut the blank right behind the tip and order a larger tubed top. I've never had a tip top stick like that before.

jeremy

Thanks for all the tips. I'm sure others will use them too.

Tom

Pun intended? <grin>