Hello Im new to rod building as I have only done 1 fly rod. I was wondering if you guys when assembling reel seats if you like to use graphite bushings or is masking tape just as good? I saw that drywall fabric is used also. Thanks Stan Kay Ct.

If there is enough room, I find the high density foam ones work well, but most of the time on fly rods the amount of shim needed is too small for foam, then I use masking tape arbors

I found some Kevlar fabric strips that I saturated with u40 and used to attach the rod to the reel seat. Worked like a million bucks...

I use drywall tape OR large diameter thread (EE) depending on the amount of space.

I have used masking tape for nearly two decades and never had a seat fail. In saying that, I now use drywall mesh tape as I like the idea that the epoxy gets into the mesh.

If a large arbor is needed - i.e. a lot of filler space; I will use one of the foam arbors that work so well.

If only a small amount of space is needed, I will simply use masking tape as a filler.
I use narrow tape and leave a bit of a gap between each row of tape. That way, the epoxy will be between each row of tape and insure a good bond. I have never had a reel seat or handle come loose, irrespective of the type arbor used.

Take care
Roger

O rings work well. Be sure to clean them with DNA to remove oils!