Well I have not used the rod much since I built it--10 ft 5 wt 4 piece with removable fighting butt. i used it a couple of hours with the 5 inch extension and enjoyed it immensely, and then the next morning when I checked the tightness before fishing the removable section sheared off at the threads and remained in the handle section. I am looking for ideas how to remove the threaded piece in the handle. I have thought about CA glue and try to glue the piece and unscrew it. I do not wish to pemanently cement in a butt at this time. Any ideas on how to remove the piece in the handle. I really could not believe that the piece would shear off like it did. Has anyone else had this happen?

No, No, No - they sell reverse drill bits to do that. Go to any hardware store or Sears. You drill a hole in the sheared -off end and then insert the reverse bit - turn - and it will come right out.
Herb

I thought about that but did not think of sears as a source--the sheared diameter is about 1/8 inch and about 1 inch deep in the handle.

As Herb stated, Sears carries easyouts of all sizes and I am sure they will have one that will fit.

John

John,
As the posts have suggested, you can drill out the piece and use a reverse bit to unscrew the extension.

However, consider the possiblity that as you drill the piece, heat will be generated, and the heat will likely loosen the part of the piece that is glued into the butt of the rod.

It is not a big deal, but I would not be suprised, that if, (when drilling out the extension) that the heat of the drilling will cause enough heat to start the glued in extension piece of blank to come loose and began to rotate. If that is the case. and if you are lucky, you will simply be able to back out the spinning glued in piece with the bit still attached.

Then, essentially install a new fighting butt into the rod butt.

Roger

p.s.
Whe doin g a drilling job like this it is sometimes tough to get the drill bit nicely centered on the piece that you you are trying to drill.
Since your original post indicated that the fighting butt sheared off, there may be a metal projection on the butt of the rod. In order to expedite the drilling process, use a dremel tool with an abrasive wheel on it to level the end of the sheared bolt, and to also leave a slight depression in the center of the sheared bolt. The slight depression will help to center the bit. When doing drilling jobs like this, I like to start with as small a bit as will be stable and will drill cleanly. Possibly something like 3/32 to start, and then work larger as necessary. The smaller bit size normally allows for a more cleanly centered hole and by gradually increasing the drill sizes, allow you to get just to the threads, before inserting the backout tool into the sheared off piece.

Roger

If you do not have the space to do this and do not want to spend the money for a reverse bit, try going to a machine shop. Around here they would charge something like 6 bucks

Good Wraps Bob

John,
I can't think of any "removable-fighting butt" hardware that goes in as far as an inch, and is only 1/8" in diameter. Whose is it??
Herb

The broken part is the male end that screws into the rod handle. All of the ones i have are about 1/2 inch thread and 1/2 inch rod which could be 3/16 to 1/4. So the threads are buried about 1/2 inch in the handle.

O.K. - that makes sense now. Just do as we advised.
Herb

John if it only goes in a 1/2 inch just cut a 1/2 inch off the but retrieve what you need and reglue

Good Wraps Bob

Bob,
The female insert part of the removable fighting butt is epoxied into the end of the reel seat. So he would have to loose 1/2" of the seat. He either has to destroy epoxy bond with heat - which is just about impossible - or back out the stem of the male threaded post.
Herb

If you can hold the seat get a center punch and put it in the center of the stud. Tap it with a hammer or whatever several times . This will give you an indent to keep the drill from wondering. Start with a very small bit and work up to the size called for the easy out.

Bill - willierods.com

John,
What did you end-up doing?
Herb

I did get the smallest reverse bit from sears which requires a 5/64 drill bit. I did use my center punch but did not get it right in the center--I may have to fiddle around with it before I try to drill. The break occurred right at the location of the O ring which actually seems to have a lot of metal machined away to create a recess for the O ring. I am still wondering why the failure happened since I would expect the metal to bend rather than shear apart. I still have 12 bushes to plant so it will be a few days before I get to it again.

John measure back from the end of the butt to where you think the plug ends, say 3/4 of a inch. Using masking tape wrap around the blank 3 or 4 times You will be using the tape a a straight edge. Now with the Dremil and a diamond cut off wheel cut that section off. heat it up in some hot water and the broken part should pull out. Now find a old piece of blank and make 1/2 inch shim that will fit inside of the blank and the piece you cut off glue and reassemble. Crap is this on a fly rod? if so forget that suggestion. Hey take the rod to a machine shop and have them do it for a few bucks, before you ruin the rod.

Good Wraps Bob

John,
O.K. That sounds like the kind of fighting butt used on Gatti fly rods. I use REC hardware and it is different. I don't remember too well re the Gatti - does the fighting butt pull out with the "O" ring serving as a lock - or - does it screw out?

Herb

it screws in and out with a fairly large O ring between the threads and the unthreaded section male end. i really need to find one which does not have such a thin section. Does REC have just the "blank" without cork pieces to make a fightiung butt?

John,
REC has a female threaded insert that epoxies into the rear end of the seat. The male part is a threaded shaft about 1/2" long followed by a ring and followed by a threaded shaft of about 1.25" to accept the cork.
But, the female "plug" is sized to their RLSS and RLSL seats. You prob can't use it on other seats unless the inside dia. (ID) is the same.

If you can get to the rear end of the seat - or call the manuf and get the "ID" I can tell you if it would fit.
Herb

I can't believe so much time passed but i did use the ez out last weekend and got the broken threaded end out. I just measured the area where the O ring is located and the point where the break occurred. The rod is quarter inch 6.12 mm and the diameter of the recess is 3.33 so almost one half of the diameter of the rod is removed to accomodate the O ring--not a good idea. The other issue is the fighting butt is 5 inches of cork and wood combination finished with tru oil. As time permits I am thinking if I can securely but gingerly chuck the handle in the lathe that I can drill the aluminum rod in the handle to fit a 1/4 inch rod into the hollowed out butt (still would have essentially a tube from the old rod) glue and thread it to fit into the female but in the rod handle. I know what I want to do but I am not sure that I am conveying the idea. My other premade butts have a much narrower O ring and hence a smaller reduction in diameter. Of course the 5 inch butt i made puts a lot more force on the aluminum rod but it still should not have broken IMO.