So a friend of mine has two 9' 1-piece Harrington Rods that he wants rebuilt.......
there is EVA foam grips that are RED. the back grip is split with about a foot and a half wrap then another Red eva grip, it then has an aluminum reel seat then another red EVA grip an another wrap that is about a foot long. the guides have underwrites that extend well over two inches past the guide foot. So basically my question is, What is the best way to remove the wraps without damaging the blank and/or removing the EVA foam grips. he would like to just cover the EVA with shrink tube and keep the original reel seats.

I use a small file and file the finish lightly until I can get a hold of the end of a piece of thread. Then unwrap the wrap. You can soften the finish a bit with a hair drier. I find using a file is easier to control then a knife and I don't run the risk of cutting my self. Go slow, it's a bit of a pain.
John
BTW the shrink tube works well.

Use a razor blade and cut through the finish and thread where they wrap over the guide foot. The guide foot protects the blank. Once started you can usually peel it all off
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Also heating the finish with a hairdryer will soffin it up and make cut easer

Bill - willierods.com

The carefull cutting is a good idea, as is the warming of the old finish.
Just be careful how hot, old blanks don't accept a lot of heat very well.
The same might be said of even modern blanks, but the older ones are worse.

Best wishes,
Ron Schneider
Schneider's Rod Shop
Mountain Home, Arkansas
[www.schneidersrods.com]
mtnron40@yahoo.com
870-424-3381

Wes,
I think Harrington was developed when Harnell was being sold. The company went through a couple of changes in ownership in those years. If it dates to that early period, the finish is likely to be varnish rather than epoxy and the rod blank is fiberglass. If the blank is glossy black and if the wraps are yellow and red that would support my guess. It is also likely that the grips may be Hypolon rather than EVA. As I said this just a guess. you might try a little DNA or ISP on the wraps. You could also try a cloth moistened with acetone on the wrap and see if they soften and the finish comes off. If not follow what the others have suggested.

Mike Blomme

Michael you would be correct the wraps are yellow and red and overly large for the guides. thanks for the suggestions but what is DSP and ISP???

Denatured Alcohol / Isopropyl Alcohol

Good Morning Wes,

I don't know for sure, but I would guess it is the manufacturer's designation for the purpose of the rod. The SP portion probably indicates spinning. If you go to Batson Enterprises web site or the St Croix web site, you will see that they categorize their rod blanks with either a two or three letter designation. Like I said, this is just a guess. Have fun with this project.

Mike Blomme