My plan was to build a Pac-Bay Quick Line 9' 5wt rod using the Pac-Bay Minima 4 guides with the black frame and chrome inserts, and a Pac-Bay AWG7CT, and wrapping it in black and metalic silver. I have never seen any of these parts before. I got my parts yesterday, and love the feel of the blank. The Minima guides are lite, and I am going to order some for another rod I am building. Tom Kirkman recommeded that I use a size 5 for the running guides. The problem is that Bak-Bay does not make a Minima tip top with a size 5 ring. I ordered the size 6 F guides. and a size 6 P tip top. I know I did something wrong here. On to the reel seat. I expected a solid insert with a .250" hole in the middle that could be reamed out to fit the blank. When I got the reel seat, I learned that it is basically a graphite tube with a grapite tube over sleeve. I have a foam arbor and was going to turn it down to fit into the tube. I have used these before and they worked great. I ran down to the local fly shop today because I wanted to see if they had a smaller O.D. arbor, and because I can't decide if this reel seat would look better butted up against the cork grip or inletted. The owner and rod builder at the fly shop said that he would build it with the reel seat butted up against the cork, and use masking tape arbors because the foam was weak. I have built rods with masking tape, drywall tape, and foam arbors. Something makes me think he was blowing smoke. I still can't decide on butting up or inletting the reel seat to the cork. I am just wondering about using the turned down foam arbor.

Mike Bradfrod
R.M.B. Fishing Rods
Nampa, Idaho

Mike,


From the Pac Bay Catalog -



AWG7C-T

AWG8L2-G


O.D. O.D.
Hardware Finish LENGTH I.D.
Thread Body Fixed Hood
Body Black Satin Gold Titanium TiCH mm
inch mm inch mm inch mm inch





Woven Graphite AWG7C-B AWG7C-G AWG7C-T RF-AWG7C-C 90.0 3.544
12.8 0.505 16.5 0.650 21.90 0.865
Woven Graphite AWG8-B AWG8-G AWG8-T RF-AWG8-C 90.0 3.544
14.1 0.565 19.5 0.750 25.00 0.984
Woven Graphite AWG8L2-B AWG8L2-G AWG8L2-T 102.0
4.000 14.1 0.565 19.5 0.750 25.00 0.984
Hardware Only A7SKC-B A7SKC-G A7SKC-T 42.7 1.681
15.7 0.620 16.5 0.650 21.90 0.865
Hardware Only A8SK-B A8SK-G A8SK-T 41.3 1.626
15.7 0.620 19.5 0.750 25.00 0.984
Hardware Only A8L2SK-B A8L2SK-G A8L2SK-T 52.9 2.080
15.7 0.620 19.5 0.750 25.00 0.984

-------------------------------------------------

With respect to your question.
You can either use the foam arbor - turned down to fit nicely inside the graphite tube, and then reamed for a nice fit on the rod blank - or you could use masking take. Either one will work just fine.
You can either butt the reel seat up to the cork grip, or inlet the cork grip. Either way will work fine.

If I was doing it, I would use the foam arbor. I would also cut the foam arbor shorter than the total length of the reel seat, so that I could inlet the cork into the reel seat. By inletting the cork you guarantee that you will never have a space between the grip and the reel seat and the rod ages.

Great choice on your components.

With respect to the tip - A better match to the guides would the be FM tip - found on page 24 of the catalog.
The PT tip - found on page 22 - uses a different ring than the guides that you are using.

[www.fishpacbay.com]

But, you can certainly use either tip - just depending on whether you want a ceramic ring on the tip or not.

Good luck
Roger

The foam arbors are not "weak." Nor are they affected by water, as tape can be over time.

...............

Don't tell my oversized sturgeon rod, the largest just under 10 ft long, that foam arbors are weak, after 26+ years it may give out on me.
I like the Half Wells, or sometimes called the Fenwick grip best for that type reelseat as it makes a nice smooth transition to the reelseat's forering. I've had no luck trying to inset this type seat as the OD leaves little cork left is any after cutting the inlet in the rear swell of most factory grips. I've never been able to hide more than half the forering. I imagine a cigar shaped grip may also transition well, though I don't have one here to check.

Roger: The PT tip top shown on page 21 of the Pac-Bay catalog has the Minima ring inserts and comes in ring sizes from 6 to 10. The FM tip top on page 24 has the minima rings and comes in ring sizes 3 and 4. The MVT tip top on page 17 of the catalog is also a minima tip top and only comes in size 4 rings. Pac-Bay does not make a minima tip top with a size 5 ring insert that I can find.

Tom and Spencer. I built rods for years using masking tape arbors, and once I found this forum I started using the dry wall tape arbors. Once I did my first one with foam arbors I never looked back. This is the same shop owner/rod builder that told me you can't run a second coat of FC lite over FC lite because it will fish eye. I go to his shop when I need something right now, and to get my chuckle for the month. I was looking to see if he had the Batson HEFRHW7CS-250 Half wells grip in stock, and if it would work with the reel seat inletted. I just thought this grip would add a little to the looks of the finished rod.

Mike Bradfrod
R.M.B. Fishing Rods
Nampa, Idaho