What do you guys think is the best way to shim a plastic tuff butt on a stand up rod? Full EVA? Foam arbors at each end? Tape?

Hello Paul.

I'm a master of over kill on these things, I like to use two of the FA graphite arbors, one on each end with a good gob of epoxy inbetween them, but like I said I go a bit overboard on these things.

I would go with at least 3 of the GA's, IMHO, if you are using a Tuff Butt you can't be worried about weight much.

Tight Wraps & a Strong Butt.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

Hi,

I use dry wall fiberglas tape. It is an open grid design and the Rod Bond gets into all the little squares making a very solid base under the tuff butt, gimbal or reel seat.

Capt Neil Faulkner

Neil,
I use the same technique, and also apply the glue epoxy on the tape ,as I turn the rod to build up to the required thickness. I recently had to turn an aluminum gimbal by about 10 degrees ,on a rod I built last year to match this rod on a friend's new rod holder. I could only describe the process of removing it as agonizing. This Fiberglass mesh becomes as solid as steel and also sticks onto the blank like nothing I ever came across so far. I really had a hard time getting it loose and even harder one cleaning the inside of the gimbal to re-position it.!!
I owe a big fat thank you to Kevin ( Anglers Envy) for sharing this application in one of his tutorial videos. So Paul , I would go with Neil's suggestion. I think its by far the best although a bit messy while you fight with the grid and the glue. You see the trick is to get enough of the epoxy on both the blank and the tape layers in order to end up with a solid ,totally waterproof, block .

Phillips Hot Rods
C Y P R U S
[phillipshotrods.wix.com]

Paul,
No need to overthink this.
Just use tape in various widths 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, inch. -- to build up the blank for the grip.
Use reasonably narrow strips of tape and wrap the rod up to the necessary diameter. Then, leave about a 1/16th to 1/8th inch space for glue. Then go to the next wrap. The idea is that you leave room in between wraps of tape and also at each end for epoxy to form a good solid bond. The glue will totally secure the butt, the tape is simply a spacer between the strips of glue that actually glue the butt in place.
No fuss, no muss, and very inexpensive.

Take care
Roger

Paul,
No need to overthink this.
Just use tape in various widths 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, inch. -- to build up the blank for the grip.
Use reasonably narrow strips of tape and wrap the rod up to the necessary diameter. Then, leave about a 1/16th to 1/8th inch space for glue. Then go to the next wrap. The idea is that you leave room in between wraps of tape and also at each end for epoxy to form a good solid bond. The glue will totally secure the butt, the tape is simply a spacer between the strips of glue that actually glue the butt in place.
No fuss, no muss, and very inexpensive.

Take care
Roger