On a custom Tennessee handle with alternating natural cork and burnt or burl cork rings for durability, and using graphite slip rings to hold the reel on, will the reel stay snug all season, or will it still loosen regularly? Not asking about tape or wrapping a reel on as an option, just staying with the slip rings.

I built a few last season but only got to fish them a little, so looking for a little more experience on this one.

Thanks - Marc

Keep it simple - that's all I can handle!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2015 07:27AM by Marc Morrone.

I have not found anything that holds tight ALL season. It is just common practice I guess to have to snug things up before each outing just to make sure. On the TN handles I have used with aluminum rings I had to snug them several times each day. Didn't like it and went to the plastic or nylon type rings and had better luck but still need to check them every so often.

I have sanded the inside of the nylon rings tends to give better grip

Bill - willierods.com

Would be nice to have some nylon rings with a soft touch, rubberized finish like the Aero seats!

The reel foot needs to be under tension, so either the grip or the rings need to be able to provide a little stretch and/or compression. You did the right thing by mating the nylon rings with the harder cork. Tape is still going to be the all around best mount, but I understand that some guys just don't want to go that route.

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

Heat shrink tubing makes a nice firm, comfortable way of holding a reel on a "No Rings" handle.
Usually about 2-3" strips at each foot.
Something like the Batson "X-Flock"
[alpsforecast.com]
We carry most in stock, give us a holler.

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

Try these out guys, if anything it is a nice use of re-purposing and reminds us all to think out of the box. We use these on ice rods, without reel seats, all the time. Actually started as bands for sheep or used to keep minnow bags closed up.

www.coldsnapcover.com then click on “Cold Snap Reel Wraps”

Marc,
I have a few of my own lite & UL rods with the Tennessee cork Handle with slip rings I built up in the 70s & 80s that are still going strong and have no problems with the reel slipping around, in fact they are occasionally hard to get off when I need to work on the reel... and that is even after my teenagers fish them and they stay together (my boys usually put all my tackle to the test)...

We may want to review a past forum on this topic, Tennessee Handles - Cork vs Sensor weight? by Mo Yang, dated August 02, 2004

On my heavier spinning rods I used and have recommend to my customers to use the Tennessee Sensor Handle with the graphite arbors... although the cork has good sensitivity, I feel the Sensor handle balances the larger rods better with great sensitivity... I typically do not use the sensor end caps that are available but turned my own end caps from hard wood on a little Dremel lathe, the hard wood also adds a plus to the sensitivity issue... and to decorate the butt cap and hosel I would use coins; ones that added to the theme of the rod design like for my folks' 40th anniversary I used 2 pennies on each rod that where minted the year they married {see Dale Clemens, Advanced Custom Rod Building book pg 142-143 for a picture of some of my work} and there are others that are doing similar custom work...
one final point for what its worth, on the larger rods with larger reels I do not like the way the slip rings work on the sensor handle therefore I have used a quality tape or tape and shrink tube on the sensor handle, even though the tape lessens the sensitivity some if the handle is not held right by the user... maybe the size of the reel is the problem with the rings not holding??!!??
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I have tried rings for a short period of time and have found that if they don't slip, they end up digging into the grip.

Although you said not to mention tape, I still think that that is best solution. The other advantage of tape is that the tape is close to 0 thickness so it is a great fit for your hand. With rings, the rings can tend to dig into your hands.

Your choice.

If you use tape, just keep a roll of tape in the tackle box, if you ever have to service a reel, or if something changes.

Be safe

When I built my last dropshot rod, I turned the cork so the nylon slide rings were snug. They won't move on their own, unlike some premade ones I've seen. When I mount the reel, it seems to stay put.

In my experience the problem with the modern rings id the swage to fit
the reel.. The original style rings in the early 50's did not hane this swage
and did not loosen. The easiest fix I found was to simply rotate the swage
90 degrees (away from your casting hand) thereby creating the original design.
And yes they will push into the handle as they were meant to - to prevent
slippage. They push down on the reel at one end and into the handle at the other.