I want to trim the threaded area down on my next build so the threads won't show when the reel is on the rod. What is the best tool to use for this?

Depends on the material the reel seat is made of. For some of the polymer/graphite seats you can use a jewelers saw, chrome plated brass or aluminum you would be better off with a cut-off saw. Clean up the cut edges with a sanding disk or belt, and then clean up any ridges left inside the open end with a round or half round file.

Hey Andrew,
if you trim the reel seat down that much-how will you get the reel off when needed?

Jon Hood

Andrew,

Assuming its a nylon graphite colored seat. I wrap with masking tape and mark where I want to cut, use a dremel with a cutoff wheel, and square up with sand paper. Make sure you cut it off a little long to leave room to clean up the edges. The nylon will sand down pretty quickly as you are cleaning it up. One other thing I do is size the trimmed seat to fit the largest reel foot that will go on the rod, just to be sure that I don't end up too short down the road.

Joe

I've recently cut 2 graphite Fuji VSS reel seats with a miter saw. I just put a couple layers of masking tape on it and cut away. They turned out pretty good and seem to be a straight cut.

The reel seat is the MVT Toray casting seat from Batson. I think the threaded area is nylon while the "body" is graphite.

Andrew;
that seat is one piece the threads are of the same material as the seat. Follow Joe's advice that is same way I cut them

I cut my threads using a hacksaw and a miter box, then finish the cut edge with fine sand paper.
The open end is finished with an epoxy ramp.
Removing the reel is no problem on rods that don't have a fore grip.

Like Garry
Hack saw and tape I break a blade in half and cut with that Block sand while the nut and hood are on
( Don't sand them ) Just make sure you don't cut toooo short

Bill - willierods.com

Band saw works well for me.

Chop saw (power mitre saw) with tape wrapped around showing the cut line.

Joe Vanfossen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Andrew,
>
> Assuming its a nylon graphite colored seat. I
> wrap with masking tape and mark where I want to
> cut, use a dremel with a cutoff wheel, and square
> up with sand paper. Make sure you cut it off a
> little long to leave room to clean up the edges.
> The nylon will sand down pretty quickly as you are
> cleaning it up. One other thing I do is size the
> trimmed seat to fit the largest reel foot that
> will go on the rod, just to be sure that I don't
> end up too short down the road.
>
> Joe

Ditto!

Don Campbell
don@sensorfishingrods.com

I use a coping saw, and then if needed, I square up the cut end with a sanding block using 220 grit sand paper. I've used the coping saw to trim blanks as well.

I put it on the lathe and cut off with a dremel as turnig( pretty high speed) and also finishing the edge while its turning with files and sandpaper( down to 1000 grit). I found that this method gave me the fastest and everytime straight/smooth cut/edge above all. After this procedure the edge is looking better than how its came out from fabric.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/2015 10:43AM by Mihalyfalvi Gabriel.

I put it on a mandrel and chuck it up in my lathe. I use a parting tool to make the cut.

I do the same as Scott, on the lathe and use a parting tool. If you don't have a parting tool, you could use a a fine hacksaw blade and clean up with sand paper. I can never get an acceptably straight cut with the Dremel.

Steve Hartzell
Lake Conroe - Willis, Texas

From my experience there are two issues, first cutting it cleanly and second cutting it squarely. If I cut it out of square it becomes a seemingly never ending process of recutting, and every time it still is not square. Pretty soon I have a pretty short seat. I fit the seat onto a sliding vise with shims to make it square in both dimensions, then slide it VERY SLOWLY through a table saw (with the vise pressed against the miter fence) using a very fine toothed carbide blade. Since doing it this way I've never have had one come out out of square or chipped.

Put the seat on a lath -- or a drill - then cut -- Carefully !!!
A little block sanding I will Guarantee it will be square

Bill - willierods.com