I am building 2- 10' 6" spinning rods out of Rainshadow steelhead blanks for light surf fishing. I wrapped a double layer of rubberized cork tape 22" long for the grip and am using a fugi plate typ reel seat that I will wrap in place. This is my first rod build ever and here is where I learned a costly lesson today. I was finishing off the end of the fore grip using heat shrink tubing that was 1 1/2" long with 1/2" of it being on the Cork tape grip and the other 1" on the blank with an epoxy ramp transition. Putting the shrink tubing on the second of the two rods, I overheated the blank and had a catastrophic failure. I chalk this up to inexperience and not thinking about my process and the damage that I can cause by that process. I will never put heat shrink tubing onto a bare blank again. I test flexed the the other rod that I had already done, to see if I had damaged it too. I did not get it as hot as the second one. It did not break but I am still not 100% confident that It will not fail during use. I am thinking that it is not a complete loss as I can trim the broken end and turn a 10' 6" blank into an 8' 6" UUL blank, what do you think? Has anyone ever taken 2 feet off the butt end of a steelhead blank. mabey use it for crappie fishing. Lesson learned New blank ordered

James



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2015 02:54PM by James Rogers.

I think you made a great choice of the rod blank for light surf fishing. Apparently you did not make as good a choice for the means to heat your shrink tubing. Did you use a flame like a propane torch or an ultra-high hot air blower? I would like to avoid the mistake you made.

Used a heat gun and had it on high setting

On the blank you are not not 100% confident on, {Cut a long piece of good blank off the trashed blank} and trial fit it inside your good uncertain blank through the butt end of the rod. Cut as needed to try and get the tapers to match as best as you can , Then epoxy it inside through the bottom of your good blank internally , Make sure it covers the area above the heat damaged at least 3"- 4" inches. Think internal splint. Whatever is left could be made into a little creek rod, mini practice fly rod for inside the house or small yard, Or a little spin panfish rod. The only heat I use is a small hair dryer. Tight Lines Jaa

Trim the broken one and fish the other, keep both for yourself.

If the resulting action and power of the trimmed one is not useful to you (it probably wont be with that much removed), make a tapered reamer out of the midsection and keep the tip for repair material (or make a ice fishing rod?)