Hi All,
Wondering is the coloured ceremic insert on ring guides (alps) more prone to chipping or corrosion? The guides are all stated as being zirconium with one colour option being zirconium. Are the other colour options the bare zirconium ring with a colour coating or plating over the top. How are they made and how do they stand the test of time?
Tight lines Scott.

I have these on a couple of rods and the rings are holding up fine. However the plated frames don't like saltwater. Green corrosion which is no doubt from the plating undercoat.

I've used black frame/ blue ring Batson guides for years with no problems, some halibut rods with their boat rod guides on them on have been in Alaska for over 10 years.

Hi Scott,

So the color is from a PVD coating over the zirconium ring which is the same process that's been used on ALPS and ForeCast rings for a long time. In the 4+ years I've personally been at the company I've never seen any come back because of fading or wearing down.

Quinn Canfield Wrote:
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> I have these on a couple of rods and the rings are
> holding up fine. However the plated frames don't
> like saltwater. Green corrosion which is no doubt
> from the plating undercoat.


Was this on a Light-TC finish frame?
We always recommended not to use those in saltwater, that frame coating was strictly for freshwater. We actually got rid of those this year and changed to a titanium color finish on SS316 steel (previously a ForeCast product on SS304 steel)

James Taylor
Batson Enterprises
BatsonEnterprises.com | RainShadowRodBlanks.com | ALPSForeCast.com | Build2Fish.com

Thank you for the replies gents.
James, so does the colour option of zirconium have the same pvd coating or is it the bare zirconium ring and all other colour options are it with the pvd coating?
Also James do you have alps ring tips that can handle 80lb line?
Cheers Scott



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2019 03:40PM by Scott Lawrence.

Scott Lawrence Wrote:
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> Thank you for the replies gents.
> James, so does the colour option of zirconium have
> the same pvd coating or is it the bare zirconium
> ring and all other colour options are it with the
> pvd coating?
> Also James do you have alps ring tips that can
> handle 80lb line?
> Cheers Scott

Hi Scott,
The bare Zirc ring has no PVD coating and is Black (or really dark gray), all the color ring options are with PVD (that's how we get the color on the ceramic ring).

The Zirconium, Zirc w/ PVD, and even our L ring (Hard Aluminum Oxide) can handle any braid or mono. If for some reason you were to use wire line then you would go with a Tungsten Carbide ring.
So then it comes down to the frame for the heavier lines to hold up to that bigger fish, so our ALPS HXN are rated for 80lb line (same ring as the lighter XN's but stronger frame).

James Taylor
Batson Enterprises
BatsonEnterprises.com | RainShadowRodBlanks.com | ALPSForeCast.com | Build2Fish.com

James, thank you. I understand now about the pvd coating. The hxn guides look great. Might put them on my next build. Do you have any tip tops that can handle 80lb? I only found some that go to 50lb.
Tight lines Scott.

Even with our own private builds that we use the ALPS HXN series, we use the ForeCast SU tip top, which is rated up to 100lbs. Details at [alpsforecast.com]

James Taylor
Batson Enterprises
BatsonEnterprises.com | RainShadowRodBlanks.com | ALPSForeCast.com | Build2Fish.com

Cheers James. Alps is lucky to have you on their staff.
Scott.

Scott Lawrence Wrote:
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> Cheers James. Alps is lucky to have you on their
> staff.
> Scott.

Thanks Scott. The whole team is here to help:)

James Taylor
Batson Enterprises
BatsonEnterprises.com | RainShadowRodBlanks.com | ALPSForeCast.com | Build2Fish.com