This past weekend I busted two inserts trying to increase the ID to fit a 5wt fiberglass blank.The butt is 0.455" and I'm having trouble finding a prefab insert that would fit this. Can anyone suggest a part? I'd prefer a natural wood insert. Thank you.

FYI I don't have a drill press or lathe so the breaking was 100% my fault.

Ryan

You mention the insert, but not the reel seat hardware, what is it? And, were you reaming the insert?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2019 05:09PM by Phil Erickson.

Thought of something a little bigger around like a Bellinger 740?

Phil, I was trying to use a rat tail file and it was taking forever so I chamferred the lip and started boring it out with a hand drill. I made it about halfway before it blew up.... Did the same thing twice because I got sick of filing twice. Thought if I was careful it would work out. Not so much.

I had already glued up the hardware a while back as these were extra parts laying around. I'm thinking I may just go with a U3 and be more patient with the filing, unless someone can suggest a pre-fab insert and hardware that will fit.

An alternative to increasing the ID of the seat barrel is a stint. Shorten the butt section of the blank by the length of the seat, epoxy a solid glass stint into the butt end, then build bushings as needed to affix the reel seat to the stint.

I've done trhis for several glass rods, and it's really simple and easy. The only downside is the bit of additional weight of the stint.

I'm not sure how much material you had to remove, but a drill bit into a reel seat insert needs to only very slightly larger then the ID to avoid problems. If you can chuck the rat tail and spin ti in counter clockwise it may make the reaming easier. You still did not specify the reel seat hardware you are using.

Phil, I'm starting from scratch so whatever hardware/insert combo might come off the shelf with an ID large enough to fit the 0.455" butt diameter.

I’ll second Donald’s recommendation to use a stint to downsize the butt diameter. In my cases I’ve used either fiberglass or graphite rod blank sections for the stint. You really don’t want to thin down your wood insert by the amount you mention. Wood has pent up energy and may crack even if you’re very careful while reaming the insert ID.

Jeff

"The greatest barrier to discovery is not ignorance, it's the illusion of knowledge" - Daniel J. Boorstin

I bore inserts to .500 for seats with a .640 OD

Ron Weber

The Bellinger 740 comes bored to .520 inches, used them on spey, switch, fiberglass, and the large butted former Lamiglas Perigee fly rod blanks that had .5 inch butt.

I do the same thing as Don recommended. Graphite can be used also (keeps the weight down).

One company, Tom Morgan Rodsmiths, they send you a graphite stent to be used with their glass blanks, as most have rather large diameter butt sections (truck axle size).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/2019 07:54AM by Tom Kirkman.

Stint it is! I found a carbon tube that is hollow but has a thick wall. Does anyone think a solid stint is required? Thanks again.

It is not.

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