I have already fastened a stint (glass blank) but my reel seat lock is just a fraction of an inch taller than the pocket is deep. If I epoxy the reel seat as-is I'm afraid the small gap will be unsightly and possibly let in some water. Is there any way to grind down the surface inside the grip without widening the inner diameter?

I have pictures to illustrate, but I can't figure out how to attach them to this message.

Since the reelseat is not epoxied yet why not file down the portion of the seat that fits into the pocket? Clamp the seat in a vice with aprox. the amount you want to remove above the vice jaws, file slowly til seat is flush with the jaws. If it is a small amount should not effect anything. I can't recall ever seeing a reel that bottomed out in the reelseat hood.

Or use a Dremel flat faced grinding stone, and just deepen the inlet by a fraction of an inch. Use a grinding stone with a smaller diameter than the inlet. Very easy to do, and only takes a few seconds. I have done this many time with inlets which weren’t deep enough for the reel seat hood.
Norm

Thanks, this is what I would have tried had I not already installed the stint, but very hard to remove that and start over now. I will check this before installing the stint from now on!

This is what I'm leaning toward. Thanks.

I'm not sure if anyone commented on this.


1. I am surprised by how CONSISTENT the blanks are in breaking strength. Every single blank with the natural soft axis broke in the 22+ lbs range. Every blank in the strong axis broke in the 23+ lbs range except for one at 24.1 lbs. The data actually gives me confidence in building. I've always wondered about consistency of break strength.

2. I build UL and notice that between dozens of the same blank, there can be a noticeable difference in power between different production batches. And building on the soft or stiff axis makes a measurable difference when fishing when using ultralight lures and jigging them. So I build more on what I need out of the power rather than straightest axis.

3. Thanks Tom for sharing that article on breaking 50 blanks. Kudos for the effort. I am sure that took quite a bit of time as you were suspending and adding in 0.1 lbs increments - for all 50 blanks. Wow.

Question for you Tom if you are still following - HOW did you attach weight to the blank tip capable of holding 20+ lbs? For UL I just attach weights using masking tape but that is not the most elegant method. I once had a blank tested by a manufacturer and they sent me photos and had some kind of rubber tube that the simply put on the blank tip and the pulling tension tightened it. I could never find that thingamajig. Thanks.

deleted. Posted by mistake.