Just finishing up a UL. For the reel seat I used a skeleton seat with a carbon fiber insert. I used a threaded section on both ends and a SK2 hood with carbon fiber hood covers. The front and rear hoods tighten towards each other. Works real nice extremely lightweight. In wanting to keep weight down I fitted the reelseat insert snugly to the rod. The threaded sections of course needed arbors. I only used a small section of arbor on each threaded portion. I left about half the threaded portion unsupported and not in anyway secured to the blank. The foot of the reel has full support under it. I also have full contact to the blank through the reelseat in the area of my fingers. I initially thought I would fill the void with epoxy. Wondering if I even need to bother.

Filling with epoxy will only add weight. If you were going to fill it with anything I'd use cork, brick-foam or similar. However, I doubt you need to do anything else if you simply have a bit of unsupported overhang on the ends where no pressure will be brought to bear.

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Michael,
The foam arbors are very very light.

As a result, I take a nice fitting foam arbor - a thin coat of epoxy and it is ready to go.

I would rather have a 1/4 gram of extra weight on a rod, rather than having a rod failure in the future.

But, don't use epoxy to fill a large area. Epoxy - with respect to weight and volume - is a rather heavy material to use as a filler. Rather, just use foam arbors or similar to fill voids.

Take care

Michael,
An interesting concept for a reel seat. I am curious what you were attempting to accomplish with two moveable / adjustable hoods?

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

Mark Talmo Wrote:
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> Michael,
> An interesting concept for a reel seat. I am
> curious what you were attempting to accomplish
> with two moveable / adjustable hoods?

I was trying to create a lightweight grip that filled my hand. I like Fuji VSS and IPS. But it was a longer and heavier grip than I wanted. The two apposing hoods tighten up on the reel foot leaving a gap of about 3/4". The fore grip and rear grip are both 1 3/4" plus the exposed portion of the SK2 hood. My overall length ends up being about 6 1/2 inches. To do a VSS or IPS in carbon fiber which I wanted, available components would of put be at least two and a half inches longer.

I left the portions unsupported because it was just a odd set of dimensions. The arbors were bored too large would had to tape under them which I did with the the rear. If I taped under the front arbor I would of had to overbore the reelseat insert to slide over the tape. I did not realize this until the reelseat was glued up. Had I thought of this I would glued up in steps. Rear threads with arbors, insert, front threads with arbors. Even I went that way I would of had a lot of extra tape and epoxy under the arbors.

Looking at using a epoxy infused with microballons to fill the void. Not much different than foam really.

You said ultra light, I think you're done.

Don't overlook the Fuji plate reel seats as they work great with a carbon fiber tube grip. Kind of a Tennessee style grip That's very light and comfortable. They lock-up good and are very sensitive. [www.mudhole.com]

I just left it alone. Made the rod for extreme small streams and small trout mainly brookies. A ten inch fish is something to get excited about twelve is rare. Last few days I put the rod to the test and it performed perfectly. Even accounted for a 16 inch brown out of a stream maybe five foot wide.