I just built a 12 6" surf rod that was a little to whippy for the weight I was throwing. It has a very Moderate, almost parabolic action. I decided to cut 6 inches off the tip but just starting with 3 inches. Small improvement so I cut off the other 3. Perfect. But now, I have a guide I need to remove as it it's really close to the tip top. Whats the best way to go about this? The reason I am asking is I've never had good success removing guides from Graphite blanks, but never had any problems removing them from FG blanks. The blank is a composite.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 05/21/2021 02:06PM by Fred Zimmermann.

Fred,
In a situation like this, I am not concerned with the finish.

Rather, I just use gentle heat and a razor blade held at right angle or perpendicular to the rod blank and scraping toward the tip, just remove all of the epoxy and possibly the finish.

Then, I put a new tip on the rod and just to a tip wrap with thread from the end of the tip top down to the area where there is clean finish. Coat with thread wrap epoxy and move on.

Take care

i think I'm misunderstood. After I shortened the rod and determined it to be what I wanted, the tip top has been put back on is on and wrapped, no problems. There is a guide 1.5 inches below the tip top and it just looks funny. I'd like to remove the guide without marring the finish. I could leave it, but like I said, it looks funny because it's too close to the tip top.

Fred, there was a thread on this a few days ago. Of course, builders have their own ideas on most topics. I use a heat gun on low and about 12" from the blank. Be careful to not use TOO much heat. Try maybe 5 seconds at a time then as Roger mentioned, use a new razor blade and scrape carefully horizontal to the blank and remove the epoxy. Use good light and good glasses and go slow.Once I get most of the epoxy off, I heat again and use a dry textured wash cloth and rub the remaining epoxy. The tip is NOT TOO much heat and CAREFUL razor scraping and go SLOW.

I’ll give it a go, thanks!

Fred, first step is removing the guide. Use a new razor blade or razor knife. Starting near the end of the foot of the guide, hold the blade almost parallel to the guide foot and slice through the epoxy and thread. You can't hurt the blank because you can't cut through the guide foot. Remove the guide.

Now the trick is to unwind the remaining thread so try to guess which direction it was wrapped in. You can usually unwrap the thread and it will take the epoxy with it.

Then follow the tips from the guys above as needed.

P.S. You might try removing the tip and seeing how it casts using the remaining last guide. If it is okay you can cut that guide of as described above and under unwrap enough for the new tip to slide home. Trim the blank to length as needed. A light coat of finish over the old wrap and it will look like a trim band added to your new tip.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Fred,
Actually, I understand you perfectly.

I said that after removing the guide, clean the rod, put on the tip and wrap the tip from the end of the tip top - down to where the guide used to be and it will cover the blank.

In your case, it would be about a 2 inch wrap. Just fine on a surf rod.

Blank covered - no marring of the blank will show.

Take care

p.s.
If I have a different situation - where a different guide train is installed and there is the memory of a guide somewhere in the middle of the blank - I will do the same thing. I will just use thread that matches the color of the finished blank - overwrap the blank in that area with standard nylon thread and overcoat it with standard thread wrap finish. The overwrapped spot will blend in with the rest of the rod and there will be no marred area on the blank.

Here is what I recently posted concerning the same subject, 9 posts below this one.
“If the blank is painted or clear coated it is very easy to remove the finish with a razor blade. I like to use a piece of split bamboo to scape off the remnants of the epoxy. The split bamboo has a sharp edge which is very hard but won’t scratch the blank like a metal blade can do. If you don’t have a piece of bamboo (it doesn’t need to be Tonkin cane, any cane will do) use some other kind of hard wood or even a plastic credit card. You can heat the epoxy with a hair dyer to soften it up. Since a hair dryer doesn’t catch your hair on fire, like a heat gun can, it won’t hurt the blank.”
Norm

Norms 'Bamboo' recommendation is fantastic . I used a razor in the past and the only thing I will use a razor for these days is cutting through the finish and thread directly over the metal foot of the guide I want to remove . That's really all you need a razor for although it does work great for scraping etc... I have made costly mistakes when using one in the past so now I stay away . Bad eyesight and a razor mix about as well as alcohol and firearms .

when you put a GUIDE on you do your best to clean up the union so it don't come loose , now you want it to come off so you can put a new guide on an not mar the finish that you use to keep the first guide
in place an not move on you , is that correct ??? it has been pointed out by all the above comments it is very hard to do it , because the finish is used to help fuse the first guide in place ,
be very careful , smooth the joint up , make your new wrap a little longer than than the first wrap , , as I see it , good luck ,

William Sidney
AK



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/22/2021 10:24PM by Bill Sidney.

I also use bamboo, No way will you do it with a metal blade and not see it. You will likely see it with bamboo, but it's much gentler, and less visible.

Thank you all for all the good tips. I went slow and it worked out perfectly. Next time, I will for sure try the bamboo.