Is the hot glue sold for tips special or will an ordinary glue stick work satisfactorily? I’ve used a glue gun before, squirt some in the tip, some on the blank.

It melts at a higher temp so your rod tip can survive storage in must about any normal circumstance, beyond that I have no idea about other properties.

Douglas,
Tip top adhesive (hot melt) melts at a higher temp than guide foot adhesive and craft type “hot glues”. While the others MAY work, why risk a failure = use tip top adhesive. I have never had a failure, even when employed on 150lb tuna sticks. Granted on such big rods, I order the tip top tube oversized and wrap an open spiral of thread on the blank tip, apply thread epoxy to the wrap and let it cure before installing the tip top with tip top adhesive.

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

It is not a typical hot melt glue. Ours we have tested and identified a select formula that we guarantee and has been reliable for several decades. Here is a video:

[www.youtube.com]

You can get it here:

[flexcoat.com]

Flex Coat Company
Professional Rod Building Supplies
www.flexcoat.com

Most any stick made for crafts will work in a pinch but that's if you have no other option . I always use Flex coat tip top glue personally .

How hot do you think a rod or tip top gets sitting out in the sun all day? I am an archery nut and have been for years. Bohning Archery makes a hot melt glue for arrow tips called Ferr L Tite Cool Flex. It is designed specifically to be used with carbon arrow shafts and aluminum inserts. It requires a flame for installation but they say you can use hot water to adjust or remove the insert, melting point is 280 deg F. I came into a bunch of these sticks and have been using them for years on my rod tips without any problems.

Steve

Water boils at 212°, only super heated steam could reach 280°, it would be dangerous and invisible, not a good combination.

Hot melts also have what called a "softening point" as well as a melting point.
I.E. I have a high-performance hot melt whos application temp is 380-420F. Viscosity @ 350F and Softening Point @ 300F.

I worked at a rod and reel repair shop for years and went through this one a lot using a number of various glues.

What I learned to look for over the years was to look for softer glue sticks to the touch that were also low temp glues. Those that were rubbery and bend easily at room temp seemed to hold better than hard glue sticks that once hardened up could crack away more easily like epoxy can from a slick surface. And because of this adhesion issue, I started scoring the inside tube of my personal rod tips with rolled up sand paper to roughen up the interior tube surface so the hot melt glue would get a better "grab" on the metal tip.

It has been my general experience that the more pliable and softer hot melt glues work better for this. And I would also choose low temp glue rather than high temp glues. Low temp softens at 190 degrees while hot temp glues average 380 degrees.

Some info to consider found online:

"3M 3764 Hot Melt Overview

Plastic is a notoriously difficult substrate to bond which is why 3M formulated the 3M 3764 hot melt. This glue stick has an excellent bond to a wide range of plastics including polycarbonate, polyethylene and polypropylene.

3M 3764 is a clear glue stick and has good flexibility, even at low temperatures." (This would be more important in colder climates)

[www.hotmelt.com]

[www.hotmelt.com]



Not sure how you do it, but I have watched many a person apply the hot melt glue to the blank only and keep the heat there and then slide the tip on. There is no guarantee of even glue distribution within the tip tube doing it this way. So I changed to filling the tube first.

I put a quick thin coat of glue on the blank, but without directing any heat to the blank. I heat the tip of a glue stick until melted some and then spin it onto the blank, but the flame or heat is never applied to the blank. Next, after sanding the inside of the tip tube for a better grabbing surface, I will then cut small slivers of hot melt glue with side cutters or a knife and push them all the way into the metal tip and then melt that glue inside the tip until I see it bubble out one or both ends and then slide it onto the blank and let it harden.

I don't worry about any glue that squeezes out. Just leave it be and let it harden and it is quick easy to remove.

I can honestly say doing tips this way is very durable and I hope does zero heat damage to any blanks which is most important to me. I can't tell you how many overheated blank tips have snapped off because of this.

ADDED: Just want to throw this issue into the mix... choosing most effective size tip tubes. What I mean by effective is that I can't tell you how many times I have watched people go through tips and choose the one that fits onto the blank the tightest. Full contact. I now go with the next size up in tube diameter because if the tip is too tight on the blank there is not much room for glue and these tend to fail more often than those who allow a little space for the glue. Leave a little wiggle room for the glue and tip may be more durable over the long term.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/2022 09:21AM by Kent Griffith.

The most common problem encountered in attaching a tip-top is overheating - and melting - your rod tip. If you emulate Kent Griffin's instructions you will do just fine.

I shave pieces of glue and place them into the tip top, then heat the tip top and while it is still hot attach it to the rod.
A bit 'annul' but it works for me and the tip top never gets flamed!

One little tube of tip top glue has been with me forever.

Larry

A variation on the afore listed method is the process that I use to glue on a tip top.

I use a sharpened piece of music wire as part of the process.

I use a 16th diameter piece of music wire that I have sharpened to a needle point.

I use an alcohol burner for a heat source.

I use the heat to soften the glue source and also heat the sharpened music wire. I use the hot wire to melt off a bit of glue for the tip top attachment.

I heat the glue on the pointed music wire and wipe it onto the tip top.

Then, I heat the tip top as well as the glue on the pointed wire and insert the sharpened glue coated wire into the tip top and deposit a layer of glue on the inside of the tip top.

Then, I heat the tip top and the glue on the end of the tip of the rod and slip the tip top in place and adjust it correctly. I use a wood craft stick, or popsicle stick to wipe any excess glue off the sides of the heated tip top for the final clean up.

The entire job takes about a minute and using this method, have never had a tip top glue joint fail.

------------------
Summary,
The pointed music wire applies a sufficient quantity of adhesive to the inside of the tip top, to be sure that the joint has sufficient for long term adhesion.

I tried the method of carving off a sliver of adhesive and placing into the tip top, but found that the pointed - heated music wire does the job equally well and does it more quickly and with less hassle.

Best wishes.

For decades I used plain old stick shellac to glue field points and broadheads to Port Orford White Cedar arrow staves as well as to secure tip-tops to rod blanks. Stick shellac worked just fine, and today's heat-melt adhesives are even better. I suspect tip-top adhesion failures on fishing rods are produced by user failure. Adhesive manufacturers can't eliminate incompetence.

Tip tops don't require special high strength bonding adhesive, any adhesive will keep a tip in place, but surface preparation is paramount.

Hot melts are the preferred adhesive for tip tops and as with all applications require proper surface preparation.

Solvent clean the blank tip area, inspect and remove any of the original adhesive being careful not to disturb the blanks finish and wipe clean.

Solvent clean the inside of the tip tube and wipe clean..

Make sure all the components are dry, oil and dust free before applying the adhesive of your choice..

To answer your question;

I believe the hot melts formulated for tip tops will better than the hot melts available from the hobby stores.

Have fun

I will pretty much do it like Kent does...
But somewhere along the line I came across a small rat tail file that I use on the barrel.

[www.rodbuilding.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2022 11:44AM by Chris Catignani.

Proper preparation of surfaces is absolutely essential for bonding any two surfaces composed of any materials.

I Scotch Brite the tip top first, then apply adhesive as described above. The advice from Kent (who has been there and done that) is wise: Maintain a snug, not tight fit for the tube size, IMO.

Rod tip glue is not your typical hot melt glue. It has graphite in it to protect it from melting in the heat and it dries stronger. I found out the hard way when I needed to make a quick fix to one of my rods and I used hot melt glue instead of tip-top adhesive this was in 88-degree summer heat and I made a cast and zip-zip away my rod tip went flying too as the glue melted.

Glenn McMurrian