I have an upcoming 5 wt built that im getting components for and wanted yalls recommendation on the best arbor material. Its a snake brand reel seat. I tried sanding down a poly foam arbor so that it would fit in the wooden insert but i couldnt get it uniform so that the hole is in the center. Is masking tape still the industry standard, or is there another material or even a poly foam arbor that would fit fly reel seat inserts that yall know about. The space between the blank and seat insert is not much , just wanted to see what yall are doing now.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2024 09:41AM by Brent Moy.

Masking tape is the industry standard, but it's not the best thing to use. If you're unable to get a correctly sized and centered foam arbor, I'd most likely recommend fiberglass drywall tape for bushings. How much space do you need to take up?

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The insert is a .420 ID and the blank has a .335 OD butt

And as far as drywall tape goes. Is the self adhesive type okay, or should i find one without adhesive.

The self adhesive type is fine. I would suggest using a gel epoxy like RodBond, Pro-Paste, etc.

...........

Sounds good. Thanks Tom.

I would also use drywall tape, the mesh allows for a very good bond to both the blank and the reel seat. I first tack the drywall tape with a drop or two of superglue to the blank before applying the epoxy. This prevents the drywall tape from walking when sliding the reel seat into place.
Norm



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2024 11:08AM by Norman Miller.

What do you all think of EVA arbors? I bought a handle kit made specifically for a slow pitch jig rod, the grips/handles had built in EVA arbors made to fit inside a 20 reel seat. For my purpose, I thought it was a great idea. Even though the blank I’m building on won’t flex down into the reel seat area, I plan to build a more parabolic SPJ rod and I wanted to try it.

I like that if it did get wet, there shouldn’t be any degradation like a masking tape arbor. It’s flexible, so on a more parabolic blank that would flex at the reel seat it can. After installing it, I started searching for premade EVA arbors (not pre built onto a specific grip, and for different size reel seats) but haven’t had much luck. I think it would be a great product for SPJ specific blanks that can flex that far.

EVA is heavy and soft. Using them as arbors may result in too much give under the reel seat.

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Tom, do you think the drywall tape arbors would be just as flexible with less weight?

Watched the Mudhole boys make a drywall tape arbor last night, LMAO. You can see it on You-Tube

+1 on the mesh tape. I used Norm's suggestion of ca gluing the strips to the blanks and it took care of the only drawback to the mesh tape that i had which was the arbor moving around during glue up.















Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/2024 06:45PM by Bob Foster.

John,

No, once the epoxy is worked into the mesh they'll be rigid, which is what you want.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/2024 08:05PM by Tom Kirkman.

John Turner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What do you all think of EVA arbors? I bought a
> handle kit made specifically for a slow pitch jig
> rod, the grips/handles had built in EVA arbors
> made to fit inside a 20 reel seat. For my purpose,
> I thought it was a great idea. Even though the
> blank I’m building on won’t flex down into the
> reel seat area, I plan to build a more parabolic
> SPJ rod and I wanted to try it.
>
> I like that if it did get wet, there shouldn’t
> be any degradation like a masking tape arbor.
> It’s flexible, so on a more parabolic blank that
> would flex at the reel seat it can. After
> installing it, I started searching for premade EVA
> arbors (not pre built onto a specific grip, and
> for different size reel seats) but haven’t had
> much luck. I think it would be a great product for
> SPJ specific blanks that can flex that far.


If you want the blank to flex down thru the handle just use a Tennessee grip made of cork. This is how many ultra-light rods were made in the 60's on up through the years. Cork has just enough give to allow some flex all the way down into the handle.

Mike Ballard Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you want the blank to flex down thru the handle
> just use a Tennessee grip made of cork. This is
> how many ultra-light rods were made in the 60's on
> up through the years. Cork has just enough give to
> allow some flex all the way down into the handle.

A Tennessee handle would not work with SPJ. Youre dealing with pitching heavy jigs and fighting large fish with the reel using heavy drag (not the rod). Even regular, non-locking graphite reel seats can struggle. I prefer FUJI PULS with the locking hood for this reason.

The EVA arbors mentioned above are made by Batson and are high quality but limited to certain size reel seats. Some Johnny Jigs production rods use them with aluminum reel seats which are typically not an option due to their rigidity on lower power SPJ blanks. The EVA arbors allow those blanks to flex even through the reel seat.

I understand why EVA would not be ideal for arbors in many cases, but specifically for SPJ, the advantages could outway the negatives. I also get why folks unfamiliar with SPJ builds and SPJ fishing scoff at the idea.

For arbors on the size 17 FUJI PULS, I use the carbon sleeve insert and an LFA15 foam arbor. This combination has been very successful to date catching plenty of Amberjack, rock fish, red snapper, blackfin tuna and grouper.

On a larger SPJ/rail rod for bluefin, I utilized the drywall mesh tape arbors on a different aluminum seat and they have held up well too.

Looking at the pictures (thank you for them), I'm not sure I understand what is going on there. With masking tape arbors, you roll the tape until you think you are close to your desired width and do a fit check. If it's too thick, you peel a little...if it's not thick enough, you add a little. Once perfect, you go for the epoxy.

The pictures seem to show epoxy coming into play while still rolling the mesh! What exactly is happening?

When doing these I tack the lead edge as Norm does, Wrap the tape to the needed dia., then tack the trailing edge with superglue. When ready to install the seat I apply rod bond with the flat end of a putty knife while turning the blank forcing glue down through the tape to the blank. The tape itself wets out and is penetrated. When needing to fill larger gaps than shown here I would use foam arbors. Freshwater rods for me, no heavy / salt stuff.

I don't "work" the epoxy in. I've been kinda painting the mesh the mesh with epoxy and winding it onto the blank.

In the pics, I make the three strips of glass the width, length and spacing I want. It seems the diameter measurement of the id reel seat works roughly the same dry as wet so I just make the dry mesh the required diameter. If I miscalculate the length, as I almost always do I just add more to the strip and in this example I used the ca glue to attach the extra length where required. As per Norm's tip tack the strips to the blank. I roll up the furthest arbors from the seat to allow rotation of the blank while applying epoxy to the mesh / blank at the first arbor and hold them with a bit of tape. From there I go one rotation of the mesh onto the blank and then paint the width of mesh on the blank with epoxy and lightly paint 4 inches or so of the mesh tape. From there I roll the blank and wind up the mesh onto the blank and into the epoxy. It will smoosh out as in the pic. More can be added as / if required. Push any excess into the cavity between the arbors. Once the end of the strip is reached I smear it down and get the reel seat started with lots of rotation to keep the stack of mesh from smooshing sideways. If the length is good the stack will compress slightly as the real seat is advanced onto the arbor. You can see if the stack slips and if it does slow down the horizontal speed. Once the arbor is under the seat I unwind the next arbor and repeat the process until the seat is in place.

So essentially, in my mind, you're creating an epoxy arbor, and the mesh is a structural matrix to hold the epoxy in shape. I probably use more epoxy than needed to be honest but I don't mind a bit of heft and the weight is more or less right at the balance point of the rod so.

Different strokes...

p.s. the epoxy squeezing out of the tape as it is wound onto the blank is very satisfying, weirdly



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/2024 08:56PM by Bob Foster.

Brent Moy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have an upcoming 5 wt built that im getting
> components for and wanted yalls recommendation on
> the best arbor material. Its a snake brand reel
> seat. I tried sanding down a poly foam arbor so
> that it would fit in the wooden insert but i
> couldnt get it uniform so that the hole is in the
> center. Is masking tape still the industry
> standard, or is there another material or even a
> poly foam arbor that would fit fly reel seat
> inserts that yall know about. The space between
> the blank and seat insert is not much , just
> wanted to see what yall are doing now.


When I use Drywall mesh I cut the number of strips I need as shown. I size the arbors by wrapping the last arbor the seat will contact and when the seat slide on with a very little friction, I then cut the end of the strip at a 45 degree angle so when the seat slides on, the first contact will be less because of the angle cut makes smaller diameter so I don't push the tape side ways. Then working towards the tip i make the rest of the arbors all left in place. Next I unwind the first arbor the seat comes to until I have about 1 1/2 turns left on the blank which grips the blank. With my mixing stick, I paint on, in my case, rod bond on the tape yet to be wrapped on the rod and for a length that is about the circumference of the wrap. Next I start wrapping that tape arbor. The epoxy will coat the exposed blank and ooze up thru the mesh. If I see that I need a little more epoxy I paint on a little more until all the tape is laid down. Now i slide on the seat forward while at the same time twisting the seat in the direction of the wrap. I continue the same process scraping off the built up epoxy on the front of the seat and apply it to the next arbor. Works for me. no need to pre-tack if you watch it.

No doubt good solid work but all I see is a lot of added weight. It is super easy to glue the arbor into the reel seat and ream to fit. I would use less than 5mL of epoxy for the same glue job.

That looks like 5-10 grams of weight.