Replacing reel bands with a seat

[rich66]

Hi all I’ve watched a few videos on YouTube about replacing reel seats but the only thing I can’t find is what size bore to use on the replacement seat.
The rod I’m looking at changing the blank is 15mm on the handle section. There’s no rings on the section just a short blank the rest is cork handle. My guess is to allow a couple of mm so go for a 17mm bore?
Anyone ever done one and does that sound right
Thanks

 

[sam vimes]

I'm no expert, but I did do a bit of shot in the dark DIY last month. I spent quite some time raking through Fuji catalogues and rod building component shop websites. As mine was a rod shortening exercise, I needed as small a diameter (bore) reel seat as is available. What I found was that you are very unlikely to get smaller than 16mm. Many are 17 or 18mm. If they are only available in 18mm+ sizes, they probably aren't intended for normal coarse/match rods. Chances are that you will have to pack out the blank for the seat to fit properly. The other option is to sleeve the reel seat with carbon tube intended for the purpose. You'll still have to pack a bit, but not as much.

IIRC, I had a blank diameter of approximately 13.5mm to play with. I bought a 16mm bore reel seat and a carbon tube to sleeve it. That left me no more than 1.5mm of packing out to do. I hadn't planned to do it myself, but I got bored and skint over Christmas! It looked and felt OK with its cut and shaped Duplon handle. It's now with my friendly local rod builder having a couple of eyes whipped on. I can just about whip myself, but my stabs at varnishing whippings are not the best. I guess I'll have saved at least £30 doing the handle myself. With luck, I'll have the rod back in a week or so, ready to fit the recently acquired butt cap. All I have to do then is get out and use it.

Guides N Blanks are my go to UK source for rod building stuff. However, for my recent project, I used Tackle24.de Their stock levels and range were greater, prices good and the postage isn't too bad when buying a decent number of item. My items arrived in just a couple of days.

 

[Molehill]

Allow a few mm extra on the reel seat bore size, so long as it slips over the blank into position you are ok. I usually build up any slack on the blank with a few turns of masking tape so the seat is a better fit. No need to fill it all in with tape, 3or 4 lots is fine with gaps between, plenty of rod builders glue - I use flexcoat, does the job and runs well when warm.
There is not much else to it other than putting any corks back and finishing.

 

[rich66]

Thanks fellas. I’ll go have a look at those sites Sam. I’m a tight sod and skint so DIY is the way for me.
I planned on packing them out with masking tape and gluing up with 2 pack adhesive (araldite type) so sounds like I’m on the right track.
The rods not the best in the world anyway, no eyes on the handle section either, so it can’t be that hard lol.

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

I did four rods with different real seats back in the 90s, converting the old two ali or plastic rings to something better. In my view, buy the widest diameter you can, if that's 18mm great, bigger might be better.
I packed out the blank with wrappings of masking tape, the normal paper crinkly one. It's sticky enough to hold to itself, but I left 5mm gaps between the wrappings, make sure the reel seat only just slides over the wrappings before going further. If any wrappings don't meet the reel seat add some more wrapping and any that are too thick, remove some wrappings.

Now mix up a good amount of resin glue, the 2 part stuff you buy in a dual tube (not mentioning brands) and smother the wrappings and fill the gaps with the glue before sliding the seat into position. Leave it to thoroughly dry and it will be fine.

I sold or gave away three of the rods I modified, but I still have one and I still use it after 25 years. Even more so now since I've adapted a strong carbon quiver tip to turn it into a 10ft float rod, plus a 10ft quiver rod, and a 10ft swing tip rod.

 

[rich66]

Very nice Jeff that looks great. Thank you for the information. The more I think about it the more I like the idea of a Duplon or cork hood. Will probably look good and save me some messing with extra bits of cork.

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

I like the idea of a Duplon

The tough bit was turning the Duplon down to the same diameter as the cork as I don't have a lathe. It was a Heath-Robinson affair where I made a wooden plug to fit the ferrule with a screw at the back that fitted into a drill chuck and I wore a leather garden glove to hold the fairly slow spinning cork handle. OooohhhhH! With my left hand I turned it down gradually with rough to fine sandpaper. Tricky, but it worked - thankfully!

 

[rich66]

The tough bit was turning the Duplon down to the same diameter as the cork as I don't have a lathe. It was a Heath-Robinson affair where I made a wooden plug to fit the ferrule with a screw at the back that fitted into a drill chuck and I wore a leather garden glove to hold the fairly slow spinning cork handle. OooohhhhH! With my left hand I turned it down gradually with rough to fine sandpaper. Tricky, but it worked - thankfully!

Sounds like the kind of thing I’d get upto

 

[mikench]

I think i prefer authenticity and in truth once the reel is attached to my Diawas they are secure and I like them . Old style metal sliding reel seats are another matter and horrible.

 

[John Keane]

You can get a sliding reel seat that goes over the handle and can be positioned anywhere you like and it just clamps to the rod as you tighten the reel down. Probably better for abbreviated handles Like beachcasters where the blank is bare or covered in shrink tubing and comes in 22, 24 & 26mm internal diameters which may well fit over a cork handle. Don’t think the overall effect will be very elegant though.

 

[mikench]

Are you up early or late John?

 

[John Keane]

Are you up early or late John?

Early, seafront hotel in Llandudno and the room’s too warm and I drank too much last night!

 

[sam vimes]

Here's the project rod that I mentioned earlier in the thread. What was thirteen foot is now 11' 1". The extra inch was to allow the Daiwa Union Flag logo to remain intact, even though it's hidden under the handle. The first pic is of a matching donor rod and the modified one together, to give a before and after effect. However, the modified one was actually in a terrible state, rat chewed cork that looked, and smelled, rather like it had stood in contaminated water for a while. uke:

 

[tigger]

Nice short handle you put on .

 

[sam vimes]

Nice short handle you put on .

No need for extra length as a counterbalance on a short rod. It's just a smidge longer than my forearm.

 

[tigger]

No need for extra length as a counterbalance on a short rod. It's just a smidge longer than my forearm.

Yeah, it looks spot on.

 

[morrgan371]

Here's the project rod that I mentioned earlier in the thread. What was thirteen foot is now 11' 1". The extra inch was to allow the Daiwa Union Flag logo to remain intact, even though it's hidden under the handle. The first pic is of a matching donor rod and the modified one together, to give a before and after effect. However, the modified one was actually in a terrible state, rat chewed cork that looked, and smelled, rather like it had stood in contaminated water for a while.

It's a great project of rod, I should say.