Rod Repair

S

SnailEye

Steelhead
I recently turned a 4pc rod into a 5pc rod. It’s a fairly inexpensive rod and the manufacturer doesn’t provide any repair service or replacement. I was going to try and fix it myself. The suggestions I have seen on the internet basically suggest I splint it with something inside the tube then epoxy and wrap the section. I had a friend suggest I sleeve it on the outside with a short section of an old graphite rod that will just fit over the broken section. So my question to the brain trust is what do you suggest? Have you tried either these two methods and how did they work? Any help would be appreciated.
 
I would do both, splint on the inside and the outside. You need to have a lot of spare parts (broken rods around. It will definitely stiffen the rod's action, and speaking from experience, it is very difficult to keep the rod perfectly straight so watch as you are bonding it. I have done it, but can't say I have ever enjoyed the results of the work very much. If you can keep the outer and inner splints very short, that would help the action but increases the risk of subsequent failure. It is fun to try but you get a much better result to just buy or wrap a new rod (in my humble opinion.)
 
Everything Wayne says above. I have done it, it can work - sort of, if you have the right sized bits of other old rods to use as splints. You need to pay a lot of attention to how you prep the blank before you glue it, otherwise glue failure is likely.
 
It never hurts to try. It is a learning experience and worth the effort to learn something new. Worst case is you will end up with a backup rod and a purchase of a new rod.
 
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I’ve done it, and for tiny tip breaks I’ve even used drill bits for the inside splint. You can get graphite or fiberglass rods from kite making sites. You’ll want something on the outside other than thread, as the rod flex will cause it to crack. You can use a section of another rod if you have it. I’ve also used minnow tubing. Good luck
 
I have repaired several broken rods by inserting a section inside the broken pieces, kinda like a spigot ferrule that has been glued. There are multiple gotcha's however.

1) First and foremost, review the break itself. If the blank is crushed, or has splinters running in both directions, don't even try!,
2) For an inserted plug, make sure the piece inserted is NOT more flexible than the rod itself. If it is, the rod will fail again in the same place. One fix for that is to insert a second piece inside the first plug to both stiffen it up and to make it stronger.
2) Next, make sure there is room to insert the plug! If in a tip section, it is not always possible to insert a plug in the broken area.
3) Then make sure the plug extends beyond the break by AT LEAST 1 1/2", in both directions. This will help prevent focusing the pressure right at the point of the break.
4) Make sure you use a quality epoxy! I use Pro Paste standard cure and have never had a problem. Do NOT use Gorilla Glue as it expands and forces its way through the cracks at the point of the break, and it is almost impossible to satisfactorily clean the glue off the blank.
5) Lastly, wrap over the repaired area with size "A" thread in a color that will disappear after applying thread-coat epoxy. This will make the repair virtually invisible.
 
It broke near the center closer to the real seat. I don't think a repair will be too bad for the action of the rod. The break looks clean, not crushed or splintered. It also looks like I can easily fit a "splint" inside both ends of the broken section. Good call on the epoxy. What I currently have on hand is fairly old so I will buy some new. I have also heard that I need to rough up the inside of the rod with sandpaper prior to epoxy. When manufactured, the rods have a releasing agent added to the inside so they don't stick to the rod blank. The epoxy may not stick to the rod if that layer is not removed. Finally on wrap, what about silk cloth wrap imbedded in epoxy? Might that be better than a thread wrap? Invisible would be nice but I'm not too worried about how hit looks. I hope to share how the repair goes and how it preforms. I just need to find some time to do it. I've been too busy fishing my other rods. Hopefully more to come on this.
 
I just lost the top of my TFO 7'9"3wt 4 pc
I broke my fly off in a tree and was walking back to my truck and found the top gone.
I retraced my trail but didn't find the top piece.
I'm thinking I'll find getting a new top will cost too much or not be able to get a new top.
Went to the TFO site and there it was $30 plus $10 shipping.
Anyway if I were you my friend I would buy myself a birthday gift.
I love shopping for new fly rods
P.S. Two thumbs up for TFO
 
dirty dog said:
I just lost the top of my TFO 7'9"3wt 4 pc
I broke my fly off in a tree and was walking back to my truck and found the top gone.
I retraced my trail but didn't find the top piece.
I'm thinking I'll find getting a new top will cost too much or not be able to get a new top.
Went to the TFO site and there it was $30 plus $10 shipping.
Anyway if I were you my friend I would buy myself a birthday gift.
I love shopping for new fly rods
P.S. Two thumbs up for TFO
Click to expand...
Same for Echo , broke the tip , I believe it was $20 total , new tip . It was three or four years ago . I replaced the tip on the broken one , lost an inch or so . I keep it in case I need a spare now .
 
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