What supplies do I need, and how do I . . .

Started by Squidder Bidder, June 07, 2023, 06:44:27 PM

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Squidder Bidder

 . . . add a Fuji rubber gimbal butt cap to a production rod with an existing cork grip? I'm talking about this product:

https://mudhole.com/products/fuji-rubber-gimbal-butt-caps-model-grc?currency=USD&variant=34384485318789&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&utm_campaign=gs-2021-09-24&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiqz2neKx_wIVBpfICh0CsgnkEAQYASABEgKsoPD_BwE

I assume I need to carefully cut the cork around the butt end and remove it - what is the best way to do this? I then assume I need to make tape arbor(s) and epoxy the new butt on to the exposed blank. Is there anything I'm missing? Any tips for a professional-looking job? I have no rod building experience but would like to learn, and this might be a good way to start.

The rubber gimbals really work for our situation in orienting the rods in rod holders so that they don't rotate in the holders, seem like they'd be less likely to jump out of the holders on the run out, and make orienting rods for dead sticking possible.

Thanks in advance, Ohana.

JasonGotaProblem

If you want a clean end result you need a very clean cut. Best way to do that is to set up 2 sets of rollers and a means to hold the knife perpendicular to the rod. Then roll the rod with the knife held steady and you'll get a nice clean cut. Test fit before you call the cut finished. If it ain't perfect go an eighth inch up.and try again. Make sure you remove all the existing glue chunks and cork chunks or it'll be surprisingly difficult to get the new butt cap on straight.

I almost never use tape arbors for anything, I prefer to build up an arbor with cotton yarn. Epoxy soaks in and gives a much happier end result.

Before you glue cover the remaining cork with tape for at least a few inches up, and cover the top of the butt portion of the cap with masking tape. That way any wayward glue is a non-issue unless there's a lot.

Advice for a clean job: get the gimbal straight as fast as you can after applying the glue, and tape it in place. For some reason glued things wanna pull themselves out if given the opportunity. Don't give it one.

Make sure the butt cap you order is the right outer diameter to match your cork. Double check your cork measurement. If the cork is bigger you can sand it down to match. If the butt is bigger than the cork it'll look like crap.
Any machine is a smoke machine if you use it wrong enough.

Squidder Bidder

Thanks, Jason. This was very helpful.

Would shortening a rod or two from the butt end while adding the butt caps to better accommodate our junior anglers from an ergonomic standpoint change the action very much?

JasonGotaProblem

My understanding may be incorrect, but as I understand it: say you have 2 identical blanks and you already know you want a 12" rear grip. If you took one of them and cut a foot off the butt end, then install the 12" rear grip and reel seat the same distance from the butt on both, the one that was shortened will have less lifting power but the casting action likely didnt change much if at all.

Shortening the rear grip on an already built rod wouldn't change the action, and wouldn't directly change the lifting power but would limit the leverage one can achieve by bracing the butt against something and lifting the fore grip.
Any machine is a smoke machine if you use it wrong enough.

thorhammer

Wait...are you sure you are talking about cutting a FOOT off the rear end? the wording sounds like that makes it a 24" rear grip, which it may be if this is a surf rod, but dead-sticking is typically a boat-fishing term...

The rods being already built, not blanks, makes a big difference...

OP, yes these gimbals will do what you want; I've started putting them on anything light tackle (less than 50lb) that will go in a rod holder, even surf rods, and fishing buddies are asking for the same retrofit you are wanting to do. Jason has the instructions down in his first reply- ESPECIALLY about securing the gimbal as they WILL rotate after gluing due to the same gremlin that unties your best uni knot with a fish on and steals the inserts off your favorite rod that has Fuji hardloys which cant be replaced...

JasonGotaProblem

#5
Quote from: thorhammer on June 08, 2023, 05:15:23 PMWait...are you sure you are talking about cutting a FOOT off the rear end? the wording sounds like that makes it a 24" rear grip, which it may be if this is a surf rod, but dead-sticking is typically a boat-fishing term...

The rods being already built, not blanks, makes a big difference...

OP, yes these gimbals will do what you want; I've started putting them on anything light tackle (less than 50lb) that will go in a rod holder, even surf rods, and fishing buddies are asking for the same retrofit you are wanting to do. Jason has the instructions down in his first reply- ESPECIALLY about securing the gimbal as they WILL rotate after gluing due to the same gremlin that unties your best uni knot with a fish on and steals the inserts off your favorite rod that has Fuji hardloys which cant be replaced...
I said a foot off the rear end in an attempt to illustrate a concept with exaggeration. I would hope OP knows that i did not advise them to cut a foot off their rod.
Any machine is a smoke machine if you use it wrong enough.

Squidder Bidder

#6
Thanks, all. We have a few "casting" style rods mated with Avet SXJs which the adults generally work for the kids (six and four years) until hookup, then we hand them off to the kids to wind up while keeping a hand on one or both grips. The small but mighty reels are working well for the kids, but the length of the butt ends of the rods seem to be a bit unwieldy. I was thinking maybe a cut down of 6-8" would help with the ergonomics for the kids with little effect on the action, and keeping the rods as something workable, and it might be worthwhile if we're already cutting the cork for attachment of the gimbal butts. I think in any event I should measure (twice) the distance between the gimbal pin in the rod holders and the top of the holders so that I don't cut so much of the rod butt back that the reel is getting rash from contact with the top plate of the rod holders.

We'd like to dead stick a bit with those rods if the action is a bit slow, but as I'm sure you're aware the rods without gimbal butts tend to turn on their axis in angled rod holders due to the weight of the reel wanting to find its lowest point, which inevitably means the conventional reel is oriented backwards (facing forward) and if we're fishing braid especially the line will loop around the final guide or two which, if not noticed and corrected, is a pain with a fish on.

On Monday my brother and I took his kids (twin girls aged six, boy aged four) out front a bit to a few wrecks off of Atlantic City with interesting structure we had scouted previously on Friday where we found some good, fast black sea bass action. The idea is that the kids tend to get bored with slow action in the back bay and it might turn them off to fishing, so this was a better bet to get them interested. It worked well, except many of the larger black sea bass were either not biting or had moved off, but we kept hooking into some nice sized Tautog which (directly contrary to a lifetime of rules about how to catch Tautog) took squid strips, gulp crabs, and live killifish on large 6/0 inline circle hooks on homemade high/low rigs (intended for the sea bass) and were getting got pretty easily. They would have been keepers and some near trophy fish but the season is closed up here. I was working the rod for Johnny (four) and a nice 22" fluke took a squid strip - he reeled it up and we netted it and he was proudly boasting about "his flounder" for days. So together with a few smaller keeper sea bass we had dinner in a few hours.