Reel Repair by Alan Tani

Fishing Rods => Fishing Rods => Topic started by: newfuturevintage on October 09, 2017, 05:28:33 PM

Title: source for old butt caps?
Post by: newfuturevintage on October 09, 2017, 05:28:33 PM
Hi all-

Yesterday, I noticed the red rubber clown nose style butt cap from an old boat rod of mine finally disintegrated and went missing. Hoping to find a suitable replacement. No joy at mudhole, hoping youse all might be able to point me in the right direction. It'd be great to find a similar to original red; ultimately, I just want something to keep the handle in good shape, and would love something more graceful than a crutch-tip.

Thanks!

Here's a pic of the butt end of the rod.
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: thorhammer on October 09, 2017, 05:41:57 PM
PM me your address
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: newfuturevintage on October 09, 2017, 05:52:07 PM
Quote from: thorhammer on October 09, 2017, 05:41:57 PM
PM me your address

Thanks, have done!

best,

Ron
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: Tiddlerbasher on October 09, 2017, 11:32:36 PM
Assuming it is a 3/8 BSF thread they are typically available on Ebay like:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/rod-handle-red-rubber-buttons-1-1-4-inch-diameter/112586445727?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D46150%26meid%3D7e469f281b634e98bc94ea0291ccb476%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D112578461410&_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850

Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: oc1 on October 10, 2017, 07:31:59 AM
The cap is hollow and fits over the end of the butt.  The edges of the butt cap catch in the groove.  There was a thread about them a while back and someone found a supplier in Japan.  There are still a lot of those oak boat rod handles out there, but all of that style mushroom cap have cracked and broken.

http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=21660.0 (http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=21660.0)
http://shop-blueblood.com/?pid=30727733 (http://shop-blueblood.com/?pid=30727733)
-steve
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: newfuturevintage on October 10, 2017, 04:52:56 PM
Quote from: oc1 on October 10, 2017, 07:31:59 AM
The cap is hollow and fits over the end of the butt.  The edges of the butt cap catch in the groove.  There was a thread about them a while back and someone found a supplier in Japan.  There are still a lot of those oak boat rod handles out there, but all of that style mushroom cap have cracked and broken.

http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=21660.0 (http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=21660.0)
http://shop-blueblood.com/?pid=30727733 (http://shop-blueblood.com/?pid=30727733)
-steve

Yep, that's the stuff! Without the threaded insert as seen in the ebay auction above. Thanks, Steve.
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: roberton1 on October 13, 2020, 08:00:41 PM
Quote from: thorhammer on October 09, 2017, 05:41:57 PM
PM me your address
Ron, I also need just one of the red rubber style butt cap for an old boat rod of mine. I have tried everything possible and can't find a source. Thanks for your help.
Brett
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: oc1 on October 14, 2020, 06:37:29 AM
Brett, that was from three years ago. Someone needs to figure out how to order the Struble butt caps from Japan in the link above.  I could use a couple of them myself.
-steve
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: Bryan Young on October 14, 2020, 07:16:14 AM
The website says sold out.
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: CooldadE on October 15, 2020, 03:09:33 PM
I to am in need of some of these hard to find butt caps ...

Cool
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: theswimmer on October 16, 2020, 01:32:35 AM
Ya Cool , I need at least three......
Never stop looking .
Best ,
JT
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: CooldadE on October 16, 2020, 02:00:56 PM
There must be box's of these somewhere in this wide world of sports ...

Cool
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: oc1 on October 16, 2020, 06:25:29 PM
Quote from: CooldadE on October 16, 2020, 02:00:56 PM
There must be box's of these somewhere in this wide world of sports ...

Cool
Yeah, but they may be so old that the rubber has deteriorated.
-steve
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: Cuttyhunker on October 17, 2020, 05:20:21 PM
The ones that I still have kicking around from dad and gramps are pretty dry rotted, I cut the oak at the thin point just above the base and epoxy on gimbal butts, generally the black nylon ones, usually lose very little of the handle length.  Some of the old rubber butt buttons are too large for some newer rod holders. Crutch thingy's suck.
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: philaroman on October 17, 2020, 05:34:42 PM
maybe Fuji EU has some retro stuff...  I think S/W caps are after pg.150:
https://www.fujitackle.eu/flippingbook/ (https://www.fujitackle.eu/flippingbook/)
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: Cuttyhunker on October 18, 2020, 01:37:24 PM
Checked most of that stuff out, not really the retro "snap on" butt caps. The rubberish ones that would epoxy on with the bulbous bases would give a more correct retro look of the old snap on style over the nylon bases I've used with the advantage of being gimbal compatible in the rod holder.  I buy over older 100 rods a season, mostly large lots or estate deals that I patch up for resale. less than half of the old oak handles have the original rubber butt caps.
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: Cuttyhunker on December 06, 2020, 01:09:50 PM
Here's an earlier thread using a handball as the solution, having others chiming in with ideas

https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=23153.0
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: philaroman on December 06, 2020, 11:45:48 PM
hey, stuff gets revived & you get new ideas:
consider lab-quality stoppers for huge beakers (ermine flask... Breaking Bad...  that's how I re-learn, baby  ::) )
very dense, heavy rubber -- possibly "turnable"; good starting shape; solid or bored for tubing
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: oc1 on December 07, 2020, 07:34:07 AM
Quote from: philaroman on December 06, 2020, 11:45:48 PM
hey, stuff gets revived & you get new ideas:
consider lab-quality stoppers for huge beakers (ermine flask... Breaking Bad...  that's how I re-learn, baby  ::) )
very dense, heavy rubber -- possibly "turnable"; good starting shape; solid or bored for tubing

You might be able to turn it, but drilling that dense neoprene is really difficult.  The bit just pushes the material out of the way instead of cutting it so when the bit is removed there is almost no hole.
-s
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: philaroman on December 07, 2020, 09:32:24 AM
Quote from: oc1 on December 07, 2020, 07:34:07 AM
Quote from: philaroman on December 06, 2020, 11:45:48 PM
hey, stuff gets revived & you get new ideas:
consider lab-quality stoppers for huge beakers (ermine flask... Breaking Bad...  that's how I re-learn, baby  ::) )
very dense, heavy rubber -- possibly "turnable"; good starting shape; solid or bored for tubing

You might be able to turn it, but drilling that dense neoprene is really difficult.  The bit just pushes the material out of the way instead of cutting it so when the bit is removed there is almost no hole.
-s

oh, no doubt...  that's why I mentioned that you can choose solid OR center-bored for thick glass tubing
easier to hold secure & centered to shape the outside
easier to remove additional material to shape ID on one side
then, cheat & plug the other side -- epoxy in something imaginative, that looks like it was meant to be there
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: CooldadE on December 07, 2020, 02:54:07 PM
Maybe someone could make a mould out of an existing mushroom cap then cast some with urethane rubber.
I'm not that someone but probably have a couple of caps that could be used to make the mould.

Cool
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: oc1 on December 08, 2020, 12:13:12 AM
That is a really terrific idea Philaroman.  It's not the easiest thing to turn but possible.  It can also be easily carved and burnished with a Dremel or Foredom.

Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: oc1 on December 08, 2020, 12:17:08 AM
The local hardware stores have the lab stoppers in a variety of sizes.  There's black, green and sometimes almond color.  

At the pharmacy, way in the back by the crutches, walkers and canes, they have replacement feet/tips of various shapes and sizes. And, don't forget to look at the end caps for chair legs.


Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: philaroman on December 08, 2020, 02:29:10 AM
well now, you're doing serious restoration -- good to know it's still dense stuff
(heavier than cane tips, correct...  those are way cheaper from Wally & some $1-stores, BTW)
my stopper was purloined freshman year & rejected as a bong component 35-y-a :o
eventually it became a butt cap / balancing kit for my fav. UL pitch/flip --  9' Wally Marshall 2-6#
pre-tapped butt for screw-in kit which was extra ($10?)...  not from MY wallet!
long aluminum bolt; 1-hole stopper; solder wire -- balanced
looks kinda' mushroomy & there are much wider flasks/stoppers, hence the idea
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: philaroman on December 12, 2020, 04:53:29 PM
another delayed idea:
was thinking of this for CF sheets (albeit, limited range)
if it's useful for hard rubber, diameter range looks better for butt caps
https://www.harborfreight.com/carbide-tip-adjustable-circle-cutter-68117.html?_br_psugg_q=carbide+hole+cutter (https://www.harborfreight.com/carbide-tip-adjustable-circle-cutter-68117.html?_br_psugg_q=carbide+hole+cutter)
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: Cuttyhunker on December 27, 2020, 10:48:56 PM
Perusing My new Jann's catalog, I remembered this thread.  They may have the sought after old school butt caps.  There are more than just shown on this page.
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: whalebreath on December 28, 2020, 03:18:33 AM
If a person had a lathe they could epoxy two hockey pucks together, work the cylinder down to the right diameter and drill the resultant cylinder out-a lotta work but that thing would never break.
Title: Re: source for old butt caps?
Post by: oc1 on December 28, 2020, 03:43:07 AM
https://www.jannsnetcraft.com/butt-caps/ (https://www.jannsnetcraft.com/butt-caps/)