I recently bought an Ambassadeur 7000 with an old Garcia 8' Conolon rod. Both are in great shape, but the last guide at the end of the rod needs some TLC (see image below). The plastic insert is perfect, but the guide's outer support is separated from the chrome tube (red arrow) and one of the inboard support arms (blue arrow) is also separated from the end of the chrome tube. Is it possible to replace this guide without cutting off the old one? Is it possible to repair this guide? Maybe it can be soldered? I can solder very well and I know a couple of very talented tig welders. Thanks in advance for any advice, suggestions, etc.
A lil heat may take it right off. A lot will ruin the blank though. And frankly the amount needed to weld or solder may be enough to just loosen the tip abd a new one is like $2 for fuji
I wouldn't risk repairing it in-situ; the heat for soldering let alone Tig might damage the blank.
If you gently heat it with a lighter or small creme brulet torch on a low flame you should be able to slide it off, and then there's about a 95% chance one of the excellent folk on this site will be able to identify it and/or supply you with a suitable replacement.
Gorilla Brand Super Glue .
All good thoughts, thank-you. So, if I understand correctly, you're saying the heat will melt the adhesive that attaches the guide to the end of the blank, but don't use too much heat otherwise there is a risk of damaging the blank. However, what about the thread at the end of the guide? Does the end of the thread fit inside the tube of the guide so it doesn't unravel? Also, is the original adhesive like a hot glue where it can remelt or will I have to fight it a little since it's already cured? Forgive me, I've never repaired a rod before but I think I could do it if I had good advice and the right replacement guide.
Yeah. It should be attached with hot glue. It looks like your thread wraps don't go over the tip guide from the picture, so it may pull right off with moderate heating.
1st remove the old one(with pliers, it's still hot, right?) then you can size the hole for a new one. Or, repair(weld)the old one, then attach with some hot glue(makes it easier to remove if needed, latter-on).
Have never seen thread up inside of a tip guide.
Here is another rod that I have but this one is a Conolon spinning rod. The chrome on the reel seat is gorgeous (but unfortunately the forward mount is cracked which can be seen in the picture). Am I correct that the end guide is missing the center section? Removing this one might involve monkeying with the thread, though. Yes?
Yeah. That'ns a goner. Are you gonna want to keep those Conolon's original? I don't think you "need" to thread-wrap the top guide, unless you are concerned about looks. I think cosmetics are why they do it at the factory. Too-bad about the seat clamp.
Perhaps eBay for old Conolon rods that could be used as parts?
Greg is pretty much right on. The thread should butt up against the metal. There may be finish over the metal, though. Lightly scrape any finish off the metal and lightly heat the tip-top with a lighter or something while pulling on it. When it gets warm enough for the glue to soften it should pull straight off the end. The thread should still be intact. Then get a couple of new appropriate sized tip-tops & heat glue them back on. They should both be easy fixes. I don't think I would mess with trying to fix the first tip-top, tip-tops aren't very expensive and if you try to solder it you may end up with a rough spot.
Fishing rods use a different type of hot glue that has a higher melting point the the hobby stuff. If you're fishing in a very hot climate the tip might spin a little if it's baking in the sun. Archery guys use the same hot glue to attach the feathers to arrows. When you buy your tips buy a stick of their hot glue too
https://alantani.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=34699.0;attach=109181;image
If you wanna use it
Sheridan is spot on. Like most stuff from the old days, it was built to last. The factory glue takes more heat than todays hot glue. Just lightly heat with a lighter and give it a pull. If it doesn't come off add a little more heat, keep trying until it comes off. Bill
You guys are fantastic, thank-you to everyone for the great advice. I'm hopefully going to try and remove the tips sometime this weekend. I'll report back.
Thank-you to everyone who chimed in because the guides came off just as described. A little bit of heat from a candle was all it took and I could easily slide them off. I created a post to search for replacements and will be posting measurements soon: https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=34768.0