Tennessee Grip

Started by wailua boy, May 12, 2023, 05:34:16 PM

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wailua boy

I recently picked up this pole in a auction NIB for $1. It's a 6'6" medium Tica featuring a Tennessee grip. I like the feel of the pole and the price was right. Now, the pole didn't come with rings and butt cap isn't removable. I know some guys just use electrical tape in place of the rings but do you guys have any advice on getting rings on and where to purchase and size properly. It's my first Tennessee grip set up. Thanks

philaroman

rings may be nice for L/UL...  ML, tops...  IMO, tape more secure for Med
some non-adhesive/self-adhering wrap (Tommy, etc.) -- no sticky mess

Swami805

You could try one of these, lash it on with some cord
If you can get the butt cap off most of the big rod building sites should have rings. Might want to get a few sizes so you're covered. There's got to be a way to get the cap off, maybe slit it on both sides and peel it off. A new butt cap isn't much
Do what you can with that you have where you are

Midway Tommy

All I use are Tennessee grips. I've actually removed reel seat type grips on a couple of early Bionic Blades and added Tennessee type grips with slip rings.

You should be able to remove the butt cap and a couple of inches of the cork grip so you can add rings.

Use a single edge razor blade in a wallpaper hangers holder/tool and find a cork ring joint and gently cut all the way around the grip until you can feel the blank. Be careful not to cut deep into the blank. Once you've cut all the way around the grip use a hair dryer to heat the portion you want to remove. Heat will soften the epoxy between the blank & grip. Grab the part you want to remove and twist it working it back and forth until it's loose and you can pull it off. Worst case scenario, if you can't get it hot enough to twist loose you can cut that portion off and replace it with new cork rings and a new butt cap.

I get my slip rings from Jann's Netcraft. You can get cork rings & butt caps there, too, if you need to get new ones. The last time I bought a bunch they had both aluminum and graphite. Personally, I prefer aluminum over graphite. My son has a few St. Croix rods with graphite rings and he has a lot of trouble keeping them tight on the reel. They don't bite into the cork like aluminum ones will so he adds a round of tape to keep them from working loose. I never have that problem with aluminum rings.

Jann's has more than one diameter of rings so measure your rod cork diameter and get the size accordingly. If it's not an ultra light rod you'll probably need 1" rings. If it is an ultra light you'll probably want 7/8" rings. They all have a flat spot where they slip over the reel foot.

When you replace the portion you removed you should be able to ream it close enough that epoxy will fill and take up the tiny gap. I would use clear epoxy and also use it on the joint where you are reinstalling the part you took off. You'll probably have to do a little sanding there to even/smooth things out.

It's really not that difficult of a proceedure. If you take your time and are patient you should be able to make the repair/change look original.
Love those open face spinning reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco Cardinals)

Tommy D (ORCA), NE



Favorite Activity? ............... In our boat fishing
RELAXING w/ MY BEST FRIEND (My wife Bonnie)

wailua boy

Thank you very much for responses.