I have an older Aftco aluminium bent butt fitted with a Varmac RS5H reel seat - the heavy-duty, chromed brass one. The hood of the Varmac fitting is split! Quite how that could happen is beyond me, but there we are (I bought it like that, for an appropriately low cost).
I'd like to remove the reel seat without damaging the Aftco butt as I have another reel seat with which to replace the split one. There is a black plastic layer between the Varmac fitting and the Aftco butt that was originally added to reduce corrosion. It is all epoxied in place.
Any suggestions?
I'm thinking of applying heat to break down the epoxy and it might also melt the black plastic, using either a heat gun or a gas blowlamp but I am worried lest I melt the aluminium of the Aftco butt.
Has anyone tried this and did it work? What are the precautions/difficulties, or was it an 'easy' job?
Thanks everyone.
Chris
Haven't done that specifically, but I've removed many reel seats from blanks. I don't think there is a good way in your situation without heat. Were me, I'd use a propane torch and try to pay attention to when the plastic / epoxy starts to melt. Should have a much lower MP than aluminum. Since the Varmac is shot, I'd get it in a vise if possible while doing this, and turn the butt with strap wrench when the epoxy melts to break it free from the seat. (pipe wrench if you must, but wrap the butt to prevent scratch).
If it comes to it, I would make VERY CAREFUL length-wise cuts down the Varmac with a Dremel cutting wheel, taking care not to get into the butt. It will help you have the plastic bushing / arbor in there. It would come off easier in pieces with heat than fighting the suction of pulling the whole seat off. Let us know how it goes.
John
I would be tempted to start with a commercial type heat gun, rather than something like propane. As suggested lock part of the butt in a vice, and then using something like pipe pliers to twist the Varmac fitting, once heated. Unlikely to damage the aluminium, as the adhesive/epoxy will melt before that. Heat and a twisting motion should do it.
This might be of interest https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=22634.0 Two piece hood repair .
I agree with the heat gun if available, and that you are almost certainly going to need heat. Just keep the heat moving in order to reduce the risk of discoloration.
The Man
Unless the epoxy is a special heat resistant variety(unlikely) it will soften at about 200F.
The plastic is probably nylon, which is a thermoforming plastic ( it can be remelted after being cast - not true of all types of plastics). Nylon is mid to high temp melting plastic. It will start getting pretty soft around 300F.
Aluminum melts at around 1200F. So unless you go crazy with a torch, this is th least of your worries.
What you do need to consider are toxic fumes from overheating the stuff. Some plastics, like PVC and ABS are pretty nasty if heated too far. I wouldn't be surprised if breathing vaporized cured epoxy is not the ticket to long term lung health, either.
Less is more. Go slow spread the heat evenly. As others have suggested, a heat gun is a better tool for the job than a torch, Better heat control, lower settings, spread over a wider area. Consider doing this outdoors, or at least in a well ventilated spot, if you don't plan to use a respirator with an organic vapor cartridge. Especially if you are taking a torch to it.
I have used a heat gun set at 400 or so to detach aluminum epoxied parts. Just took a minute or two.
-J
Thank you all - that is very helpful.
Yes, I'll certainly be doing this outdoors, not least to minimise the risk of burning the house down or being berated for stinking up the kitchen!
But the difference between plastic/epoxy and aluminium heat resistance is exactly the info I wanted.
I'll let you know how it goes when I get round to it - major house work being done at the moment with all new windows and doors to be followed by lots of decorating I guess.
Maybe I should invest in a Dremel thing as suggested to dismantle the Varmac bit by bit to help its removal.
Cheers,
Chris
useful for all manner of things in any case. I prolly use my mine weekly not even to do with fishing.
We boys and our toys ;)
But Christmas is coming... ::)
Just picked up a Harbor Freight heat gun for a 20.
Got the heat gun - kicks out 600 degrees on maximum!
Of course (lightbulb moment) - I'm looking at aluminium saucepans and a frying pan on the gas hob and they've not melted!
I'll let you know how it goes...
I also need to get another reel seat off an old glass butt (to fit on to the Aftco butt) but that ought to be ok as the glass is not for keeping. Blast it with heat outdoors, twist and pull (don't forget the gloves).
Turning into quite a project. The rod I'm refurbishing cost £10 - 130lb blank (yellow!), full Aftco HD rollers and Lakeland heavy duty reel seat - bargain. Will sport Aftco bent butt eventually and Aftco SHD Big Foot guides.
Relevance to reels? It will match an old Everol 12/0 Cairns.
yeah, fo rthat reel, worthy of any and all efforts. how about some pics to take us along?
Happy to take some pictures, though I'm no great shakes with the camera. But, I might need a hand to get them to appear here. My previous attempt failed miserably :(.
Today was spent spacing out the guides and preparing for the underwrap.
Oh, and yeah - I love those Everols
I'll be back...
You can email to me and I will post them. If you can't get me, I expect my man Daron (Sharkhunter) would do it- ESPECIALLY since there is an Everol involved, going on a big gun rebuild.
Thanks Thorhammer! I tried photos once before with a Harnell Unlimited Royal rebuild but failed to get them viewable. I think they are somewhere on the site though...
The rebuild is going a-pace though the varnishing will take a while (I prefer spar varnish to epoxy, partly because I don't have a dryer/turner) and I have yet to tackle the reel seat. But I do have a set of thick, heatproof gloves now. I think I'll need them.
It seems as an ordinary member I have lost the 'gallery' so can't upload photos that way, but I'd be happy to share the (poor - I'm no photographer) pictures of the rod build as it is nearly done, bar the reel and handle which is where this thread started.
Thorhammer, you kindly offered help but I don't have your email. Mine is in the profile so I'd be happy for you to contact me that way; I understand you wouldn't want to have your own contact details posted openly.
I will take a picture or two of the 12/0 Everol to keep Sharkhunter happy too. That reel must be of an age by now; I bought it off a guy in Europe and after a good clean and service, it is as good as new apart from a minor ding or two.
Cheers,
Chris
I know this is an older thread but just to let you all know I finished the rod.
The Varmac RS-5H came off the Aftco butt with some patient hack-sawing to cut through the brass, stopping just at the black plastic liner those old Aftco butts had. Heat gun and old screwdriver prised off the remnants to leave a nice clear and undamaged butt.
The good Lakeland seat came off the fibreglass butt after a good blast from the heat gun and a few Newtons applied via a length of alloy rod.
Cleaned up both parts and used epoxy to fit the Lakeland seat onto the Aftco bent butt - worked a treat.
The blank was originally custard yellow! It's a nice colour for custard but not for a rod, so I painted it with black enamel.
The blank now sports Aftco Big Foot guides 52, 2x42, 2x32 and size 28 tip, black foam grip, Lakeland reel seat and Aftco bent butt. OK, I had to buy a couple of the guides as I didn't have a full set, but in essence I now have a perfectly functional 130lb chair rod for little cost and the pleasure of it being all my own work.
Mind you, my rod-building/wrapping skills are not in the professional class, but I'm pleased with the outcome - not too shabby.
Chris, send me pics of completed rod. I didnt get the others up yet as i got blanked with site quirk, but will ge them all when i can.
John
Hi John,
Thank you, I'll do that, with the 12/0 Everol as well ;D
Cheers,
Chris
excellent. Alan has a planned upgrade here directly that should accomodate file size.
Chris,
My wife bought a inexpensive little Sony camera that uses an SD memory card. Most computers now have an SD slot so I just pop it out of the camera and into my laptop to upload the photos. Quick and easy
Thanks Cuttyhunker. I took the photos OK using a Cannon digital and uploaded them but couldn't get them onto this site to show you. Thorhammer offered to help and I sent copies to him so I expect they'll appear in due course.
I'm not up to the standard of many proper rod builders/thread wrappers I see on this and other sites, but I think I do a reasonable job even if a little plain compared to some of the work on show.
Cheers
Have you tried to post pictures now with the new format . :cf
Sorry to be slow replying, Oldmanjoe - no I haven't tried posting again but I'll give it a go. Thanks for the advice.
:D OK i see you posted pictures in another thread , But you still have a cliff hanger here . :d
Yes, I tried your suggestion now that the boss has upgraded the site but thought it best to start a new thread in case I broke something and had to have my post deleted. Thankfully it seems ok.
The rod is now done but it seems the pictures of the Everol reel generated the most interest. Not surprising, as the rod re-build is not of 'professional' standard but rather more practical/functional than beautiful.
Comparing it to my other chair rods I'd say it is slightly lighter in power than most 130s today but more powerful than an 80lb rod. It does seem to me that older 130s were lighter/less powerful than more modern rods of the same class and here I'm going by the old brown Fenwick compared to the newer white glass Fenwick ones or the relatively recent Penn black glass 130s.
I had hoped to try to rig some way to measure the pull of these heavy rods but am stumped because of the huge stresses involved. I have a way to do stand-up rods OK using a solidly fitted wall-bolt and spring balance, but it's not going to cope with these beasts.
ps It's Friday so I'm having a beer with lunch shortly!