Old Surf Rod Reel Seat Cracked

[Bryan Young]

I think Fuji makes a Plate style reel seat that can be thread wrapped over an existing blank without having to remove any grips or guides. Not sure if it could be applicable to your situation but it might work. You may have to dremmel cut the existing reel seat off the blank and thread wrap the plate style seat on to the blank. "Google" Fuji plate style reel seats and you will get the idea.

I have used these seats before and for your application it will be sufficient.  It looks like this photo and it's missing center band to help secure the reel seat in the middle.

[thorhammer]

That looks like a honey lamiglas or possibly Fenwick; absolutely worth repairing. I personally dont like plate seats for all the reasons above, but you may be able to replace this on your own without being a rod builder. First you have to take the rear grips off. knife is fine but mask tape the exposed blank. remove real seat with dremel cutting wheel. it will be difficult to preserve the rear trim bands but if you decide to replace with split grip EVA like you have you may trim the eva to fit over the trim bands. Measure reel seat. Probably a 26 mm, maybe 24. Order Fuji seat from mudhole, Jann's Netcrat, etc. build up blank under seat with tape so it will loosly slide over and stay in place. epoxy inplace with Loctite two part epoxy available at HD or Lowes. I use electrical tape and have boat rods twenty years old that are still intact. i just dont believe in using masking tape as i have had to replace too many loose, spinning real seats for this reason if/when masking tape deteriorates.

What i would do in your shoes is remove the rear grips, trim bands and then sand the whole handle lightly to smooth out, and heat shrink a cross-thatch rubber sleeve the whole length. the heat shrink is also available from the rod builder sites and can be applied with heat gun. stick a crutch tip but cap on the end and you are fishing with about an hour's work, plus epoxy cure time, for about $30 or so. shipping from udhole will probably be $11  which is about the same as the two items you need; epoxy is $4 and butt cap is about $2 (you can get them at HD if you dont want to order them).



good luck

John

[JoePlo]

Sounds good. I have a buddy who I will ask to give me a weld. The rod guides are also a but loose. Need to get them re-wrapped.