Rod Repair Project

[Leerie18]

I could not find an online reference (for dummies) for my repair dilemma, so I have documented my solution below.

I broke an 11ft two-piece fast action graphite rod. It was a butt-over-tip configuration and the point of failure was at the top of the butt section, at the exact point where the bottom of the tip section would have made contact with the blank of the butt section under extreme stress.

The challenge is to try and salvage the busted butt section in a way that the rod can still hold up to the rigours of the style of fishing, as well as to minimise the chances of a similar failure going forward.
If this repair is unsuccessful, I will simply bank the lessons, strip and clean the blank to use for any future rod repair projects.

[Leerie18]

I cut away the damaged section as cleanly as possible, ensuring that there are absolutely no cracks or splinters present. Then some work with water-paper and it cleaned-up pretty good.

[Leerie18]

I have plenty bits and pieces of rod blank material and so I was keen to try a spigot ferule installation as I have never done that before and was very interested to see if it would hold up to the stresses.

But the first curve ball was thrown when I noticed a hairline crack at the bottom of my tip section caused by my fiddling with potential spigot fit options. I now had to cut that damaged area off the tip section and had to reconsider an alternative to the spigot option. Very frustrating, as I had removed the rod butt to fit the spigot pieces.

The one positive arising from this set-back was that tip section and butt section were now an equal length again!

[Leerie18]

With the Spigot plan now binned, I am now going to try duplicate the original butt-over-tip configuration.

The two sections have to fit each other perfectly and tightly with no internal movement or wobble. To do this, a makeshift "funnel" was fashioned at the top of the inner butt section and the tip section was shaped to insert 6cm into the Butt section, docking into the funnel.

This was done using the taper of a suitably sized piece of blank material, wrapping water paper around it and working slowly and patiently (lap-lathe style) to create the funnel. Then, also using water paper, the base of the tip section was slowly and uniformly shaped to insert 6cm into the base section, and fit into the funnel. The dotted lines represent the customised areas:

[Leerie18]

It is now time for the underbinding. To try and prevent the same failure, a very tight 'D' thread bind was run the length of the insert area on the base section. Epoxy was thinned with acetone to help penetration into the thread and onto the blank for this base layer bind.

[Leerie18]

The guides were then installed and a second tight 'D' thread reinforcement bind applied for the length of the insert area.

The rod is now 10'6" and is finally repaired –  reinforced, neat and snug fitting. A simple build, plain black guide thread, running MNAGS all the way through on this iteration.

[Leerie18]

It is now time for stress-testing this rod's reasonably expected performance range. I will also have to use it for a session to see how the casting action has been affected, if at all – that reinforcement binding will limit whatever flex existed in that section and the rod has also been shortened from 11' to 10'6".

Yes, this all should have been done with taped-on guides before binding! 

I will simulate the swing-lift of a fish (represented by 2 x 2kg weights). My fear, apart from a complete break failure, is also for the reinforcement binding epoxy to crack under stress. The lifting test, I will do later today and if all is still intact, will give it a good casting workout tomorrow. The success of this repair will be revealed soon enough, but it has been an enjoyable process nevertheless.

[Cor]

Looks like it should hold.    I've done many similar repairs, some quite radical and most do last.

[foakes]

Great job!

Thanks for the photos, explanation, and walk-through!

Best,

Fred

[Dominick]

nice work.  Clear explanation.  Dominick

[Crow]

Looks good !

[philaroman]

very nice...  if you ever get around to that spigot ferule, please post it up

[mo65]

Great fix!

[oc1]

Very thorough.  Good going.  There will be a dead spot in the action but ferrules make a dead spot too.
-steve

[happyhooker]

You really had to be ready to adapt to circumstances as you went thru that one.  I can see you putzing through that sanding work--taking a little off here, then a little more, then a little off there, etc.  You seemed to have proven that patience is indeed a virtue & best of luck for a successful outcome.  I've done a few cracked rod repairs; it ain't as simple as some would make it; been lucky most of the time.  Nice post.

Frank