Tip top replacement

[frosty]

I noticed my insert felt strange reeling in and the braid was making an odd noise. Not sure how but the insert looks chipped? It’s a Fenwick HMG with a lifetime warranty, but I’d honestly rather just fix it myself rather than spend money to send it in but it looks like it’s epoxied on. I took a picture, but it’s not great, hard to get much detail. 

[MickD]

If you spin a Q-tip in the rings of all the guides and tiptop it will snag on any crack and reveal it to you.  I'd check them all, especially near the tip.  Most likely tip-top. 

 

Tiptops can be either installed with hot melt or epoxy. If hot melt, very easy and no risk of damage to the blank, just a LITTLE heat while pulling on the tip top with a rubber band.  It will slip off when the hot melt softens.  Very little heat required.

 

If epoxy, a little trickier because more heat is required, but most epoxies used for tiptops soften easier than typical structural epoxy.  But heat is again required, but more heat.  Do the same process, but if it doesn't slip right off, stop and try carefully to move it by gentle twisting, then pulling, maybe a little more heat while pulling.  This is a little risky, but usually can be done without damage to the tiptop.

 

Some will say cut it off-I disagree with that approach.  Better to get help from a pro builder in your area if you cannot handle it without excess heat.

 

The tiptops are specified by ring diameter (outer diameter) and diameter of the tip of the rod.  OK to go next size up on the blank diameter spec, but don't sand the blank down to fit one onto a blank that's too big to slide into the tube.

 

If more questions, ok to PM or email me.

[frosty]

Thanks @MickD I knew typically you’d just heat it and pull it off, wasn’t aware that they are sometimes epoxied on though. It’s definitely the tiptop, I just wasn’t sure if I’d be better off sending it in to Fenwick or just fixing it myself. 

[spoonplugger1]

Any quality sporting goods store has tip tops and they usually will replace them for little if any fee other than the price of the tip top.

[BobP]

I epoxy tip tops with 5 min epoxy.  To remove one, I hold a butane lighter under the tip top while pulling on the tip top with needle nose pliers.  As soon as the epoxy softens, it pops right off.  If your rod is warranted, you might call the factory and have them send you a matching replacement.  Since I build my own rods, I keep a variety tip tops on hand for repairs.  Don’t much care for those you see in repair kits.

[MickD]

If 5 minute, OK, but some are put on with regular structural epoxy, and it doesn't easily soften.  So in trying to get them off, one is walking a tightrope between the temp at which the epoxy "fails," and the temp at which the blank  "fails."