removing a tip top

[Bass Junke]

Hey guys. My first rod I bought when I got back into fishing was a Abu Garcia Vendetta. Well it is a decent rod, caught a lot of fish with it. The other day I noticed the insert came out of the tip top. No worries right, easy fix. Well Abu used wrap and epoxy on the tip top. I carefully removed that, heated up the tip but it would not come off. 

 

How much heat can I apply before I damage the blank? Is heat still the way to remove this tip? Any other suggestions?

[Fishingmickey]

You might try recruiting a friend to hold the rod while you heat the tip top and pull with a pair of needle nose. I'd use a lighter for heating. You might see (possibly) glue ooze out when you get it hot enough.  It shouldn't take a lot of force. Just exert some pull pressure with the needle nose while you heat. 

The other thought is to use a Dremel type grinder w/cutting disc or very fine toothed saw and cut off the old tip. It would shorten the rod by half an inch or so maybe but you would still have a very serviceable rod in the end. 

[J Francho]

Rubber band slip knotted to the guide. Apply heat gently while stretching the rubber band. 

[S Hovanec]

Had to change a tip on a rod last night and no amount of heat would budge it.  I used my dremel with a cut off wheel to carefully split the tube on 2 sides and then the tip peeled off like a banana 

[.ghoti.]

Got a teapot? Get it boiling and whistling. Hold the tip in the steam whistle. The steam will be a little over 200°F. Blanks, when made, are oven cured at around 260°F. 200°F will not hurt the blank. A cig lighter can.

 

i’ve used steam out of a teapot to remove numerous rod components, and have never damaged a blank doing so.

[J Francho]

I keep forgetting about your steam trick.  That's a good one.

[Bass Junke]

Awesome guys. I have a dremel. Going to steam it first though. 

[MickD]

What you're seeing here is the contrast between removing a tiptop that was installed with epoxy and one installed with hot melt.  Hot melt takes very little heat.  Epoxy will take you into the range of damage to the blank.  Try the steam before you cut it off.  You may luck out and get it off without damage.  Then try the Dremel on the tube to get it to spit.  Don't cut the blank until you've exhausted all the options.

[Bass Junke]

17 hours ago, MickD said:

What you're seeing here is the contrast between removing a tiptop that was installed with epoxy and one installed with hot melt.  Hot melt takes very little heat.  Epoxy will take you into the range of damage to the blank.  Try the steam before you cut it off.  You may luck out and get it off without damage.  Then try the Dremel on the tube to get it to spit.  Don't cut the blank until you've exhausted all the options.

Thanks Mick. On the same page.

[Bass Junke]

Quick update. Steam did not work. Had to cut it off with the dremel. It went okay. I frayed the tip lost an 1/8". Should be fine until I build a replacement.  

[.ghoti.]

On 9/10/2020 at 10:02 AM, Bass Junke said:

Quick update. Steam did not work. Had to cut it off with the dremel. It went okay. I frayed the tip lost an 1/8". Should be fine until I build a replacement.  

Well, wonder what adhesive was used on that. Never had the steam fail. Sometimes it takes a while.

[islandbass]

Steam is invisible and many people confuse the water vapor they see as steam.  so would the proper spot to place the tip be somewhere between the top of the boiling water and right under where you see the water vapor?

[.ghoti.]

If you want, or need, the highest temperature, that will be closest to the hole where the steam exits the pot. The vapor will cool as it expands.

[MickD]

Pardon this comment, but I think you're "playing with fire" using steam on a rod tip.

 

Just because someone has developed the method and judgment to make it work without damaging the blank does not mean we all can.  There are so many processes in rodbuilding that work for some but not for others.  Why?  Part of it is that it is impossible to communicate all the nuances of a person's process, nuances that are necessary for success and without which it fails.  Some apply heat to wrap epoxy to lower its viscosity and make it level betters.   Seems like every time I tried it I got worse leveling.  Why?  Something I was doing differently.  But what?

 

Heat might work, might not , might damage the blank, and I submit, an unnecessary risk.  I don't doubt that Ghoti can use it and not damage anything.  Cannot say the same for me.