Loose Tip Guide repair

[BrianMDTX]

I discovered yesterday that the tip guide on my Falcon Lowrider is loose. Not spinning around freely-loose, but it does move. Assuming it’s held in place with hot melt glue. Has anyone tried heating it as-is to see if the existing glue will melt and reattach the guide solidly, or is it a simple “remove and reglue” task? 
 

I'm assuming the latter but figured I’d ask. 

[casts_by_fly]

A lot of factory rods aren’t using hot melt anymore. You can try it, but if it loose just pull it off and use fresh glue. 

[BrianMDTX]

I’ll do that. At first I thought the guide was bent (noticed it while working a jig). But it looked fine and I was able to realign it. 
 

Interesting to hear they aren’t using hot melt glue. If you had to replace a damaged guide, getting the tip off of epoxied would be a mofo. 

[casts_by_fly]

6 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

I’ll do that. At first I thought the guide was bent (noticed it while working a jig). But it looked fine and I was able to realign it. 
 

Interesting to hear they aren’t using hot melt glue. If you had to replace a damaged guide, getting the tip off of epoxied would be a mofo. 

epoxy isn’t actually that bad.  You have to heat the tip top frame without burning the blank. Do it gently and it will eventually just release. You can tie a rubber band to it pulling straight out while you heat that way as soon as it releases it pops and you stop. That said, I don’t think it’s epoxy they are using. It’s some other kind of glue.

[BrianMDTX]

So, I went and grabbed the rod and the tip pulled right off. I’ve never had a tip guide come off before. I thought that small amount of bare rod was, well, small. But I stuck a toothpick in the guide and it’s no deeper than the exposed blank. Is that all that there is holding the tip guide onto the rod? I thought it would be deeper than that. 

[casts_by_fly]

38 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

So, I went and grabbed the rod and the tip pulled right off. I’ve never had a tip guide come off before. I thought that small amount of bare rod was, well, small. But I stuck a toothpick in the guide and it’s no deeper than the exposed blank. Is that all that there is holding the tip guide onto the rod? I thought it would be deeper than that. 

no, it should have been 3x that at least. You can see on the tip top where the outside of the tube crunches in. That’s how far it should go. 

you’re going to have to strip the thread off and glue the tip all the way in. Then a little thread wrap 

38 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

I thought it would be deeper than that.

he. He. He. That’s what she said. 

[BrianMDTX]

If that’s true, then do I still have glue in the tip guide? That’s as far as I can stick a toothpick in; as deep as the exposed blank. 

[casts_by_fly]

In that case I bet the top tip broke off in the tip top. 
 

if you have a 1/16 drill bit you could clean it out. You’ll still need to strip the thread and wrap though. 

[BrianMDTX]

I answered my own question. It wasn’t hot melt. I was able to remove whatever adhesive was used with a small drill bit, but will have to remove the thread wrap. 

[fin]

 

I just did this a few days ago. This video on wrapping is pretty good, just turn off the sound. Just use some old braid for thread and then put a few coats of clear fingernail polish on it.

 

I thought they used something other than hot melt on mine too, because it looked like a yellow powder, but after I drilled it out, I tried heating it again with a heat gun and found out it was hot melt after all. You may have to heat it to get it all cleaned out enough to get it to go all the way in. It should go all the way to the tip.

 

Cut a big sliver off a piece of hot melt and slide it inside the tip, heat it up and then slide it on.

[BrianMDTX]

I completely cleaned out the tube of the tip. I just have to remove the old thread and epoxy in order to glue the tip back on. 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

They used epoxy and used too much. That creates air pressure that pushes the tip off. And it set up that way and went unnoticed. You don’t have too replace the thread wrap if you don’t want to. I’d use the go temp hot glue if it were mine

[BrianMDTX]

@Delaware Valley Tackle thanks for the reply. Just to clarify, are you saying no need to replace the wrap after I remove it and reinstall the tip top? Or just reglue the tip top as-is? 
 

I assume the former, but I’d rather ask and be sure. 

[fin]

7 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

You don’t have too replace the thread wrap if you don’t want to. I’d use the go temp hot glue if it were mine

 

"Go temp hot glue"? is that auto-correct at work? Lo temp?

 

I guess all hot glue is not the same. The cheap stuff I have remelts at fairly low temps, and it seems like sometimes it eventually works itself free after a month or two. It gets pretty hot here.

 

I used to skip the wrap, but this time I thought I'd try it to see if it helps prevent the tip from shifting over time. Seems like it should.

 

Maybe I need some new hot glue. What I use isn't very sticky either. Any recommendations?

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

9 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

@Delaware Valley Tackle thanks for the reply. Just to clarify, are you saying no need to replace the wrap after I remove it and reinstall the tip top? Or just reglue the tip top as-is? 
 

I assume the former, but I’d rather ask and be sure. 

Sorry, yes, remove the old wrap and clean the tip and guide for good adhesion and use a Hi temp hot glue also referred to as tip top cement. The wrap is really just decorative but the little bit of finish that overlaps onto the guide adds a small amount of insurance or extra adhesion. Unless you have the supplies, if you want you can hand wrap some thread of whatever color and seal it with clear nail polish. 

[BrianMDTX]

Thanks. I have a kit on the way that includes epoxy and thread. I’ve never wrapped before but I don’t think it’s that difficult from the videos I’ve watched. And it’s not a standard guide so if I mess up a bit, it will be glued on. 

[JJP]

Remove the epoxy and thread that was below the tip and glue the tip back on. No need to replace the thread and epoxy. Like stated earlier it’s more of a cosmetic thing 

[BrianMDTX]

The tip is glued on. I removed the thread and epoxy, ensured the tip was clean and smooth, and installed with hot melt glue. I wasn’t sure how it would look without thread, but it looks ok to me. Ready for Saturday and some jigs! 
 

[Skeet6]

Depending where you are, perhaps a builder on here would throw a quick wrap for you. If you were local to PA, I'd help.

Mike B

[casts_by_fly]

Take your hot melt, a knife, and a lighter with you just in case you missed something. 

[BrianMDTX]

@Skeet6 Depending on where you are in PA, I used to be local! 
 

I have thread and epoxy so I may give it a shot. 

[BrianMDTX]

Well, it withstood 4 bass on a jig so it appears to be on there pretty good!