Replacing Reel Seat in Old Rod?

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Wayne B.
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Replacing Reel Seat in Old Rod?

Post by Wayne B. »

I want to replace the reel seat in an old two-piece wooden handle stand-up rod. Any advice in how to do this without messing up the nice wood handles?
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john elder
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Re: Replacing reel seat in old rod???

Post by john elder »

What's it look like, Wayne?
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Wayne B.
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Re: Replacing reel seat in old rod???

Post by Wayne B. »

Here's a pic. Got the wood stripped, but there is a lot of brassing on the reel seat. I usually don't concern myself with old rods, except when I see one like this with perfect guides and perfect wraps. Then become candidates for the wall.
Don Champion
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Re: Replacing reel seat in old rod???

Post by Don Champion »

Wayne,
The wood handle is glued into the seat. If you can find a way to hold the seat and the handle separately without distorting the seat and heat the seat it just may come apart. The hard part is holding the seat without distorting it. I know that replacing rod tips you just heat them up and they pop off. I just finished putting a seat back on a rod but it had come apart before I got it.
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gadabout
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Re: Replacing reel seat in old rod???

Post by gadabout »

I would just heat it over a flame until the adhesive releases. Of course, you realize that that seat has two parts, right? Sometimes it is hard to separate the two parts of it has been left on that state for a long time.
The Fishing Hobby
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Re: Replacing reel seat in old rod???

Post by The Fishing Hobby »

I know this is an old thread, but I thought someone might find this bit of info useful. I work on rods and build some too. I have had good luck removing grips and reel seats by putting a Ziploc type of bag over them and soaking them in boiling water long enough to soften the glue (this usually takes 10 minutes or more). The heat from boiling water will do the trick without burning anything and by putting the grip in a waterproof bag of some sort you don't get hot water damage on your grip. After the grip or reel seat is heated I pull it off the rod with the technique commonly used to pull stuck fishing rod sections apart. Squat down with the rod behind your knees (horizontal to the ground) and hold the handle with one hand outside of one knee and holding the rod blank outside of the other knee and use the strength of spreading your legs to pull the grip off the blank.
This heating and pulling technique has worked very well for me, hopefully it will help out someone else too.
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