Rod restoration question

[kevinhaney1]

This question is about fixing a rod, so I hope its not too off base. I have an Airex fiberglass rod I would like to use, but the first large guide wobbles back and forth. The windings look secure, so I guess whatever glue was used to glue the guide on before winding has failed. Since I want to preserve the original windings, would a coat of rod varnish help this situation, or does it need to be removed, reglued, and rewound, something that is above my current skill level? Thanks.

Kevin

[john elder]

I would run some super glue under the wraps where the guides slip in ... tip a bit so the glue follows the guide. let dry in one direction, then tip the other way and do the other side. The guide probably just got a rap that loosened it a bit. That should fix it since the wraps look pretty solid. If that doesn’t do it, then you are in for a rewrap, but i think you will be okay.

[Paul M]

I agree with John but the varnish on the wrap has been compromised. You can see the cracks. To shore up the thread in addition to glueing the guide, a small amount of clear varnish on the threads will delay further loosening. Note that when rods are built, the guides are not actually “glued” to the blank. The thread holds them in place with friction. Then varnish or epoxy of one sort or another seals everything to the rod blank. If the guide is jarred or if the thread wrapping wasn’t perfect, then the guides can come loose.

[john elder]

I agree, Paul. Re glue on guides, i’m not as coordinated as you and got tired of trying to keep guides in place while wrapping...so i position the guides and then add a drop of superglue at the base to hold in place while i do the wrap. Don’t know if thats an improvement but it allowed a sharp decrease in cursing and spitting.

[Paul M]

That would probably save me some time and reduce the cursing, LOL.

[Don Champion]

Since you need to varnish one guide then clean nail polish will do that. As for applying the glue I would use a syringe (McMaster-Carr) to apply the glue. the syringe will only work once.

[Midway Tommy D]

I'm not a fan of Super Glues, guides are supposed to be able to move with the arc of the rod. I would try to add something that stays pliable, like Pliobond, into the void beside the guide feet and under the thread. That should hold the guide from twisting but still be a little flexible like guides are supposed to be. When ever I build a rod I put drop of Pliobond on the bottom of the feet before I tape them in place to wrap the guide. Even after the Pliobond sets the guide can be moved a little if needed. After the Pliobond sets up I would give those wraps a coat or two of rod varnish to tighten everything up a little more.

[jimbofish]

Lots of good advice here.

If it were mine, I'd very gently, so as not to disturb the windings, clean out some of the gunk around the feet with denatured alcohol or naphtha (lighter fluid). Then, making sure the loose guide is straight on the blank and the threads are laying evenly, coat the whole wrap with 50% thinned varnish and let dry. This will stabilize the wrap. Next add a coat of full strength varnish over that, making sure to work some varnish into the voids along the feet under the wraps. Add a second coat if needed. While you're at it, you might want to clean and re-coat all the other guides on the rod to prevent them from loosening in the future.

Hint: A large magnifier or magnifying goggles will help a lot.