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Tip Top questions and how to?

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Ed White

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Hi all,

I am looking to have a couple of tip tops on hand for each of my 2 usual rods this year, I lost some prime fishing time last year because I had to get tops replaced, when I should have been fishing. My questions are:

1. How do you properly size the tip? I see them listed showing metric sizes, since most rods are tapered, are they measuring to opening of the tip, or, the smaller end of the rod?

2. What glue is best to use? Both tips were repaired last year by guys using nothing more than a Bic lighter, hell, I could even do that if I had the right pieces and glue on hand. biggrin.gif

 

Even more than that, I have (hopefully)quit sucking swivels up into the tips, so hopefully I will avoid the situation altogether, but I want to at least have the stuff in the truck in case the need arises.

Thanks for any help,

Ed

"Can You Hear Me, Doctor?"

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For tip top, there are two sizes of concern: the ring size and the tube size. The ring size (inner diameter) is in mm. The tube size is in 1/64 th of an inch. for example, tube size 20 means the innter diameter of the tube is 20/64 inch. so you need to measure the diameter of the rod tip and convert it to 1/64th inch in unit.

 

the best way to attch tip top is 5-min. epoxy.

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Ed, any store/site that sells rod building supplies should carry, or at least be able to get a tip gauge. You can use this to measure the tube size of the rod, which are measured in 64ths of an inch. The ring size is measured in MM's.

 

Hope this helps

Tony

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Gently heat tip top,remove with pliers(hot) put spare tip on. Try heat, then use black electricians tape to hold it on til you get to the tackle shop. You probably have the lighter and tape in your truck already biggrin.gif

.........Elvis lives....2020

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  • 2 weeks later...
Gently heat tip top,remove with pliers(hot) put spare tip on. Try heat, then use black electricians tape to hold it on til you get to the tackle shop. You probably have the lighter and tape in your truck already biggrin.gif

 

icon14.gif I've always kept a stick of "tip top repair glue" in my tackle bag. Melts with a bic lighter, holds like epoxy until heated again. With a pair of pliers and a spare tip, I'm fishing again in no time!

 

wink.gif bj/JDBB

"Life's a beach!"
jimidabeachbumm
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  • 3 weeks later...

On recent tip top installation, I used some "Cheapo" rod tip glue, the stick you heat w/ a lighter type that came w/ a 3 pack of various tip sizes...well, after I put on the tip, added a decorative trim and flexcoat finish, the rod tip glue failed and began to spin....on that note, I'd say the 5-min epoxy mentioned above is the way to go (I wound up redoing mine that way...)

 

A trick i've seen (but haven't tried) for shimming an oversized tip top is to use threads either traditionally wrapped, or run lengthwise down the blank to take out the "play". In other words, on sizing, a top slightly bigger is better than one that won't fit. I don't think I would sand a blank top to accomodate an undersized tip top, as this would weaken a critical spot......

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As everyone knows, rod blanks are tapered. For this reason, to get a proper tip top fit, it is recommended that you measure the diameter of the tip about 3/4" down from the tip top. Saves you getting the wrong size.

 

I agree that 5 min. epoxy is the only way to go, some brands however do not want to come off easily with heat. Most brands will but I know for a fact that Devcon 5 min. works well.

 

When heating the tip top, if you stick the tip of a needle nose pliers through the ring of the tip top from the blank side and push the top off instead of trying to grab the tube and twist the top off you will not damage the fibers of the blank as easily. Don't get the top too hot, resin in the blanks start to flow at 200 deg. or slightly less.

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