Quote Originally Posted by Catcher's Mitt View Post
Kevin

i have a world of problems with guides. they get bent over, they unwrap, the tip tops start spinning. how to protect them and do they make a titanium guide that has a small foot print that has no insert and that will pop back up when it gets stepped on? and if they do are any affordable?
Mitt,
I wish I had a better answer for you, but rods are not meant to be used to clean your shoes off!!! LOL As for spinning tip tops, when they do, or in the off season, you can take them off with a flame and then replace the epoxy with 5 minute epoxy. Tip tops are a tough call for the custom builder as we have access to epoxies that will attach a man to the space shuttle for launch, but if it ever breaks, a chop saw will be your only route for removing it. Or, we have epoxies that will bold the top, but will loosen up on a day when the sun is beating the crap outs you on the water. I find that 5 minute works well and will release its bond when heated.

As for the unwrapping, you will get that with a mass produced rod. Most rods only will have 1 coat of finish on them and eventually, it will wear away from the guide feet and start allowing water and debris into the thread and then the thread will rot and break.

Ok, I wil lstart putting my video together on rod construction and it will be up in a while. It takes some time to edit and put it all together and as I type this, I have rods to complete and gaffs to ship. AAAAAHH, the joy of a 1 man show....

Off to do some inlays and build some 80 class chair rods for Louisianna....

More later..

Kevin