I am working on an offshore trolling rod. I glued the Aftco butt ferrule on with 2-part epoxy and set it aside to dry. Then I glued on the foregrip with the same stuff. This afternoon I came downstairs to work on the rod and notice that the uni-butt lock ring for the butt ferrule is laying on my bench. I took it off while I was glueing up the butt ferrule and forgot to put it back on before I glued on the foregrip. What are my options? Heat to break the epoxy bond on the ferrule? Cut off the expensive flocked grip so I can put the ring on? Am I overlooking something>anything? I cannot believe I did this. I don't want to cut the blank off and maybe I should just cut or split the ferrule off. Maybe they are cheaper than a new flocked grip. What is my best option? Thanks.

Ray
You can try to heat the ferrule off with a torch but you may run into problems with the flock melting on you, be awfully careful or you could try cutting it of with a hacksaw. Isthe flock over cork or EVA? Because the EVA may want to melt on you abit as well, but I probably try heat first and focus the flame at the bottom half of the ferrule. Quite a few issues back TOM kirkman wrote an article in Rodmaker about gluing up ferrules and mentioned to be sure to put the locknut back on before gluing up the foregrip, but I guess you probably will never do this again. GOOD LUCK

The foregrip is cork with the flocking on top. My biggest fear with heat is how will it affect the blank? I'm not sure how hot I'd have to get it. No I won't ever do this again. Next time I won't take the ring off I'll just tape it down. I wouldn't have taken it off this time but it kept falling off while I was fitting the ferrule. I just forgot about it.

Ray

You may try to wrap the grip in a heavy plastic bag and the submerse it in a large pot of boiling water which will heat your epoxy yet protect your grip.

Hi Ray. I've done that too (UUUGGGHHH !!!). Don't ruin your expensive grip- remove the ferrule.

It helps to have a grinder so you can grind off the V-grooved end of the ferrule exposing the blank's I.D.- now you will have created a sleeve from what used to be the ferrule. Then you can remove it just like a reelseat- use a Dremel or die grinder to grind a lengthwise slot on both sides of the ferrule (all the way thru the aluminum), heat the ferrule by submerging it in boiling water to soften the glue, then stick a wide-bladed screwdriver in one of the slots and twist with all your God-given strength to pop the two halves apart.

If you don't grind off the end first the ferrule won't break in two very easily at all.

Then re-prep the surfaces to be glued. Use heavy sandpaper if there's a lot of epoxy residue; use a finer grade if there's not too much residue.

In all honesty it's probably easier to remove the grip, but a new ferrule is a lot less expensive!!!

Good luck with your new and unexpected project- and don't forget that darned locking ring.

Tom

Quit agonizingover it and go ahead and cut te grip off and start over.

If it's any consolation, you certainly aren't the first to do this. Any newby (or old-timer not paying attention) has probably done the same thing if they work with the heavy offshore stuff.

Write the cost of the grip up as a learning experience. Continuing to worry over it only prolongs the agony. Cut it off and move on with building your rod. Hopefully, you learned the lesson attached to the screw-up.

Good luck finishing your prroject.

The quickest and safest way to do this is to cut the ferrule off and put a new one on. Also, less work and less chance of damaging the blank than removing the grip.

Don't heat the ferrule. Too much heat and you take a chance at damaging the blank at the most stressed point on the blank

I certanly wouldent heat the ferrule it would take to much heat and would damage the blank as Mike said. For the cost of a new ferrule its not worth stuffing the blank cant see the big problem deciding blank,grip or a cheep ferrule.

Stuart Mackenzie
Australia