Since as usual I couldn't find my rig for preparing the bore of reel seats for gluing, I noticed my (about 1/2 in diameter at the big end) Dream Reamer still on the drill/driver. With a 4 inch length of ScotchBright wrapped around the reamer it can be fed into the bore, the drill turned on, and it stays stuck to the reamer as the reamer rotates. Therefore quickly roughing up the bore in a few seconds.

I thought it might help others if they've not already discovered this.

Hello Michael.

Been there done that, I have also grabbed a wooden dowel and a dremel tool with a cutting wheel on it, cut a grove in the end, tore off a piece of scotch bright shoved it into the grove stuck the other end of the dowel into my drill and had at it.

Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

Michael,
In all of the years of rod building, I will admit that I have never ever scuffed up a rod blank, nor have ever scuffed up the inside of a reel seat.

I will also say that I have never ever had a rod returned to me because the glue bond failed between the blank and the reel seat.

Take care

Roger, never change a winning game.

Depends on what you build for. I for one would do all i can t make certain that the seat will stay attached when fighting a 50lb striper or a 100 lb tuna. But thats the way i think.
When you build for bigger fish the loads are certainly different.
We had a walk on take an open spot a a charter a few years back and he had a seat break loose on a factory rod. Pretty sure they did not prep the surface. I had to steady the reel while he fought the fish.It was landed but it was a chore.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

Given that best practice (water break free surface) requires maybe an extra minute, it only makes sense to do it.

....................

A friend of mine recently had a high end maker fly rod grip come loose from the blank. I wonder if they prepared the blank surface, or was it simply insufficient epoxy?

That's a good idea Mick. I'm gonna use it. Thanks.

Another thing that works well, if one can find it after setting it up, is to use a shotgun gun cleaning rod (one length, not the whole thing) with the patch holder end in your drill driver.. ScotchBrite fits into the patch slot very nicely.

that's what I couldn't find.

Roger you just made my night. I first read about preparation of the blank/seat shortly after assembling the handle for a new rod I was building. It was a heavier rod, and used a metal reel seat. I became super worried about the bond breaking. I felt a little better after reading a comment from Tom, indicating it was likely the rod manufacturers never do this prep-work either. But it see,ed like speculation. It's good to hear from first hand experience.

That being said I do intend to scuff up all future builds!

Randy,
I do not minimize my use of epoxy when gluing up the reel seat. I am always very generous to a fault when it comes to getting a complete layer of glue on the entire length of the glue area on the blank as well as the inside of the reel seat, before sliding it in place. I also generally work the reel seat up and down a bit as well as round and round a bit , to insure that I have not left any unglued areas of the reel seat to blank bond.

Be safe

Wait , your time is coming!!!It will happen someday.