Happy New Years Everyone,

I know bamboo isn't a huge topic on this board but I thought I'd give it a try as the bamboo chat boards aren't very active. I'm not a big user of bamboo...my Dad just happened to find one lying around in the basement (Montague Flash 8'6" 3/2)

My question is that the butt to mid-section metal ferrule joint is too tight. I can't even get the entire male section into the female section.

Anyone have any suggetions? Also, what is the best solution if too loose.

Thanks in advance,
Preston

There is a wealth of bambo info on this board, the topics just don't come up too often.

If you have an older rod there is a good chance you are dealing with some minor corrosion, or one of the ferrules has been slightly crimped at some point, which would prevent them from going together. We should assume that they did fit well at some point in their lifetime.

Try polishing the ferrule mating surfaces to remove any foreign matter or corrosion. Check for any identations or crimping as well. Make sure to clean out the inside of the female ferrule as well.

Your ferrules are old so I am betting the fit can be restored with some thourough cleaning/polishing.

New ferrules are a bit different. Most all ferrules should be hand-fitted when they are new. This is usually done with something like 800 grit sandpaper (I like the silicon carbide paper for this). You want to determine how far the ferrules will already fit and begin the fitting procedure at that point. DO NOT work on those areas that already fit. Drape the sandpaper around the ferrule and lightly squeeze it with thumb and forefinger and twist/turn the ferrule a few times. You are not trying to fit the entire ferrule at the same time, only a short section - the section that will not yet slide into the female ferrule.

Clean with a soft cloth and recheck the fit. It should slide a bit father in now. Move up to the next area and repeat. This "fit, clean and try" sequence is slow going but is necessary if you want a good fit. You must be careful not to overdo it - you want a snug fitting ferrule, but one where the male section slides in fully to the female section.

Once this is accomplished, go back over the male ferrule with 1000 grip paper in the same turning/twisting fashion, but only enough to get a smooth finish. Again, do not overdo this.

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First make sure the ferrules are clean. Work on the female with a Q-tip and alcohol. Montaque ferrules are soft and check yours to be sure they aren't out of round. After that if they are still too tight, polish with nothing coarser than 4/0 steel wool, go slow, your dealing with a fine ammount of polishing to get a good fit. Most Monty ferrules are also plated brass and you will probably be polishing off the plating. For loose ferrules the quickest fix is wax on the male.

Preston,

Advice you have received already is right on the mark. I input a detailed process on one of the rodbuilding boards a few weeks ago. I include a short essay on how to fit ferrules with every rod I make. If you'd like a copy, I'll be glad to send it to you, or anyone else. Just let me know.

Harry Boyd
www.canerods.com

While we're at this, I will mention you can also restore some degree of fit to loose ferrules by using a tubing cutter with a very, very dulled bit. Make one revolution at intervals around the top, mid and bottom, depending on what area is loose, and under moderate pressure, and you can usually restore the fit enough so that the rod is again useable. The ideal situation is to install new ferrules and fit them properly, but this will get you by in a pinch.

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I shrink quite a few ferrules back to size doing repairs and restorations. A self centering lathe chuck is best, but I've also used drill chucks. It takes a lot of care and is time consuming, but it's useful for ferrules that are hard or impossible to find.