split in bamboo fly rod

Question
QUESTION: How do you repair a split about six inches in the middle of a bamboo rod?  It is split all the way through the last section starting above the ferrule on the last section and extending one inch below the eyelet. It is exactly in the middle of the rod which is 3/16" wide. Thanks so much for your help! Would you recommend a type of glue, and using a small diameter needle to spread the gap to get the glue in the middle of the rod?

ANSWER: Hi Brian,

This is not a simple repair.  First, you must determine the problem.  I will assume by split that what you are describing is a separation along the original glue line between strips of bamboo.  If the split is due to the rod section being crushed or an actual break in the bamboo, I suggest you contact a professional rod builder in your area with experience repairing bamboo rods. That's not a bad suggestion in any case, but I'll give you some advice as if this were a separation or delamination as it is called.

Delamination (separation) of the bamboo strips along the original glue lines can occur for a variety of reasons.  Most such problems occur due to improper storage and/or lack of proper care for the rod.  The original glue can dry out over time, the separation can be related to dry rot (a serious issue) caused by storing the rod away while it is wet, prolonged exposure to the elements, or even exposure to extremes of heat and cold in a relatively unprotected storage environment.  Delamination can be one or more of the bamboo strip junctions losing its adherence to the adjoining strip.  I've seen cases where all six strips simply detach from each other and the only thing holding the rod sections together are the ferrules.

I will assume your rod has experienced delamination along two of the six strip joints where those two are opposite each other thereby making it appear as if the rod has a split down the middle. If the true situation is other than this, let me know.  If my assumption is accurate, here's what you can try.

Remove the guide (eyelet) immediately adjacent to the delaminated area.  To do this you will need a razor blade or Exacto knife.  Cut the thread by sliding the blade along the top of the guide foot.  This will insure that you cut only thread and not bamboo.  Peel the thread away from the guide foot and remove it from the rod.  Thread wraps beyond the guide foot will probably come loose if you unwind the thread around the rod past the end of the guide foot.  You will need to remove all of the thread so you can rewrap the guide later.  If there is a trim wrap (i.e. a small wrap of a different color) at the end of the wrap holding the guide foot, remove it as well.  Note the color of thread for both the guide foot and the trim wrap.

Remove the ferrule.  The ferrule may be pinned as well as glued.  Start by removing the thread wrap adjacent to or covering the end of the ferrule.  Do this in the same manner as the guide by cutting the thread with a blade and peeling it away from the ferrule.  Remove any trim wrap as well.  Look very closely for any small, round object that is imbedded in the metal of the ferrule that extends over the bamboo.  If there is a pin, it will be no larger than a typical straight pin and will be about 1/8 to 3/16 inch long.  It will be pressed into a small hole in the ferrule and into the bamboo to reinforce the glue used on the ferrule and it will be filed flush with the surface of the ferrule metal.  If you find a pin, take a small punch and a very light hammer and drive the pin slightly into the rod.  Just enough to clear the thickness of the metal on the ferrule.  For the next step you will need a ferrule puller and a heat source (either a heat gun or a hair dryer).

To make a ferrule puller, measure the outside diameter of the ferrule.  Drill a hole about 1" to 2" from the end, and right in the center, of a 10" long piece of 1" X 2" wood; make the hole the same size as the ferrule measurement.  Using a power saw, slice the piece of wood lengthwise directly through the center of the hole.  Use a small piece of leather or canvas to make a hinge on the end of the piece of wood nearest the hole.  This will allow you to open the device, insert the ferrule and close it like a pliers to put pressure on the ferrule without damaging the metal like you would if you used pliers or some other type of gripper.  You only need to be able to grasp the ferrule when it is hot and pull the rod section away from it.  You don't want to damage the ferrule as it will need to be replaced on the rod and it will need to work properly again.

I have one student who uses oven mitts for this job.

Next, apply heat to the ferrule.  Use the lowest heat setting on the heat gun or hair dryer and warm the ferrule only.  Do not get it too hot and do not apply the heat directly to the bamboo.  Every few seconds, insert the ferrule in the ferrule puller and try to move it and the rod apart. It will take a little while and once it is ready, it will go quickly.  What you are doing is actually heating the glue holding the ferrule in place and making it soft enough to flow again. Once you reach the right temperature, it will slip apart easily.  Let everything cool down.

Next, you need to inspect and clean out the delamination area.  The delamination will probably extend all the way through the end of the bamboo rod that goes into the ferrule.  If not, you should be able to open it on through the end of the rod section without much difficulty. Gently, very gently, pry it apart from the end just enough to make sure it is only the joints between the two strips that need attention.  Assuming this is the case, gently clean any dirt out of the joints...you can probably do a decent job by passing some 400 or 600 grit sandpaper back and forth to clean the joints.  You are not trying to remove any of the bamboo, just clean it up a bit.  Once you have the area clean enough to accept new glue move on.

First, get a bottle of rubbing alcohol...isopropyl...in either 70% or 91% solution.  Get a hand full of coffee filters and plenty of old newspapers or a work surface you can drip stuff on.  The alcohol will clean off any excess epoxy glue, the coffee filters do not leave behind any lint, the newspapers catch the slop and drips.  Have a coffee filter soaked in alcohol ready when you start to apply the glue.  Also, get some heavy thread or light twine and have it handy.

You will need to use a two part epoxy glue that is at least water resistant to reglue the strips. You can find a brand called LocTite at most hardware stores, Home Dept, Wal-Mart, etc, get the 5 minute version.  Mix the glue (50/50) on a piece of aluminum foil, shiny side up, stirring it thoroughly.  Take a small toothpick or (as you said) a needle and spread the glue inside the split.  Get as much in there as you are able.  Squeeze the strips together and wipe off the excess glue from the rod and your fingers.  Wrap the entire length of the repair with the heavy thread or light twine.  Make the wraps snug and right against each other so that it looks like the last few inches of the rod secion are covered entirely in this heavy thread.  More glue will squeeze out between the wraps...leave it.

Set this aside and let it dry for 20-30 minutes.  The glue sets in 5 minutes, but it won't hurt to let it set a bit longer.  When dry, remove the heavy thread and any glue that comes with it. Clean up the rod surface by removing any left over glue.  Try to get as smooth as you can.  You may want to use some of the 600 grit sandpaper.  Try not to remove too much of the rod finish, just smooth it up.

At this point you should have the rod section glued back together and it should feel solid.  I would test it lightly by applying some pressure in a light bend to make sure it holds.  Don't overdo the pressure at this point.  Now you need to put the parts back on and do some wrapping and finish work.

Glue the ferrule back in place.  I normally use tiptop and ferrule adhesive to affix ferrules to rods.  This is because it is easier to remove the ferrule if you ever need to again...and you alomst always do need to for some reason.  You can buy this at any rod building supply company; I usually get it at Angler's Workshop in Woodland, WA. (a good place to buy your thread as well). This is a heat sensitive glue.  Use your heat gun or hair dryer to soften it and apply some to the rod end.  It will set up when you remove the heat.  Position the ferrule at the rod end and reapply heat to soften the glue as you slide the ferrule in place.  The ferrule will get hot so lean it against a block of wood or the edge of a shelf and push the rod into the ferrule.  Remove any excess glue and you are done.

You can use the LocTite on the ferrule if you wish, but it will make it very hard to remove the ferrule later.

Next, apply what is called a reinforcing wrap, also called an invisible wrap.  This is a thread wrap covering the entire length of the repair area.  The reason for doing this is to add a reinforcement to the glue job you just did and protect against any other delaminations that might occur in this area. Normally, I use white or pale gold silk thread for this wrap.  It should be wrapped as you would any guide foot wrap and should be packed closely together.  This means you want to lay each wrap down next to the last one and using a pick or packing tool, press the wraps close together.  In this case you will probably put the reinforcement wrap from the ferrule all the way past the location of the guide that needs to go back on the rod.  The reason for using white or pale gold silk is that those colors will turn essentially transparent when the rod finish is applied...hance the name invisible wrap.

Once you have the reinforcement wrap in place, you need to reinstall the guide and wrap it in the rod colors and rewrap the ferrule end in the rod colors.  You did not say, but I am also assuming you know how to wrap the guide feet and the ferrule; and make the wrap for the reinforcement. Apply any good two part rod finish epoxy (this is not a glue) or a light coat of varnish over all of the threads you wrapped and you should be done.

I've made a lot of assumptions along the way from the nature of the split to the level of skills you possess.  There is surely a great deal of detail omitted from the descriptions I've provided. If this seems like a task you can do, I'll be happy to answer questions along the way as you try it.  It really is a process of taking your time and paying close attention to details as you do the work.

You can always find a rod builder to do the work for you.  You can also consider attending my Rod Builders Institute and learning the skills needed.  You could bring the rod along as a project to work on in addition to the class work.

Let me know how I can help.

Thanks,  Joe

Rod Builders Institute - rod building classes - contact me at [email protected] or [email protected] for details.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks so much for the advice.  Is it possible to since the split does not go all the way to the ferrule and guide feet to just put some epoxy in the split and work it up and down through the split? The other area seems to be glued together ok.  Please advise me on how to rewrap the guide feet and ferrule.

Thanks so much for your help!

Answer
Hi Brian,

Let's go back to the first comment where I said this is not a simple repair.  If all you do is work some epoxy into the split the likely outcome is that the rod, when put under stress like casting or playing a fish, will break along that split line...probably collapsing and splintering the bamboo.

If I were doing the repair, I would do at least all the steps outlined previously.  It is very important that you make certain you have assessed all of the damage as thoroughly as possible before effecting any repair and that you make the repair as permanent as possible to avoid future failure.

Wrapping guides and ferrules and the reinforcement wrap all utilize the same techniques.  If you don't already know how to do this, you need to practice before you do the wraps on the rod.  You will need to acquire rod wrapping thread in the proper colors to match the rod and in white or pale gold for the invisible wrap.  Older bamboo rods are typically wrapped using silk thread (size "00" will work fine) and finished with spar varnish.

Wrapping is an acquired skill, but not too difficult to learn.  You can access an online class introducing basic rod wrapping free via the Rod Builders International web site.  Once on the site follow the links for Continuing Education and go through the short class.  You can do it all from your computer.  It's a good class and includes photographs along with the detailed descriptions.  If you have any questions or problems regarding the class, contact me at [email protected] and I'll help.

In the final analysis, it's your rod and you are certainly free to do as you please; but I would advise against taking shortcuts on this type of repair.  If it is going to succeed and return your rod to use, it needs to be done as well as you can do it.

You still have the choice of finding a local rod builder with the experience to do the repair.

Thanks,  Joe

Rod Builders Institute - rod building classes - contact me at [email protected] for additional information.