graphite rod repair

Question
I've read your instructions for repairing a Shimano graphite rod[11/03/2008].I recently broke my Loomis IMX lite 4wt above the ferrule and am considering a similar repair.My questions are:why did you caution not to use graphite sleeves and secondly what would be the risk of foregoing the outer sleeve?

Answer
Hi John,

I assume you do not have, or do not wish to use, the Loomis warranty.  They would likely replace the broken section for a nominal fee or perhaps even free of charge?

These are very good questions.  Thank you for asking.  I'm going to send you to the source of knowledge on this topic right after I give the short answers.

Answer #1...To make the repair and not create a shear point that will simply result in another break in the rod, you must use a material that has a lower modulus of elasticity than the graphite.  For fishing rod applications that material is fiberglass. Any section slice from an old fiberglass rod that closely matches the taper of the area around your break will work just fine.  If you were to use graphite for the repair, the rod would break again at the same spot.

Answer #2...The outer sleeve is actually the most critical part of the repair.  You do not want to omit this piece.

My company, Black Dog Tackle, is one of several sponsors of an online discussion board on custom rod building at "www.rodbuilding.org" which also includes a library of useful articles.  These articles have been prepared and submitted by experts in the field and are free for anyone to use.  You do not need to be a member of the discussion board to read the articles.  Membership is free and registration is painless; in case you want to sign up and join in any of the discussions.

Go to www.rodbuilding.org and click on the "library" button.  Look for the article entitled "Rod Repair" and open it and read it.  This was written by Ralph O'Quinn, arguably the foremost expert on this topic anywhere today. If you follow the guidelines as explained by Ralph in this document, you can't go wrong in making a repair on a fishing rod. Plus, he explains in detail the what, why and how of making repairs to graphite rods far better than I ever could.

If you study the technique and then try the repair, and run into any problems...contact me at [email protected] and I will help you figure out the process.

Thanks,  Joe