Broken bamboo tip

Question
Hi,
I enjoy buying,refinishing and using bamboo fly rods. Every once in awhile I come across a broken tip section, not a split they're easy to fix, but an actual break. My problem is that I don't want to shorten the tip section. Some of these breaks are from use/misuse and some from age and dryness. Is there any way to repair these breaks while making them still fishable? I don't have the equipment, material or ability to make new pieces to scarf into the tip section to make it to original length as described in the bamboo rod making books I've read. The breaks are usually about a third down from the tiptop.
Ed

Answer
Ed,
Scarf is the preferred solution.
It depends if you have the broken part or not.
If not then I build a new tip. Most put the tip top  back on. There's not alot you can do , it's why they sold the with extra tips.
I have been known to sharpen both ends of some thin stiff wire - 6 inches, +- 1 inch- imbed it in the center of both sides of the break, glue , then put a false wrap of 6X tippet .
This will increase the action of your rod or stiffening it.

If it is a blow out not a clean break - there is a procedure to carefully place each piece back in place and glue. Also need a false wrap on this. It is described in  detail in The Fine Bamboo Fly Rod: A Master抯 Secrets of Restoration and Repair by Stuart  Kirkfield.

Most of these solutions have problems. the rod will probably break again.
You might ask this question at rodmakers list serve http://www.canerod.com/rodmakers/

Here's the kind of thing you can expect from the internet:
http://www.bamboorodmaking.com/html/repair.html

I have heard this question on Clarks, too
http://clarksclassicflyrodforum.yuku.com/



Luck,
Mac

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