Replace Guides

My buddy asked me to replace the guides on an old Eagle Claw fiberglass noodle rod, well I suppose it's a noodle rod.

What is the easiest way to remove the old guides?

Will the rod be able to stand up to my torture?

This is a cheap rod, would it be worth the effort?

Thanks. I never attempted this before on a fiberglass rod.
Bruce

Razor blade along the guide feet, peel the wraps off. CAREFULLY shave any remaining epoxy off. There will be residue. Cover it with the new wraps. I have heard that Zinsser Power Stripper in the spray can will work to remove the remnants. This blog post describes the process. I would be VERY careful with this as it can and will damage the color surface of the rod if left on too long. If this works for you, you can avoid trying to shave the excess off and the potential for blank damage at that point. If it is old enough, the thread may be covered with varnish rather than epoxy which comes off very easily.

Maybe, if you don't tear it up with the razor blade or leave the stripper on too long.

Again, maybe. The primary value will be in the learning process.

Hi Bruce... Last year I did the same job on an older Eagle Claw 'glass 10 wt rod. I did as Kevin suggested, cutting the old wraps right at the guide feet with a razor blade. then, carefully removed the wraps with my fingers. The rod was Yellow in color, and the wraps were finished with rod varnish, not epoxy. the wraps came off easily enough. Then, I removed the rest of the residue with a cotton tee shirt rag and 'Goo-Gone' I got it at a hardware store. I rubbed hard, ti all the residue was gone, and the blank looked no worse for the wear. It had steel ferrules, and I polished them by spinning the blank in a lathe, and using jewelers rouge on a piece of split leather. I never removed the ferrules from the blank. The rod was a high quality rod in it's day, and I got a lot of info on it from Wright & McGill via Email. I also brightened up the cork using cork cleaner, and hand polished the brass Eagle Claw medallion on the grip. I used Gudebrod thread, and got a close color match to the original. You'll do well, I'm sure... just be gentle.............Dan