Sully -

I would like to suggest that you DO continue to participate in conversations regarding ANY and ALL subjects on the forum. Venues such as this, suffer greatly without participation by a wide variety of insights.

In order to hopefully resolve this issue, I sent an e-mail to a friend to clarify his viewpoint on the matter ... since you referenced him in a redacted post.

He issued the statement below SPECIFICALLY for this forum AND based on the comments made within this particular thread. I sincerely hope that this information will be accepted in the manner it is intended - as helpful information to promote the craft of rod building.

Jim -




"In a recent issue of RodMaker Magazine, we discussed ferrule reinforcement wraps in an article titled "Ferrule Reinforcement Facts". In the article I mentioned that for many years now, most multi-piece blank manufacturers have internally reinforced their ferrules with glass thread. These types do not necessarily require any sort of external reinforcement with thread nor anything else. In fact, of the dozen or so blank manufacturers we spoke to, less than half stated that a thread reinforcement wrap was required on their multi-piece ferrules.

Some of the manufacturers that we spoke with and quoted in the article as stating that their ferrules did NOT require any external thread reinforcement were: Composite Tube Systems, St. Croix and Burkheimer. Companies that recommended a thread reinforcement wrap be made included Sage and Seeker.

However, no blank manufacturer that I know of puts any kind of advisement or recommendation on their blank packaging (a real shame) so the average rod builder really has no way of knowing whether the blank he's holding requires such a reinforcement wrap or not. For this reason, it's a good idea to add one, remembering that it's the edge of the female ferrule edge where any split out has to start. So it's important to get your wrap as close to the edge of the ferrule opening as possible. Some find it easier to start at the edge, while others wrap towards the end. Either way is fine, just remember to make the wrap fairly snug - perhaps just a little tighter than your regular guide wraps.

As far as the length of the wrap, I settled on a length that is equal to about 1/2 to twice the diameter of the ferrule opening. This "formula" has sort of stuck and been repeated as a sort of gospel across the internet and in rod building circles. It certainly provides more than adequate length for the reinforcement wrap but it was based on nothing more than a desired to provide a consistent aesthetic look for my multi-piece rods. It's the 1/4 to 1/2 inch of thread at the bottom of the female ferrule that counts - the rest is just extra length."

Tom Kirkman
RodMaker Magazine
http://www.rodmakermagazine.com

International Custom Rod Building Exposition
http://www.rodexpo.com