Stuck ferrules, candle was and joint tape

[thorarinna]

Hi.

I know this has been asked before, but...anyhow I fire away.

On my new Sage VT2 two of the ferrules are stuck together.
I have tried "everything", had someone pull at the other end and twisting.
Tried hot water, cold water.
They just don't go apart.
I don't want to use too much force of course.
Any ideas?

I don't use candle wax on the ferrules because my problem is that they often go apart when I'm casting, maybe it's because of my casting style?

I was wandering if I should try to use candle wax and maybe also tape the ferrules to hold them together!
Do many of you do that (tape or wax)?

Thorarinn.

[Uncle Jesse]

When force doesn't work I have used putting the rod in the deep freeze around zero farenheit overnight.

[Betty Hiner]

And DON'T TWIST THEM!!! Pull straight!

I use canning wax. A very clean (no fragrances, or color added) wax, intended for canning fruits and jellies.

[AlbaSurf]

One thing that worked for me for sticking sections was putting an ice pack around the ferrule that is stuck for about 15 minutes, then it came apart relatively easily.

I have used ferrule wax specifically (it is probably just paraffin, bought it at FeatherCraft in St. Louis) and it works wonders! It doesn't make the ferrules sticky nor slippery, it fills in the little gaps between the two parts of the rod so that when you cast it it won't wiggle. When rods come apart while casting it's due to the repeated casting cause the rod sections to wiggle slightly back and forth almost imperceptibly until suddenly it will wiggle itself right off the rod with one strong cast.

Try cleaning out the ferrules and ends of your rod really well and then rub a little solid paraffin on the ends, you just need a thin layer, like the wax of an apple. Just see if it makes a difference and either way, let us know. Or, try it on a non-fly rod first. I tried it first with a cheap Shakespeare and I stopped casting my rod tip along with my bait!

Good luck!

[Silver Creek]

Go to Best Buy or an office supply store and get some "canned air", for example Belkin Blaster. Turn the can UPSIDE DOWN and spray the fluid right on the male part of the ferrule. Frost will form on the ferrule. Now pull apart. If that does not work, spray on the entire ferrule, then pull.

I carry an uncolored white birthday candle in my vest and use it on the made end of the rod ferrules.

[Gandolf]

Hi Thorarinna,

I have used plastic electricians tape to tape a ferrule together, as it had a habit of coming apart when casting. I just put the rod together as per normal, and then put a wrap of the tape around the joint. The rod is yellow, and I bought some yellow tape to use. It seemed to work great.

Regards,

Gandolf

[tigfly]

If they are still stuck together you might want to wrap tape around the pieces to build up a little better hand hold to pull them apart. I also would follow the advice of not twisting them.

[Panman]

Try this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e28jCUYCkU

[thorarinna]

YES, YES, YES, IT WORKED

You people are great, so many advices for my little problem.

The parts are too long for my fridge.
I tried the ice, it didn't work.
Put them on ice again and built the extra handles with tape, pulled (straight) and it worked

Interesting what AlbaSurf sais about the parts wiggling apart if you don't use wax.
I thougt it would be worse if I used wax.
I'm defenently going to find a good wax and try it out.
And consider using tape on the joints if they go apart.
And clean them of course.

Didn't see the video until they were apart.

Thank you all, this has been irretating me for weeks!
Thorarinn.

[Silver Creek]

The reason the ferrules stick is that a vacuum develops in the stuck section of the rod. You put the rod together in the morning when the air is cool. There is air trapped in the hollow section of fly rod above the stuck ferrule. It heats up during the day and the air expands and leaks out of the hollow rod section.

You might put the rod in the shade while you stop for lunch, or worse, dip it into the cold river. The air inside rod section contracts, pulling the ferrule tight and sealing it. Now there is a sealed vacuum in the rod section keeping the ferrule locked.

Ice the ferrule and you make the female and male sections of the ferrule suddenly shrink. They shrink at different rates and the vacuum seal is broken.