Changing a slide band reelseat to a uplocking.

[Thomas]

As some has seen I am selling a st croix legend ultra 4 weight new,the reason I found a 1998-2001 circa pre-ips legend ultra 2 PC 4 weight,the only problem it was made with a sliding ring not up locking like my 5 wt.
How can I change it to a up lock,can you cut the back of the reel seat off just above the flared end with the metal buttcap and buy something like a bellinger 660 up lock hardware and fix it or will it need to be cut off at the front hood and the insert taken out .

[kbproctor]

To do it right, the slide band seat will have to be removed in it's entirety and the new seat and insert mounted in it's place.

[Goduster]

You are probably going to have to remove the mortised insert. If you have a picture of it I would like to see it and I will see if I have anything in my Lemke stock that you might be able to use.

[Thomas]

I would take a pic but it would be in my gallery and I don't think I can post the pic from there,this site doesn't support that.It is like a struggle u2 where the wood flairs at the butt section and has a titanium cap on the butt.These old st croixs had pacbay reel seats in titanium finish and also had pacbay sic strippers and tic single foot guides.

[Goduster]

So email it to me to info@southwestcustomrods.com

[Thomas]

I tried the boiling water and plastic bag I submerged the seat to the hood then pulled,nothing.I then tried going from hot to cold water,tried it and nothing.Guess this will be one for the corner to collect dust until sold for a hundred bucks...

[kbproctor]

This must be done with extreme care. Use a Dremel tool with one of the little cutoff wheels and cut a slot in the seat lengthwise on 2 sides about 1/8 to 3/16" deep. Insert a flat blade screwdriver into the slot and twist the screwdriver. DO NOT PRY! The seat should pop or break along the cut. Repeat on the other side. You may wind up only removing half the seat. In that case, go back to the heat to soften the glue. The seat isn't insulating things anymore so it should come loose pretty easily.