I have an older 6 3/4 ft Horrocks & Ibbotson Queen Elizabeth Power Glas rod that has a broken top. I repaired it a long time ago with some stainless wire. I’ve decided to refinish the rod as the wrappings are coming undone and the thread is rotten. I will use the existing guides but need a tip top. How do I know what size to buy? Also, Anyone know what weight that rod is? Thanks for your help. Jim
Tube dia of tip tops are measured in MM so you will either need a tip top gauge which you can get from any rod building supply website, or just a pair of calipers or micrometer if you have one on hand. Measure the tip and see what MM is comes out to and that will be the tube size tip top that you will need to get for it.
Steve
Thanks Steve. I have a metric caliper packed away in my shop. I’ll find it and get it measured.
Tube I.D. mm (1/64”) 1/64 = .015
1.4mm---------(3.5) .0525
1.6mm --------(4.0) .060
1.8mm ------- (4.5) .0675
2.0mm --------(5.0) .075
2.2mm --------(5.5) .0825
2.4mm --------(6.0) .090
2.6mm --------(6.5) .0975
So if you mike your tip and find it to be 0.0825, you would need a 5.5 tip top.
To order you will have to use the (5.5) or whatever yours mikes out to be.
If the number you mike is not exactly the same size, just order one the next size larger.
I have done the math for those of you that did not understand the chart I put up.
I caution that sometimes when you buy tip tops you will find when you mike the ID they will be a bit smaller because of plating.
Not all manufactures clean them up as well as I feel they should.
Diane’s idea of buying at least 3 tip tops when putting together a rod. I buy at least 12 each of all the sizes when I make an order.
When I reorder I just fill my inventory back up. Course I understand this is not a good idea for those that build only one or two rods per year.
It makes things easier to open my inventory and try fit a tip top until I find one that fits properly.
The cool thing about tip tops is that they’re about a buck and change each. So when I lost one once in a river (yes, it IS possible to be this incompetent), I ordered 3: the one I thought would be the right one, one size bigger, one size smaller. The middle one got the job done.
One minor point about tip tops. In the US they are measured in 64ths rather than in mm. Go into a shop and ask for a tip top in mm and likely they will tell you that they don’t have them. Ask them for them by 64ths and you will not be looked at as if you are a candidate for the loony bin.
aged sage
Every catalog of every manufacturer that I use measures tip tops in 64ths, not mm. If you order a blank, the tip size is specified in 64ths, not mm.
I use a digital micrometer from Harbor Freight that will measure in both decimal inches and mm. Mudhole has a conversion chart that you can use to convert mm or decimal inches to 64ths. I use that chart often to size ferrules and winding checks, even tip tops when I don’t have a spec on the blank.
When you get the tip top get one that’s a little loose so there is room for the glue to bond to both surfaces. I use Ferrule cement or Fletching glue on mine so I can easily remove them when they get worn.
Misspoke… Obviously I didn’t mean MM, I don’t think anyone would want to build a rod with a 4.5 or 5mm tip size LOL…don’t know why I had MM on my mind for some reason.
Steve
Thanks for all the info. I also have a micrometer packed in my shop. Now that all the birthdays, father’s day, my anniversary and doing my civic service on jury duty is over I can go tomorrow and dig one out and measure the critter. Jim
OK, One more dumb question before I order the wrong thing. My guage measures in 32nds. The rod tip measures just a tad under 4/32s. That would be about 7/64s if my math is correct. According to Denny’s chart I would need a 6.5 tip top. Am I right?
I think you will find a 6.5 is too small - per Denny’s chart thats an ID of 0.975, while you measure the OD of your tip at 7/64, or 0.109. Unless there’s something I don’t understand, the 7/64 measurement means you need a size 7 tip-top… Someone please correct me if I’m somewhere out in left field on this!
All the best,
Cliff
Cliff, I agree. The mike he used just does not give him a fine enough measurement. I e-mailed him, suggesting he get a finer measurement in thousands. It depends on exactly what his measurement is. I would think he may have to go to either a 7.5 or 8. He is dealing with a broken rod and where he plans of placing the new tip top may be larger than we see in new builds.
1/32 = 0.031, 1/64 = 0.015 like I have in the above chart. one needs to measure about one 1/2 inch back from the actual tip so you can end up with a fit that will allow whatever adhesive you chose.
Another problem is not all manufactures make fly rod tip tops any larger than 7. So one may have to get a tip top that is not normally used on fly rods. I would order 3 tip tops if I had none in my stach. One the size I expected to need, then one the next size smaller and one one size larger.
I just take the broken fly rod to the fly shop (that also builds fly rods) in the Twin Cities (Minnesota) that is the Fly Angler, they recently moved. They just fit the correct tip top on the the tip section, and and then secure it with a melted glue stick. Cost is only a coupe of dollars.
My Cortland CL 6 wt, which use to be a 9 footer, is now 8 1/2 feet, and I think the missing 6 inches off of the top, has turned it into a great Smallmouth Bass Fly Rod…
Steven, Wish I had that luxury. Nearest store that may or may not have parts and such is 75 miles one way. It’s a BPS so finding what I need may cost me 30 bucks in gas for a .99 cent tip top. I ordered three. a 5.5 a 6.0 and a 6.5. Cost me $5. with S&H.
Denny and others who replied to this thread. I got the tip tops in the mail today. A 5.5 a 6.0 and a 6.5. The 6.5 fits like a glove. With a little glue it ought to be perfect. I went ahead and ordered new guides too so here I go. Oh yeah. Thank you all for your help. Jim