Fixing Dad's Bamboo Rod.

[Bear742]

I want to fix my fathers old 8.5 ft. Heddon, HDH or D, 3 pc. bamboo for sentimental and practical reasons. Though I will not be using it extensively, I want to cast with it a few times for old times.

The problem is on the tip end of the center section. The bamboo snapped off at the base of the female ferrule. Simply, remounting the existing ferrule seems to me to be a bad idea because I would have to shave down the "new" end of that section a lot for it to fit in the bottom of that old female ferrule. Then it has to mate with the male ferrule on the old tip. That would weaken it too much. At least I know that on another Heddon rod, the center section broke again when I tried just reducing the top end of the section to fit the old ferrule. Any ideas?

Again, for sentimental reasons, I would like to do the repair myself. So let me thank you in advance for any offers to do the job for me.

The rod has been broke for at least 30 years. I figure I got 10 or more years to fix it before I forget how to wrap the thread around the base of the ferrule so it mathces the other windings. But I would like to get the job done earlier-ready for spring this year.

[dleo6446]

Heddon rods are known for some breakage at the ferrules because of the amount of power fiber that was taken away for the ferrules to fit, and you are right about trying to make the ferrule station work for the female ferrule, it would probably break again. There are some double step down ferrules out there that may do the job for you, you would have to measure them to see. I will try to remember where I saw them, and let you know.

[dleo6446]

Bear,
You may want to give Russ at Goldenwitch a call. here is an excerpt from his online catalog.

RESTORATION FERRULES

Restoration Step Down Ferrules (Skirted Female) for Montague, H-I, South Bend, etc. that have a 2/64 diameter difference between matching female & male joints. We stock popular sizes, but others must be special ordered.

RESTORATION FERRULES

Please note that since these are ?close-but-not-quite? for many ferrule designs made over several decades, you will have to modify the ferrule stations on your cane rods to accommodate minor differences between the originals and these superb quality replacements.

Whole sets are $10.00 more than comparable standard Super SD ferrules (see chart at left); half sets are $7.00 more. Males are 0.001? oversized.

Tell us the male slide diameter, and we?ll send the

[Bear742]

Thanks for your quick replies. I was soaking this question for a while in case there were other replies. The reason for the breakage and the step down solution all make sense. I was working another step down solution when I posted this. I did not want to bias the answer by mentioning it before others responded.

I found a "repair ferrule" that will fit the top of the middle section with hardly any sanding. Luckily the old female ferrule fits inside the new female ferrule with barely any play. Right now I am planning to modify the old female ferrule to use as an adapter to go from the new female ferrrule to the old male tip ferrule. Glue and/or thread wraps will fill the gap. Since the old rod bends slightly "every which way" already, I am not worried about getting the adapted joint perfectly straight.

What do you think?