The metal ferrules of my new rod are way too tight, it is a real pain to push them together and almost impossible to get them apart (and yes I tried the old rub them on your nose trick…)
Any ideas?
Should they be replaced?
Thanks as always
Get a bar of soap(white) and rub in on the male ferrule before you put the rod together. Works like a charm.
raw, and just why did you put salt on them? (nose trick!) As you just bought a new cane rod, I guess that is what you are talking about. A pain. Yes. But, they are supposed to be tight. Sometimes, darn tight. A light slick of soap is not a bad thing. Be glad they are not lose! What brand was it anyway?
Oh, your nose has sweat, and oil. NOT what you want on the rod. 
Sometimes if you use a piece of bicycle tube (2" square each) in each hand and hold the rod behind the knees, and separate your legs it will free most sticky ferrules.
SweetStreamS
You say metal ferrules, are you talking Bamboo? If you are, they will be tight at first, and also, if it is bamboo, never twist the connection.
I haven’t had this happen to me very often, and from time to time I put a little wax on the ferrules (like ice skate wax), but the few times it has happen I put some ice cubes in a plastic bag, then place it on the connection for a couple of minutes.
FG
Same as Ray’s advice. I always carry a bar of soap in my reel case.
Mike
I thought candle wax was the way to go? Am I wrong?
not for the ones on cane rods. Use the wax for graphite rods tho.
As has been said dry bar soap, or pure paraffin, for metal ferrules that are tight, if you have a loose ferrule then use beeswax or traditional bow string wax and it will keep things tight. The best solution for a loose ferrule is to have it replated and there are folks out there that can do this. Regards…
Raw:
I assume we are talking about nickel silver ferrules?
IF your rod has nickel silver ferrules; most quality nickel silver metal ferrules are dressed or adjusted for fit by the rod maker after they are installed and it is possible yours are just TOO tight depending on when they were fitted. I have seen it many times. Nickel plated BRASS ferrules; the type found on older less expensive rods, are a totally different story. Brass ferrules never fit the way nickel silver ferrules do so using wax on them sometimes is the only way to get a good fit.
First of all understand that a metal ferrule is supposed to be tight. The SUCTION fit is supposed to be CLEAN metal against CLEAN metal and go together smoothly and come apart the same way with a distinctive pop that is one of the sweetest sounds in fly fishing. Also as has been mentioned by others, NEVER TWIST, just pull straight apart and the rubber pad trick can help GREATLY!
When it gets warmer you may REALLY be in trouble since metal will expand. Adding wax or other lubricants; which in effect makes the ferrule fatter, may help you get them together but make them even harder to get apart. Nose oil like the man said contains body salts and acids and will over time damage ferrules. Wax collects grit and dirt and grit can loosen the fit after a while. Metal ferrules are SUPPOSED to be clean so if you need to put something on them, the fit isn?t right.
The first thing I would suggest is cleaning off both sections of the ferrule with alcohol to make sure they are super clean the way they are supposed to be then check them for fit. If they are still too tight, I would polish the male portion with a high quality cream silver polish like Maas or Wenol and check the fit again. The polish will take off any oxidation or impurities and remove a micro-minuscule amount of metal thereby helping the fit.
If the ferrules are still too tight after the polish treatment I would send the rod back to the builder to have the ferrules fit adjusted or send it to another competent bamboo rod builder to have the fit adjusted. I have seen people break rods, rip off guides or pull ferrules off a rod when they are too tight. Yes it is possible to dress a too tight ferrule set yourself. I have dressed many in my life and it isn?t hard but if you do it wrong, you will ruin the ferrules so I won?t offer my technique.
The bottom line is if the ferrules are too tight you will have anxiety over using the rod and will not enjoy it which is the reason you got it in the first place. Don?t be afraid to get it back to someone who can make it work the way it is supposed to, IF it is not the way it is supposed to be now.
Thank you for all the advice.
Seems after all of that the ferrules are just too tight.
How much is it to replace or fit the ferrules better and does anyone have any recommendations about who can do this.
It is an inexpensive bamboo rod.
Thanks
Raw, would you please give us the brand, model name, age, actual retail value when new, and what it cost you. These facts may make a difference as to whom you go for a fix. Thank you. Oh, boozle, really nice response!
Is this a new rod, or a “new to you” rod?
It sounds to me as if the ferrules are dirty.
A little rubbing alcohol on a q-tip used to clean the inside of the female section may help.
I don’t mean to hijack but this seemed like the appropriate spot. I have an old fenwick fiber rod that has sticky ferrules. Twisting is often the ticket (as is suggested on the actual rod blank) but sometimes it doesn’t work nor does the holding it behind the knees method. Suggestions? Same as graphite?
It is a bamboo rod.
No markings.
Its brand-new but If I had to guess it is some old no-name rod stripped down and restored.
I paid very little for it (like 50 dollars).
It happens to be a nice looking rod and has a nice action to it.
I don’t know anything about it, I bought it from a guy, who got it from a guy who restores rods etc etc…
Raw:
The ferrules shouldn’t need to be replaced, just dressed down a bit. If somebody charges you to do it, I wouldn’t expect to pay too much; it is about as complicated as sharpening a knife.
Is there any chance of getting in touch with the guy who actually did the refinish/rebuild? If not what I would suggest IF no other rod builders with ferrule experience on this board offer to help is to hang on until the Somerset, New Jersey Fly Fishing Show, January 26-28. Since you are on the Island; getting there wouldn’t be too tough to do.
There is always a ton of bamboo rod builders there so you can take your rod to a few for an opinion and possibly one of them could fix it right there. Plus you can get yourself all worked up to buy another rod. Besides, with winter upon us it’s not too bad waiting till then to get it fixed right. It’s not like it’s prime bamboo rod fishing season here on the east coast right now.
Good luck and keep us posted!
I have always heard that you should use soap on cane rods and wax on graphite rods. QC says the same thing. Now O.W. says wax is OK on cane. Maybe it really doesn’t make any difference at all. Go back to the ‘nose trick’ I guess.
JC,
When Jim Schaaf inspected my Dickerson 7613 that I sent to him he was kind enough to take care of 2 wraps which were too dry to rejuvenate and when he shipped it back there was a package with it. The package consisted of 2 blocks of pure paraffin, several sheets of lint free cloth, some Q-tip like swabs (believe they were meant for cleaning recorder heads and don’t fall apart like a Q-tip) and instructions. The instructions were simple:
-
Never twist ferrules, if the snakes do not align straight unjoint them and rejoint them again.
-
Use lint free cloth and a tiny amount of alcohol to clean male ferrules, swabs for females, if needed, being careful to not get any on the varnish.
-
Rub ferrule with pure paraffin by simply rubbing across the ferrule as you rotate it (male ferrule) dry bar soap may be used also, do not apply to female ferrule.
I keep this packet with me when I do rod appraisals and there is also a bar of soap that I have added, a container of beeswax which is used for loose fitting ferrules and a tiny piece of 0000 brass wool which only gets used on rods which have growth on them from decades of sitting.
I generally grab the bar of soap first as it was what I was taught, old habits die hard much like the old nose method I cringe over when I hear it said.
Regards…
plain candle wax/paraffin has been my goto forever.
IMO the norm for lubricating ferrules is to use a wax of your choice. I use a parafim candle to lightly rub the male ferrules of all my rods. Ferrules should fit snug together so they will not work loose or you risk breakage at that joint. 