installing Tips

[harrys]

What are you guys using or how are you installing your end guides / tips. I heat mine with a bic lighter and use hot glue but I almost always have a black mark on the tips from heating, To try and eliminate it I have tried heating the glue first put a dab on the tip of the rod, then I just heat the tip a little and slide it on then remove the excess glue. I have been using the Fuji silver CC guides

On the same area, does anyone know where you can buy these very small pieces of glue for installing tips, I got them when I would buy replacement guides from Kistler, they would send one guide and one glue piece, it actually fit inside the tube hole on the guide made it real nice simple and clean.

[setsail26]

I cut small pieces of tip glue with a razor blade. I put those in the tube, then heat the tip and put it on. I've seen where people put the tip glue in a glue gun and make narrow pieces to use. In terms of heating, you can use a cleaner heat source such as alcohol lamp or small butane or propane torch which should not turn things black.

[willwork4fish]

I cut small pieces of tip glue with a razor blade. I put those in the tube, then heat the tip and put it on. I've seen where people put the tip glue in a glue gun and make narrow pieces to use. In terms of heating, you can use a cleaner heat source such as alcohol lamp or small butane or propane torch which should not turn things black.

Same, I cut slivers of glue with a hobby knife and hold the tip with a pair of tweezers when I heat it up.

[cidgrad]

Slivers (or small tubes) of hot melt is the way to go. I do not recommend holding the top with any tool. You can overheat the tip and damage it. Holding it with fingers stops you from overheating. Some tops will fail after being overheated.

If you are getting burn marks - don't touch the flame to the top. Hold the tip top upside down (tube hole up), with glue slivers in the tube, and hold it beside a vertical heat source. You will see the glue melt, and as soon as it does... it's ready.

You can't buy the glue in small tubes like that. You have to make it. Shaving slivers off a bigger tube is probably easier.

[ECobb91]

I cut small pieces of tip glue with a razor blade. I put those in the tube, then heat the tip and put it on. I've seen where people put the tip glue in a glue gun and make narrow pieces to use. In terms of heating, you can use a cleaner heat source such as alcohol lamp or small butane or propane torch which should not turn things black.

same with me as well. Cut small slivers and stick them in the tube, heat it up with an alcohol burner and stick on the tip. When it comes out the top work quickly to remove it

[KennyVexus]

Here is what I do:
I take a rod tip glue stick and put it in a glue gun and run some streamers across something that it won't stick to. Then cut them up into pieces that will fit inside of the tip tube.
Then I take a bent pick tool and scratch splines inside of the tip tube. This is done from the opening to the tip as far as the tool can reach. These spline scratches (about 6 of them) will help prevent the tip from breaking loose from a rotational load.
Then 1 take a small piece of 150 grit sand paper and pinch it on the tip of the rod blank where the top will be installed and rotate the blank two revolutions. This makes a spiral scratch pattern where the glue will be and help prevent the tip from pulling off of the blank.
Then heat the glue stick and apply a thin layer on the tip of the rod. Heat the tube with the glue in it and assemble. This has seemed to help with tops staying put.

[harrys]

Well I have been gluing tips for many many years but you guys have given some great suggestions on ways to improve the process, I greatly appreciate all your advice, thank you

[JJohnSind]

If you don’t want the burn marks, use an alcohol lamp (burner).

[Paul Shibata]

Worked at a tackle store and installed hundreds of tips. As mentioned above cutting slivers is the way to go. By heating the glue filled tube of the top guide you'll help sustain the melting temperature of the glue. The stainless has enough heat capacity to slow down the set which will allow you to make the final alignment.

I'll share a funny story about tip-top guides. Had a customer mention that he broke his rod on the weekend and asked if we sold replacement tip-tops. "Of course we do" I said. "We install them for free so just bring in the rod and I'll do it right away". He proceeded to tell me that he didn't have the rod with him and was hoping to just buy the tip-top. I identified that they are sized by 64ths and it would be impossible to know what size he would need. I opened up the plano tray to show him hundreds of different tip-tops and mentioned that the tube needs to fit snuggly otherwise it could fracture the rod underload. The man was quite impatient and was becoming increasingly more angry at the thought of having to come back despite the explanation. He again asked me to sell him just the top, perhaps he was hoping for a different answer. Again I told him that I would be happy to sell him just the top. "what size would you like sir" I guess the logic pushed him over the edge.....

"Sell me the goddamn biggest tip you have!!!"
"I'll keep snapping the f$#@^& rod until it fits!!!"

This happened in the early '90s when I was still in graduate school, I still laugh out loud everytime I think about tip-top guides.

[zbass333]

Tiny dab of JB weld

[geodebasser]

I cut small pieces of tip glue with a razor blade. I put those in the tube, then heat the tip and put it on. I've seen where people put the tip glue in a glue gun and make narrow pieces to use. In terms of heating, you can use a cleaner heat source such as alcohol lamp or small butane or propane torch which should not turn things black.

I build a lot of my own rods. Setsail is spot on. You can get rod tip glue from Bass pro or Mudhole.com It usually comes in a red tube and looks like wax. I always use a Bunsen or alcohol wick burner to do any repairs because a Bic lighter will not burn clean and leave smudge everywhere.