| Re: cutting blank for unibutt
Ryan, Just cut it down to the length you need from the BUTT. If you trim several inches from the tip you will completely ruin the action of the blank. You will not be losing any backbone, the unibutt will be replacing the rear section that is cut off....the bottom 15'' or so, that doesnt flex on that blank anyway. The overall lenghth and action will still be the same. The best way to get the right length is to mark 5' 6" onto a table or the floor with masking tape,slip the tip top onto the blank. Lay the blank down with the tip at the mark, and lay the unibutt allongside the bottom of the blank so the butt end is on the opposite mark at 5'6". Mark the blank right at the top of where the butt is. Now ADD 3" to the blank from the mark you just made to account for the ferrule depth(measure the depth of the ferule socket to confirm the EXACT depth).Cut as square as possible, sand end and edges.
Find the spine on the blank, and mark on the top of the curve. Also, mark the top of the FIXED hood on the unibutt, top-dead-center above the foot pocket. You will need these marks to line up when you install the butt, so the rod will be on spine.
Yes, you will need to make a bushing to take up the space and center the blank in the ferrule. The best way is to machine a bushing on an engine lathe from aluminum, PVC, or hardwood. The simple way(and the most widely accepted)is to make two tight rings of masking tape around the blank. The ferrule will be about 3"-3-1/2" deep, depending on the unibutt. Lightly sand/scuff the last 3" of the blank and clean with denatured alcohol or acetone. Space the tape rings apart within the 3"-3-1/2" zone at the blank end. Wind the tape rings as tightly as possible to form hard bushings. Use 1" wide 3M scotch 2020 masking tape, or even better is the bright green 3M High adhesion masking tape. The green tape is a little thicker, to wind tighter without breaking. You want to size the diameter of the bushings so they slip fit into the ferule with a little resistance, not loose, and FIRM so they dont compress under load.
Next, unscrew the ferrule nut and remove the ferule from the butt. Clean out the ferrule socket with denatured alcohol or acetone. This is vey important...there is a film residue left over from annodizing that epoxy doesnt like to adhere to. At this point, since youre working with a bare blank, it is probably a good idea to seperate the nut from the ferule and remove th o-ring...just in case the glue gets messy....it can be slid down the blank and into place after any excess glue is cleaned up.
Double check the blank, make sure there are no obstructions inside, or at the tip. Blow through the tip to make sure air can pass through the blank...sometimes the tip will be plugged with finish. If it is, clear it out so air doesnt compress in the blank when you push the ferrule on with epoxy....it cab be very frustrating when the ferrule keeps pushing off from air compression while your trying to glue it on and waiting for it to cure, and this will allow some epoxy to flow up into the blank, helping to make a better bond.
The best epoxy to use here is good ole Flex Coat slow cure rodbuilders epoxy glue, or Devcon 2-ton. Avoid 5min epoxy for this. U-40 RodBond, PC-7, or other high strength paste epoxies work ok for this too, but I prefer a free flowing epoxy for this application to realease any trapped air, and completey wet and encapsulate the tape bushings.
Mix the epoxy, and pour into the ferule socket, filling it about 1/3. Use the mixing stick to completely coat the inside walls....set aside. Using the mixing stick, completely coat the end of the blank and bushings, making sure to to completely saturate the edges of the tape bushings. Holding the blank horizontally, rotate it with your fingers and blob enough glue into the gap between the two bushings to completely fill the gap...and then some. Keep the blank rotating to keep the glue from dripping off, and quickly grab the ferule and twist it onto the first bushing....keep turning the rod and use the bead of glue that forms as you slowly push the ferule on to fill the first gap completely, by slowly rotating and angling the blank so it rolls into gap. Continue over the next bushing and allow the bead to roll over the edge, and then push it completely on. Stand the rod vertical, pour some more epoxy in to fill the rest of the ferule and completely seal it off. Clean up any excess glue with denatured alcohol or acetone.
Once the glue is all cleand up, slide the nut down the blank and over the ferule collar, and replace the o-ring over the other end. Connect the butt to the ferule and tighten the nut. Allign the marks on the hood and the blank to orient the spine correctly, stand vertical in a corner until the epoxy cures. Dont forget to mark the ferrule collar on the same side as the reel foot pockets on the butt so you will know which way the blank goes into the butt in relation to the spine...in case you remove the butt to grip and wrap the rod.
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