Howdy. Just checking in from MO where I have some time on my hands. I haven't seen Mike THomas around lately but the rest of you guys will have to do :)

How many of you guys have completely stripped a blank, reel seat and all and re-wrapped it? I hastily wrapped a sweet All-Star 1208 for spinning and used it once. Too heavy with my Penn 5500SS and would be way better with a new 975CX or whatever the one with no levelwind is? I didn' t fish spinning once this season so I want to do that one and a Sabre 1209 that was a family or friend loaner.

So here are a few ? to begin. Can I heat the real seat to loosen the epoxy? It's two part epoxy. If not if I manage to get the reel seat off with my attitude adjuster can will acetone dissolve some epoxy on the blank?

Any and lots of info appreciated from experience. I asked this question in season but didn't have the time. Everyone has time in Missouri. Thanks guys.

East Tide

Hey Dave - didn't see you sneel this post in. How's the wild, wild west?

Mike is on his yearly sabatical - you can reach him by e-mail...

The only way I've heard to remove the seat is to remove it one small stretch at a time with like a dremel or something like that. That's a lot of work and when you rewrap it, you're still going to need new guides, that are going to have different spacings and you'll need to respline. When it's all said and done, one too deep of a cut and it's worthless. Seeing that you'll need to get new guides and a real seat anyway, why don't you just sell it and start from scratch? That might be your best course of action...

So how many vacations back east have you lined up for next year?

Good luck ...

Hi have not been around much out in a tree stand most of my time.

The best way I found to remove seats are as follows. First remove the grips and take off the lock nut from the reel seat. On the back side of the seat there is a groove running the length of the seat. In this area slice the length of the seat with a hack saw blade use caution not to slice into the blank.when you have done that get a large flat screwdriver and place it in the slice and turn .This should loosen the seat then slide the seat forward.remove as much of the old glue as possible with a file or razor blade and then use acetone for the final amount.If you can see where the old guides were lightly buff the blank with a Scotch Brite Pad.clean with acetone and coat the blank with U-40 Permagloss Urathane.

John, I NEEEEEDDDDDD fishing related projects and I have already stripped the guides and stuff. I am thinking about some trips home using last season as a guide, but then i look at my log books from the three years before that and can't detect any big fish patterns. Weird stuff. I'll just have to keep my ears on (eyes, but I like the Dukes) to the board and watch Slips every post. Plus there are always fish in the ditch!!! :)

Mike thanks. Speaking of tree stands; why waste the time. I've done some sporting clays and helped train my dads English Pointers but had never deer hunted. First time out west and I bag a 6 point 150 lb buck. Weapon of Choice---------> 1998 Jeep Cherokee Classic Fishing machine...... Yikes. Totaled front end in Ohio. ABout 5 k worth of damage. Hit it square doing 75 mph. Me and Cass ok though. I was joking with the Statie and asking him if I could keep it and stuff , or at least the rack. Next think I know he's back up interstate 70 kicking the bastard in the head. So my new rack will be mounted on my roof rack when I get it fixed. Hell if I'm living in the west I guess I gotta look it.....


Mike How do I apply the urathane or is it self explanatory??? One blank if fresh, the other is prety scratched up....Thanks


Thanks for the help guys,

Dave

Hi Mike hows the Hunting? You have mail but its old!

Mike and John, Thanks for the help!

If anyone has an old rod thats beat it's really easy to do. The reel seat part was a piece of cake, prying it off after making an incision lengthwise with a hand held-knife style hack saw type thingy with the teeth forward. Then just a little prying and off it comes. Getting the flex coat residue off was more time consuming, but with some acetone and scotch brite it was pretty easy.

Now I'm just building up a new rod wrapping table for MO and off I go. Color ideas??/ I've always been Blue/lt blue/ silver and one stealth and one black and gold with 975 but am considering new options......

Dave