How to Epoxy a Reel Seat Onto a Fishing Rod Blank
How to Epoxy a Reel Seat Onto a Fishing Rod Blank
If you search for a "How To" on installing a reel seat, you will find many different answers. You will see that a lot of people use masking tape as a shim to center the reel seat over the rod blank. This may work well or it may not. I don't know for sure because I never use masking tape on tuna rods or shark rods. I like something a bit stronger. It's always better to go stronger than needed for a margin of safety.
If you use masking tape as a shim on a big game fishing rod, you have to make sure you fill all of the space between the rod blank and the reel seat with epoxy. This will provide a complete adhesion of the rod blank and reel seat. The masking tape shims are not "anchors" or used to hold the reel seat to the rod blank. They are only spacers.
The better way to glue or epoxy a reel seat to a rod blank is to use fiberglass "mesh" tape used for fixing drywall cracks. This mesh tape will hold epoxy in it and become one with the epoxy. It forms a really super strong bond. Fiber glass mesh tape comes in a few widths that are useful in fishing rod building, 2 inch and 4 inch. Most heavy duty reel seats are over 4 inch in length so you can use 2 sections of the 2 inch or one section of the 4 inch.
So how do you use the fiberglass mesh tape?
You need to wind the mesh tape around the rod blank until the reel seat slides over the mesh tape without any wobble or play. Do this twice if you use the 2 inch mesh or once if you use the 4 inch mesh. Now use a piece of masking tape to hold the mesh tape end tight on the rod until you're ready to epoxy it.
Epoxying The Reel Seat
Mix the epoxy together thoroughly. Now take the masking tape off of the mesh tape and unwind the mesh tape. Now apply the epoxy to the mesh tape while winding the mesh tape onto the rod blank. When you get to the end of the mesh tape, slide the reel seat over the mesh tape to hold it while you epoxy the 2nd mesh tape shim. Do the same procedure to the 2nd mesh tape shim and slide the reel seat over the 2nd shim. Epoxy should over flow when you slide the reel seat over the mesh shims. Just wipe off the epoxy from the reel seat.
When the epoxy cures inside the fiberglass mesh tape, it will become one and the bond will be very strong. The reel seat and rod blank will be permanently bonded. It's the strongest adhesion.