[troutless]

I have a couple well-loved rods that are starting to show cracks in the epoxy over the wraps on some guides, particularly on the lower and stripping guides. How concerned about this should I be?

I should say these rods get pushed pretty hard, distance casts with long, heavy heads.

 

[SFMike]

I don't think it's a big deal until the epoxy cracks all the way off and the actual threads start to fray. I have a couple guides on rods that are showing the same things as yours and I've been monitoring them for over a year. They don't look any better, but they don't seem to be getting any worse.

 

[rjb222]

I have a couple well-loved rods that are starting to show cracks in the epoxy over the wraps on some guides, particularly on the lower and stripping guides. How concerned about this should I be?

I should say these rods get pushed pretty hard, distance casts with long, heavy heads.

This is a super easy fix before things get bad. Take some fine grit sand paper and just take the shine off the epoxy. Get some diamond coat rod epoxy and mix according to direction apply with a cheapo paint brush rotate the rod until dry good like new.

 

[beulahnw]

Cracks?

Depends...

The cracks you are talking about are most likely 90 degrees to the direction of the blank and at the base of the guide feet.

This could be from a bunch of reasons: Hitting the rods too hard and hyper flexing the blank, Too much grain load hyper flexing the blank. The blank is going to bend only so far until it hits the re-enforcement from the guide feet. When something is the going to give, it is usually the finish at the base of the feet.

The last rec was good for a fix. The only thing I would say is: that resin dries pretty hard and may happen again shortly, in a while, after a long while. Maybe go with something that cures more flexible like AftCoat, ThreadMaster or any of the finishes designed to go on top of thread?

BB~

 

[middlecalf]

de-shine then flex coat

 

[roballen]

I have a couple well-loved rods that are starting to show cracks in the epoxy over the wraps on some guides, particularly on the lower and stripping guides. How concerned about this should I be?

I should say these rods get pushed pretty hard, distance casts with long, heavy heads.

do not use your guides as places to anchor your hands while taking sections apart... we see cracking because of that a lot.. also see it on rods that get fished in the bushes...
other than that your rods should see a few years of use before epoxy starts cracking...

 

[troutless]

Thanks all for the replies so far. The suggestions on self-repair are useful, though given my experience level in that area (zero), and that that these rods are ones I'd particularly like to avoid mucking up, I'd be more inclined to try to enlist professional help. That's a bigger endeavor involving loss of use of the rods for a longer period, so I'm still a bit at a loss if I'm at the point that's necessary or not. I took some phone photos which I attach below to give a more clear idea where these are. Thoughts, rod gurus?

I don't think it's a big deal until the epoxy cracks all the way off and the actual threads start to fray.

Pics below.

The cracks you are talking about are most likely 90 degrees to the direction of the blank and at the base of the guide feet.

This could be from a bunch of reasons: Hitting the rods too hard and hyper flexing the blank, Too much grain load hyper flexing the blank. The blank is going to bend only so far until it hits the re-enforcement from the guide feet. When something is the going to give, it is usually the finish at the base of the feet.

Mostly they are parallel to the blank. One crack is at 90 degrees.

do not use your guides as places to anchor your hands while taking sections apart... we see cracking because of that a lot.. also see it on rods that get fished in the bushes...
other than that your rods should see a few years of use before epoxy starts cracking...

Given the history of these rods I'd wager more on stress or load related issues as above, but as I am the second owner in both cases, this is still useful to know. These are not newish. At least one has I'd guess hundreds if not thousands of hours on it.

 

[beulahnw]

Boat Gunnels

Some or most of those cracks look like they may have been banged against boat gunnels coming in or out of the boat...maybe grabbed by tree branches walking into or out of spots, what Rob Allen said.

If the rods were mine I would carefully insert a razor blade where the void between the blank and the guide foot is...run it down to the end of the foot...peel off the epoxy...unwrap...clean up the blank...rewrap...refinish.

Brand New!

BB~

 

[roballen]

i don't see any damage that I would consider out of place for a well used rod nor do i see anything that would suggest the rods not be used... fish them til the off season then send then to a pro..

 

[Yeti]

Unless the threads are compromised I don't worry about it. I have caught very large big game species on rods that look way worse than yours. If you want to pretty them up the above tips are good. Otherwise I wouldn't worry about them...

 

[troutless]

Thanks to all for the insights! Very helpful and as usual answered questions I didn't know I had yet. :wink2:

 

[RJ ruwe]

The blank is going to flex, and the stiffer guide foot will not flex as much as the blank. Most cracks in the finish will happen at the tip of the guide foot. Some epoxies are a little more flexible than others, but all will eventually become very hard. If the thread under the wrap is not affected, don't worry about it. It is not a critical problem, just an eyesore to you when you want to admire your rod. If the guide becomes loose, then just cut it off and re-wrap it.

 

[wrx_canoe]

I completely disagree with all the advice. The rods are ruined. Send them to me to save them from the garbage...:laugh:

 

[GBrenowitz]

I have cracks like these on the stripping guides of several 2 handlers that I have made. They are always at the tip of the guide foot. I have fished these rods for 5- 10 years and haven't had any problems with worsening of the cracks or loosening of the guide feet.