Is thread at the tip top purely decorative, or is it necessary for strength? Also do you guys usually run the thread over the base of the tip top or stop flush with it?

7 hours ago, Lead Head said:

Is thread at the tip top purely decorative, or is it necessary for strength? Also do you guys usually run the thread over the base of the tip top or stop flush with it?

Yes, decorative, however some builders wrap up onto the tube.  I do not, I don't like the transition, so I just stop at the tube.

I usually just stop at the tube, too, but if I lived in a hot climate and my rods were exposed to "hot car" temps I would wrap over the tube.  The wrap with its epoxy will keep a tiptop from moving if the hot melt gets too hot.

Thanks guys, it gets pretty hot down here so I'll put thread at the tip. Do you think just running some epoxy over the end of the base is sufficient or should I go ahead and run a few wraps up on the base?

I use 5-minute epoxy on my tiptops, so that's another reason I don't worry about wrapping the tip.  After a couple of instances when tips melted off in my rodlocker, I switched from the hotmelt.

Have you ever had to remove a tip top that you put on with 5 minute epoxy? Been researching it and I'm seeing mixed comments. Some say you will damage the tip with the heat required to remove 5 minute epoxy, some say you won't. What is your experience with it?

Removing tiptops that were put on with any epoxy is a challenge to do without damaging the tip of the rod.  It can be done, but I would leave it to a pro.

 

The wrap over the tube for about a 1/4 inch or a little more if you can get it will be much stronger than just epoxy.  Sort of like plywood- the two components work together.  If you don't use color preservative the epoxy will penetrate the thread a little better and bond tighter to the tube.  

 

If you use hot melt that was designed for fishing rod building you'll have the best chance of not having a heat problem.  Not all hot melts melt at the same temp, and the ones meant for rods melt high enough (usually) to stay on in a car.  

 

The interior of a car in AZ gets up to about 140 F, if I remember right.

I don't use heat to remove the epoxied tops, I carefully slice the tube with a Dremel and peel it off.  Yes, some heat is generated, but not like holding a lighter or alcohol lamp under it.

 

Actually it's more like grinding the tube with the face of a cutoff wheel than actually slicing with the edge.

Ahh... I see. Thanks for the input guys! 

To remove tips applied with epoxy, use your teapot. Run a paper clip through the eye of the tip. Add a rubber band to the clip. Fire up the teapot, and hold the tip in the steam whistling from the teapot. Pull on the rubber band. The tip will come off. May take up to a minute.

 

Around 240° F is where you get into the temperature range that will damage rod blanks. Steam will not be over 212°F.  

 

Keep your fingers out of the steam! 

1 hour ago, .ghoti. said:

To remove tips applied with epoxy, use your teapot. Run a paper clip through the eye of the tip. Add a rubber band to the clip. Fire up the teapot, and hold the tip in the steam whistling from the teapot. Pull on the rubber band. The tip will come off. May take up to a minute.

 

Around 240° F is where you get into the temperature range that will damage rod blanks. Steam will not be over 212°F.  

 

Keep your fingers out of the steam! 

That's a great tip, is the epoxy soft enough to wipe off with a towel?

On 4/24/2019 at 10:00 AM, Jigfishn10 said:

That's a great tip, is the epoxy soft enough to wipe off with a towel?

No, but you can scrape it off with an old credit card, or something similar. Do not use a sharp metal tool.