So my not so bright brother-in-law snapped one of my favorite builds in two, about three inches in front of the stripper guide. Got it under the cleat as he was picking it up odd the deck.  Anyway, it’s a fairly clean break. A little work with an emery board and it matches up well. 

My question is: All the videos and write ups I’ve seen call for using an aluminum nail for the repair.  Is there any reason why a section of wooden dowel rod wouldn’t work?  I can taper one to match the rod at that point and I would think less epoxy would even up any difference in added weight.

Any  recommendations or tips are welcome. Other than tip replacement, I’ve never attempted a repair.

Do not use a nail or wooden dowel.  What this will do is make stress risers at the end of the relatively rigid reinforcement and most likely the action will have a flat spot and the rod will fail there.  The right way to do it is with an external sleeve made from a tubular fiberglass salvage rod piece.  Graphite will work but glass is better in order to match the flex of the graphite (since the sleeve is a larger diameter it will be stiffer than graphite unless you drop the modulus by using glass instead of graphite).  Instructions are here: https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/repair-oquinn.html

 

I have used this process successfully many times and have never had a repeat failure.  The rigid internal spigot is not a viable solution.

 

Those non-retractable cleats are a trap for clothing and rods.  Get some of the flexible polyurethane foam, about an inch thick, from some electronics packaging, cut a piece out that more than covers the cleat, then cut a slit in it to accept the cleat.  This will prevent the cleat from allowing a rod to go under it.  Easy on, easy off.  Looks screwy, but works.

THANKS. I was also considering using a section of glass rod internally, but I like this idea. 

The bigger diameter rods are stiffer with the same amount or less material, they have the potential of being far lighter for the same power. You double the diameter you get a nine times stiffer rod. That's why the external sleeve is the only way to go.

4 hours ago, spoonplugger1 said:

The bigger diameter rods are stiffer with the same amount or less material, they have the potential of being far lighter for the same power. You double the diameter you get a nine times stiffer rod. That's why the external sleeve is the only way to go.

External sleeve with lower modulus.  Like using a glass sleeve with a graphite rod.  One can buy glass tubes on line, not that expensive.  I don't know what their modulus is, but has to be much less than most graphites.  I've used them successfully.  They are cylindrical, no taper.

It depends where the break is. In the mid-lower section I think an internal splice with shorter over sleeve is the way to go.