I think some (or many) of us have us have used the BPS Rod Balancers. They work well ... but for some rods, they're either too small or too big as it only comes in one size ... also, it's kind of expensive; retailing around $10-$12 depending on it being on sale or not. These two items bugged me. I have rods that require smaller butt caps and other rods that require bigger butt caps. So I've been searching for a solution. I think I've found what I'm looking for to solve both the cost and size problem.

Above shown on the right side of the picture is a very inexpensive item that can be bought from your local Lowes hardware store for $2.50 I think. It comes in a pack of four. This is the 1 1/8" size shown. But also available in 1" and 1 1/4" as well. To help with additional weights, one can use your US quarter and simple disc sinkers (with the loop cut out as shown in the picture) inserted inside the chair tip to add weight. These disc sinkers come in a variety of sizes (1oz, 1.5oz, 2oz ... etc); enough to balance any rod. The real cost of the kit is probably around a little over a $1 or so ... or about 1/10th of the BPS rod balancer cost!

Below is a picture of the same rod model with both the BPS Rod Balancer and the much cheaper chair tips.

I do the same, but I use a lead egg sinker that I flatten with a hammer. It takes up less room inside the chair leg tip and gives a better fit.

Actually that works very well. A friend of mine has been doing the same thing for quite some time. He gets those same pieces at Home Depot for a few bucks fr 4 I think.

Using chair tips as butt caps, both weighted and not, is fairly common practice for rod builders. Works well.

Yep love this trick.  Been doing it the last few years.  Works really well for worm & jig rods.  Balance the weight slightly to your end, too.

Even cheaper?  Cut off the butt cap with a single edged razor blade, stuff in the amount of lead needed to balance out the rig, and epoxy the butt cap back on.

flat washers are a lot cheaper than quarters.

flat washers are a lot cheaper than quarters.

Washers corrode.

flat washers are a lot cheaper than quarters.

Washers corrode.

after reading this i checked a rod that had washers for 2 season and they still looked like new. if a person is really worried i guess they could spend $.50 a pack more and get zinc.

is fairly common practice for rod builders.

Not necessarily so, mostly used by rod owners....

I know a lot of custom builders including myself that don't like the extra bulk, not to mention the ugly looks of an over sized cap.

We all like using the lead weights that can be purchased that fit into the blank by removal of the old original poly butt cap. Can also be inserted to balance at the time of a build upon request by the client.

Just an old builders .02¢

is fairly common practice for rod builders.

Not necessarily so, mostly used by rod owners....

I know a lot of custom builders including myself that don't like the extra bulk, not to mention the ugly looks of an over sized cap.

We all like using the lead weights that can be purchased that fit into the blank by removal of the old original poly butt cap. Can also be inserted to balance at the time of a build upon request by the client.

Just an old builders .02¢ [/quo

I agree, this is not a preferred method by any means. I don't think anyone would use this on a new build. But it is an old trick that works in a pinch or on a tight budget.

flat washers are a lot cheaper than quarters.

Washers corrode.

after reading this i checked a rod that had washers for 2 season and they still looked like new. if a person is really worried i guess they could spend $.50 a pack more and get zinc.

Why bother to drive to a hardware store just to get a pack of 50 cents zinc washers when Quarters are readily available around the house, saves you the drive . Besides you only one or two quarters at the most to correct the balance of a good rod. If it needs more than 3 quarters to correct the balance then you might as well just buy another rod.

flat washers are a lot cheaper than quarters.

Washers corrode.

after reading this i checked a rod that had washers for 2 season and they still looked like new. if a person is really worried i guess they could spend $.50 a pack more and get zinc.

Why bother to drive to a hardware store just to get a pack of 50 cents zinc washers when Quarters are readily available around the house, saves you the drive . Besides you only one or two quarters at the most to correct the balance of a good rod. If it needs more than 3 quarters to correct the balance then you might as well just buy another rod.

Besides they might come in handy for a phone call 

flat washers are a lot cheaper than quarters.

Washers corrode.

after reading this i checked a rod that had washers for 2 season and they still looked like new. if a person is really worried i guess they could spend $.50 a pack more and get zinc.

Why bother to drive to a hardware store just to get a pack of 50 cents zinc washers when Quarters are readily available around the house, saves you the drive . Besides you only one or two quarters at the most to correct the balance of a good rod. If it needs more than 3 quarters to correct the balance then you might as well just buy another rod.

Besides they might come in handy for a phone call

;D -- Good one B-Dozer!

flat washers are a lot cheaper than quarters.

Washers corrode.

after reading this i checked a rod that had washers for 2 season and they still looked like new. if a person is really worried i guess they could spend $.50 a pack more and get zinc.

Why bother to drive to a hardware store just to get a pack of 50 cents zinc washers when Quarters are readily available around the house, saves you the drive . Besides you only one or two quarters at the most to correct the balance of a good rod. If it needs more than 3 quarters to correct the balance then you might as well just buy another rod.

i would assume if a person is driving to a hardware store to get rubber chair tips a stop at the washers wouldnt be the worst idea.

if the rod is worth the extra washer/quarter/whathaveyou .......... i guess it depends on the rod.