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Bamboo rod resotration

Rod Building 
1K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  sourdoughsmitty 
#1 ·
Hey guys, I got a old Montague bamboo rod. It feel fairly heavy. Its a 3 piece that appears to be 6-7 weight. The tip peice is slightly bent out of shape. Is there any way to fix the bend in the bamboo? I also would like to take of the guides, clean them, and re-wrap them onto the rod and put on new epoxy to present to my grandmother, or to use. This would be my first build, any help would be aprreciated.
 
#2 ·
I'm a novice too but if the rod means anything to you (sentimental value), then I'd possibly start with a cheap grafite rod. You can get a Rainshadow for about 35 bucks. See www.allaboutthefly.com. I think you can bend the tip back by heating it up. I'd google 'fixing bent tip on bamboo rod." See what comes up.
I'm new to rod buildiing and I'd like to refinish a bamboo rod myself, so let us know what happens along the way.
Cheers,
Frank.
 
#4 ·
Oly, the bend in your rod is commonly called a "set", pretty normal in older rods. It is caused by the weight of the line and pressure from use. If the set is a pretty sharp bend then the bamboo may be split or separated, if that is the case the only repair is a wrap or replacement. A set may be straightened with heat but is a risky process, to much heat and the bamboo separates or burns and becomes brittle. Better to not risk it, Old Montagues don't have a lot of value other than sentimental and the nine footers are like casting a telephone pole so my advice is to clean it up, get some silk that matches and rewrap the guides if you want, don't use epoxy, use varnish, and hang it on the wall. There is a ton of info out there on refinishing bamboo rods if you do a search. Remember, original is best and refinishing diminishes the value.
 
#6 ·
Refinishing bamboo is a lot of fun. I have done a 9' Horrocks-Ibbotson and it is a horrific fishing rod, but it looks awesome! If you want to do it, then do it. It'll look nice on the wall. Then you might manage to snatch a nice fixer-upper on eBay someday and be able to refinish it into a beautiful fishing rod as well as an excellent fishing tool. If you do end up doing it, have fun with it.

http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/board/showthread.php?t=51152&highlight=bamboo+restoration

http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/board/showthread.php?t=54282&highlight=horrocks+ibbotson

-Ethan
 
#7 ·
I just remembered something else... If you aren't sentimentally attached to that rod (and it's a 9 ft. rod), you can try to make a 'banty' rod. Just strip the top two sections down to the blank and build it up like a normal rod; just dropping the butt section and using only the middle and tip. You'll end up with a short bamboo rod of equal or lesser line rating. Often times this will vastly improve the actions of some of the old mass-production rods like a lot of the Montagues, Horrocks-Ibbotsons, etc.

Just another thing to consider...
-Ethan
 
#10 ·
Redwood,

Assuming you are rebuilding bamboo rods, the traditional finish for the blank and the wraps is spar varnish. Two really good products are Pratt & Lambert R-10 "varmour" and the more commonly available Helmsman polyurethane spar varnish. For blanks, most rodmakers have a dipping setup, where the blank is lowered into a PVC tube of varnish, and then extracted slowly, either by hand or with a motor. The wraps are varnished with a small brush. When I finish rods this way, I first apply 3-4 coats of varnish to the wraps, and then dip the rod three times, sanding between coats. Between dips, the rod is hung in a reasonable dust-free cardboard wardrobe box heated with a 200 watt light bulb. By dipping over varnished wraps, you get a very smooth finish and transition between the blanks and wraps.

You can also apply varnish to the blank with a brush, though it's more difficlut to get a smooth finish..

Another system that works well is to apply several coats of a rub-on finish, such as Birchwood-Casey Tru-Oil (the stuff used on gun stocks), or Daly's Sea-Fin (Teak oil used on boats). I actually prefer this type of finish , as it's lighter & less glossy. You rub several coats into the blank, then wrap the rod and varnish the wraps.

I don't see any reason why perma gloss wouldn't work, but it would probably be expensive to buy enough to fill a dip tank, and it may be tricky to ge a smooth brush-on finish with it. I'd stick with the proven methods.

Hope this helps.

Tom
 
#11 ·
:)
Montague got a reputation as being dead sticks etc, however they also made some high end models that were equal to grangers and leonards of the time. I currently have 3 salmo weight fly rods a manitou top of line , gaspe and a tobique. the tobique was made in the 20's early 30's and if you are in tune with the casting stroke of bamboo it is a pleasure to use.
r/e the set in your tip borrow your wifes blow dryer and using medium heat warm up the entire section do not overdo this or you will possibly loosen the glue used ,force it gently in a straight profile and let it cool repeat this until you are hppy with it.
this would be a good time to use an old trick and tht is to wrap the guides on the other side of which they are now this reduces the stresses put on by lines. the best way to finnish your rod without a dip tank is to :
1 make notes on all guide positions and strip them off
2 strip the varnish from the blank ,a note of caution here if you use "jasco' or other strong types be careful on how long you let it sit.(possible delamintion ) try one of the "green "types of stripeers out there or q tips and acetone
3.after stripping and cleaning the blank go to your local ace hrdware and get a can of spar varnish small can if possible , taking mineral spirits wipe down the blank and let it dry pour off some varnish and thin it 50% put the container in hot water to warm it, now brush on light coats until you have the finnish you want i use imitation steel wool between coats 24hrs! if you have done this right you now have a nice smooth glassy blank go back tto your notes and wrap on your guides again use warm thinned varnish for the first 2 coats then full strength from there patience is a must .
when it is ready to fish take it out and lwn cast it with modern lines go one weight lighter as they are built heavier than the old silk lines experiment to see what you and the rod like .above all relax bamboo is a slower medium then the congealed snot ( nathaniel hershoffes remark on what he thought of fiberglass when ti first came out ) if you overpower it you will be disappointed if you let it work for you it will be a pleasure.:beer2:
soory for the long rant what the hell fix it fish it smitty
 
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