[Tinker]

The middle two sections of a four-piece rod are stuck and I can't get them to separate.

There is paraffin on the male ferrule. I've tried leaning it against the wall in case it's caused by water. I've tried leaving it in a warm location. I've tried the behind the back trick. That's my repertoire.

Any suggestions would be truly appreciated.

(P.S. I don't want to glue it together to make a 1-piece rod )

 

[Red Arch]

Break the rod, send it in for warranty.

 

[GSIEGEL]

This trick sounds weird, but I have unstuck some pretty badly stuck rod sections using it. It safely allows you to use additional leverage.

Basically, put the rod behind your knees- in a sitting position- with the stuck ferrule between your knees.
Firmly grasp each section with your hands- one outside of each respective knee.
Apply leverage by moving your knees outward- against your firmly gripped hands.
Pieces of non-slip shelf-liner type rubber may help get a more positive grip.

 

[KerryS]

Break the rod, send it in for warranty.

I actually did this once. Not on purpose but in an attempt to free the two stuck sections I crushed the ferrules. It was a Sage rod and I sent it back to Sage with a full explanation of how I crushed the ferrule. They replaced the two sections no charge.

 

[mtskibum16]

I did some searching on this a while back because I had a rod I was certain I had turned in to a 1 pc (leaving it assembled through a season in the salt). There's a good two person method if you search online. I ended up running the stuck ferrules under warm water for a bit, then was able to separate. I think my problem was mainly from salt bonding.

 

[mtskibum16]

I actually did this once. Not on purpose but in an attempt to free the two stuck sections I crushed the ferrules. It was a Sage rod and I sent it back to Sage with a full explanation of how I crushed the ferrule. They replaced the two sections no charge.

I did the same thing once. I was trying to remove the tip section, and I twisted (supposedly a no-no). The tip section spiral fractured. Sage repaired it with no questions asked. I really need to get better at taking my rods apart after each use! haha

 

[Joshua L]

I've used ziploc bags of ice with success. Fill bag with ice, let it sit on the stuck section for a while, then try and separate.

 

[mtskibum16]

I've used ziploc bags of ice with success. Fill bag with ice, let it sit on the stuck section for a while, then try and separate.

Even better would be to ice the male section and run warm water over the female. That should get it done.

 

[Tinker]

This trick sounds weird, but I have unstuck some pretty badly stuck rod sections using it. It safely allows you to use additional leverage.

Basically, put the rod behind your knees- in a sitting position- with the stuck ferrule between your knees.
Firmly grasp each section with your hands- one outside of each respective knee.
Apply leverage by moving your knees outward- against your firmly gripped hands.
Pieces of non-slip shelf-liner type rubber may help get a more positive grip.

That was my behind-the-back trick, but I didn't have anything handy to keep my hands from slipping. I'll try it again. Thanks!

 

[Tinker]

I did some searching on this a while back because I had a rod I was certain I had turned in to a 1 pc (leaving it assembled through a season in the salt). There's a good two person method if you search online. I ended up running the stuck ferrules under warm water for a bit, then was able to separate. I think my problem was mainly from salt bonding.

Warm water can't hurt. And I can get it warmer than letting the furnace blow warm air over it. Thank you.

WARM WATER WORKED! You are now in my Will. Thank you!

 

[Tinker]

Even better would be to ice the male section and run warm water over the female. That should get it done.

Uh, would this require that the sections already be separated so I could heat/cool each of them? But hey! I'll try anything at this point. Thanks!

 

[Joshua L]

If the ice doesn't work, run it under hot water, try it, ice it again, try it again. Shrinking expanding might loosen something. Good luck!

 

[mtskibum16]

Warm water can't hurt. And I can get it warmer than letting the furnace blow warm air over it. Thank you.

WARM WATER WORKED! You are now in my Will. Thank you!

Glad it worked for you!

Uh, would this require that the sections already be separated so I could heat/cool each of them? But hey! I'll try anything at this point. Thanks!

Not really. Wrap an ice pack around the male side right where it goes in the ferrule and let it cool for a while, then run warm water right over the female side (ferrule). The male end will contract and the ferrule will expand.

 

[Steve Saville]

For what it's worth. DON'T do warm water! Scientific info will tell you that cold causes just about everything to contract or get smaller; heat causes expansion. I was just at the Sage factory this past week and the subject came up while on a tour. The Sage folks place those type problems in a freezer for a while before attempting to separate sections.

 

[Tinker]

I'm glad, too. It's an old rod, but I still like it best for lake fishing.

I figured out the heat and cold method two minutes after posting my "Huh?" and if warm water alone hadn't done the trick, it was next on my list.

Thanks guys!

 

[freshie]

I had a similar problem and my buddy told me to get the rod cold and then try pulling it apart. He suggested the tub, I just stuck it outside on the back porch during a cold snap and it pulled right apart.

 

[kmudgn]

Two if all else fails methods:

1. Use a drill with the smallest bit you can work with on the female side of the connection above where the male end is seated. Opening up an airway into the chamber can sometimes relieve the vacuum, or hydrolock which can be created when you put the sections together.

2. Another extreme method is to use PB Blaster on the lip of the female end and let it drip overnight into the stuck connection by putting the rod in a position which will let gravity move the solution. The big problem with this method is that the solvent can (will) take the finish off most rods and is especially bad on bamboo varnish.

These are both last chance procedures, but do work.

 

[Gary Thompson]

to keep this from happening again.
The oil off your nose applied to the male section also clean female section with a clean dry Q-tip

 

[ZNUKE14]

I saw my friend do this after 5 of us tried to get a rod unstuck. It is worth a shot!

 

[Tinker]

For what it's worth. DON'T do warm water! Scientific info will tell you that cold causes just about everything to contract or get smaller; heat causes expansion. I was just at the Sage factory this past week and the subject came up while on a tour. The Sage folks place those type problems in a freezer for a while before attempting to separate sections.

By carefully trickling warm water only on the female ferrule, it expanded just enough to separate the sections before the heat could penetrate and cause the male ferrule to expand - graphite being a reasonably good insulator.

I have no doubt Sage knows a lot more about it than I ever will, but if heat expands and cold contracts, and the problem is that everything is already too tight, I wonder why freezing both ferrules would help any more than heating both ferrules? Perhaps it has more to do with the graphite and epoxies than thermodynamics? Not that it matters since the sections are freed, but I'll remember how Sage does it the next time I have jammed ferrules, and your warning might have saved someone's rod.

Thank you, Steve!