Chapmans 500 refurbishment

[Badger]

Here are some pictures of a Chapman 500 I picked up a couple of years ago. I was just starting out buying vintage cane rods and I probably paid too much for it for it in retrospect. The cane and cork look good to me, as does the label and ink. It's the rod rings which look cheap, some of the smaller ones are tarnished and the butt and tip are not agate / agatine lined. The bag is a not a Chapman's.

My question is, what would you get done and how much for budgeting purposes do you think it would cost.

I don't have the skills, space , tools or materials to do it myself

[Ljm183]

The butt and tip ring on your rod look original , the inters look to have been changed at some time , i would fit agate lined butt and tip ring,s with new inters and then varnish. Give this man a call for an estimate
http://www.vintagefishingtackle.net/ROD ... IR-SERVICE

Steve is also a member on here.

[MaggotDrowner]

You do have the tools. All you need to change the guides is a knife ( I use a kitchen knife), a pair of scissors, and a paint brush! No specialist tools are required. If you have the dexterity sufficient to tie a knot, you have the dexterity needed to whipp a rod. Materials you will need: eyes (full set about £15 for Hopkins and Holloway), thread, sealer (my preference is thinned banana oil) and varnish. All these things can be bought for my less than the cost of a professional refurbishment and is so much more rewarding.

How to whip. This guy turns the rod on his knee. I use two cardboard boxes, each with a V cut to hold the rod.



For more info see how I restored my Floatcaster:
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=7305&p=127096.

[SeanM]

If you're going to have it restored I'd have it done as a deLuxe. These had agate butt and tip rings and (I think) one more ring than the standard.

The rod looks to be in reasonable condition so it's definitely worth having it restored.

[Ljm183]

If you're going to have it restored I'd have it done as a deLuxe. These had agate butt and tip rings and (I think) one more ring than the standard.

The rod looks to be in reasonable condition so it's definitely worth having it restored.

Yes the de-luxe has an agate butt and tip with an extra ring on the tip section.
Or you could have it rung as a 550 with an extra ring on the butt section as well as the tip.

Have a look here viewtopic.php?f=189&t=5890&start=20 for one i restored to de-luxe spec.

[Badger]

You do have the tools. All you need to change the guides is a knife ( I use a kitchen knife), a pair of scissors, and a paint brush! No specialist tools are required. If you have the dexterity sufficient to tie a knot, you have the dexterity needed to whipp a rod. Materials you will need: eyes (full set about £15 for Hopkins and Holloway), thread, sealer (my preference is thinned banana oil) and varnish. All these things can be bought for my less than the cost of a professional refurbishment and is so much more rewarding.

How to whip. This guy turns the rod on his knee. I use two cardboard boxes, each with a V cut to hold the rod.



For more info see how I restored my Floatcaster:
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=7305&p=127096.

MD, thanks for the encouragement and it is something. I definitely want to have a go at whipping just not on this rod ! I tie a few flies so have some dexterity with thread

Nice Job on the Floatcaster btw.

[Badger]

Thanks for all the information and advice. I never thought about getting it restored as a De-Luxe but that makes a lot of sense. I do love any kind of restoration project on vintage and classic items, especially the before and after pictures which I promise to post !

Thank you

Badger.

[Nobby]

Yes, you have the original 500 there, whioch was built down to a price, but only by using cheaper tip and butt rings and one less intermediate ring on the tip section.


Chapmans today say it was an attempt to be competetive still against cheap imports coming in from France and America, but worry not...it's still good cane and that light aluminium handle makes it a lovely rod to hold all day without it feeling tip heavy at all.

It's based on the lighter Walker Mark IV Avon rod, but doesn't have the change in taper halfway down the tip section that the Walker rods had as Chapmans thought it inappropriate in the lighter rod. It might also be that they were keen to keep the price down as well

As a result the 500 has a lovely through action that means it is very sought after and they are indeed no longer cheap to buy.


MD's right though....they really aren't a tough rod to refurbish. Provided the ferrules are still up to scratch you're just looking at whipping on some rings and a coat of varnish. The choice of rings and their number, the colour of the silk is all for you to decide.


The ever helpful Chapmans have the details on their site of the 500 and 500 de-Luxe ring positions:

http://www.chapmanblanks.co.uk/wordpress/?page_id=730



You can't spoil it, what ever you do can be re-done at a later time if you so wish and it will work. The first ring I whipped on was done with ordinary sewing cotton and coated in metallic green Hammerite paint. It lasted 27 years until I re-furbed the rod in 2004....and I did a pretty awful job then too........

[MaggotDrowner]

Indeed, as Nobby says, any mistakes can be re-done later. I too was nervous and so practiced on an old glass car rod. You could always practice whipping on a garden cane. If you done have one laying around they are cheap enough from the garden center or B&Q etc.

[MaggotDrowner]

The first ring I whipped on was done with ordinary sewing cotton and coated in metallic green Hammerite paint. It lasted 27 years until I re-furbed the rod in 2004....and I did a pretty awful job then too........

It worked though, and that's the main thing. I asked my Grandad why he repaired the glass rod with garden twine and he said "I was brassic and wanted to go fishing. The repair made that possible. I didn't care what it looked like as long as it worked again."