Aspindales how many bits make a rod?

[Nobby]

There has been some speculation that Aspindale were known as just that, then 'and Son 'and later still as 'and Sons'.... it makes sense, but I have no dates.

There is also speculation that there was a brother left and struck out on his own. This is not the source of Bernard Sealey rods also, it seems, trading as Precison Rods, but it might be something to do with Falcon Rods of Redditch, some of whose rods seem to bear identical names and product numbers.

I've never heard of either a Suredale or a Severndale with two tops, I can only think that the same feller owned both rods and liked to diversify......either that or he was as clumsy as me.

[Kenkroy]

Well I may answer my own question as I plan to start the stripping of the Suredale tonight,(subject to if I can get my garage warm enough)
The Severndale looks like it will fish and so be it. Rods are for fishing... roll on weekend.
I will post some pics of the restoration progress as I can.
Ken

[Kenkroy]

Started the rebuild Well all seemed well.

Carefully photographed and measured the rings, spacing, whipping,eyes, size, setting, ferrules and wrote it all down.

Rings coming off,could save the butt and end.Looking good :thumb: but something was just not right.Investigated a small area of varnish which came off pretty easily then.
Did that move?
No cant have done.Its the light.
Bit more varnish off, slurp of tea.That moved. No your paranoid.
Next section.Rings off.Done
Butt section.Rings off.Done.
Put them all together,nice curve.
Quick waggle seems fine. :thumb:
Next the intermediates,first one of the middle section as the top is a bit fragile and its getting late.No problems.
It moved,no it didnt.
Yes it bloody did,but thats only a little crack.
Couple more intermediates and hey presto we have a rod kit. (or some kebab skewers) :hide:

[Nobby]

Ahhhhh! Tiny spot of delamination there, it seems.

This is a job for Cascamite!

Looks awful, I know and it sure is in at the deep end, but it's fixable. In fact with an old rod you never know how well it's glued....yours however, in a weeks time, will be perfect, glued with modern glue and far more trustworthy.

It just doesn't look it at the moment.

[Kenkroy]

Nobby,
Cascamite ordered
Should I take the rod to bits completely or should I just do the sections which have split.
Can you use masking tape to bind the rod or is string the way forward.
Being a fisherman I am hopeless with knots.
Ken

[Nobby]

I would say you need only do the split parts, but to be sure that they are the only delaminating parts. Putting a scalpel blade in the gap and twisting slightly should take you up to the good glue.

I'd use the same trick to open the split to get glue in there once you've cleaned it all up, perhaps applying the glue in such a tight spot with a toothpick.

You need to apply a fair and even ammount of pressure whilst the glue goes off and I don't think masking tape will do that...nor might it come off afterwards too easily.


Just get some ordinary old-fashioned string of the thinner type, perhaps from an ironmongers if you can still find one. Tie a loop in the end, say 19mm or 3/4" when pulled closed.

You can then slip this loop over the rod section, whip over the loop and then start your whipping down the rod and then back up again. Apart from the whip to hold the loop, just do an open criss-cross there and back and then just tie onto the loop again, with a couple of half hitches.

Undo the hitches the next day, or sooner in Summer and pull the string off. Take care if you are removing it from a tip section, but it should come away OK if you support the cane either side of the string with a crooked finger.

I actually put a bit of dowel across at the end of the first whip ( it looks like a spar on a mast)so that I can come back down again twisting in the opposite direction, to reduce twist, but nobody else does this as far as I know, so I'm probably over-complicating it.


You may well find that there are some bends to be straighten-out over a candle flame afterwards, just practice on some old rubbish or a bamboo swewer to get the feel of it. I was surprised and comforted to learn that this happens to even the professional rod builders and it wasn't just me who found the blank a bit wonky when the glue was cleaned off.


I'm no expert, having only dared to try this in the last year, so perhaps someone who has done more will be good enough to go over this and comment.


A picture speaks a thousand words:

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=gluing ... 125&ty=101

[Kenkroy]

Well Cascamite came so I decided to start the fixing of the minor de lamination.
I run my thumb nail down the split.............now I have a fan :chuckle:
One thing for sure if I do manage to stick it back together it will be solid,but this is going to take some time.
I am thinking of making a jig up using a flat board and pins or pieces of wood so that when I do get to stick it all together it might set in a reasonable straight line.
I will also have to work out if I need to or can remove the existing glue without damaging the very fragile sections of cane.
Ken

[Nobby]

Ah. It's a bad 'un alright. At least you found out now before doing a load of work and having it break on you whilst fishing!

The old glue should scrape off very easily...it ain't doing much is it!


Toothbrushes, thin knife blades and the like, particularly a blunt scalpel blade, should help.

I think pinning or clamping it to a straight board is a fine idea, but the string, which you must use, is going to get in the way a bit, but at least it'll stop you building a banana!


You might as well start growing bamboo this Summer.

You've only to learn to split and plane it and you're a rod builder now :hat:

[Chevin]

Kenkroy, do you have any photos of the delamination, would be good to see for reference etc

[Nobby]

I've got these of some on an Aspindale rod......the rest of it exploded!


Too high-def for the forum, they are here:




http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh31 ... %20damage/


I implore you all not to buy an Aspindale rod without holding it and checking it very thoroughly indeed unless it is from a vendor of the very highest repute.

Love them as I do, they are prone to de-laminating with glue failure, not helped by so many of them being hollow-built, I'd guess.


On another forum Paul Cook told us how he won't work at straightening these rods if there is the slightest doubt about glue integrity.

That said, they are still my favourite maker and I can't get enough of them. I have at last got my hands on an 894B the two -piece 11 and a half foot float rod with part hollow-built tip section to restore. It's the shattered tip of that rod in those images above :-(


That's one of my Holy Grail rods 'nearly' obtained.