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Posts: 267
| I need new tip top guides for a couple rods. How do I know which size I need? |
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Posts: 157
Location: West Central WI | Fortunately, that's the easiest thing to fix on a rod. There's a small gauge to measure the diameter of the rod where the tip goes where you just insert a clean tip in the smallest hole it fits. If you have something to measure drill bit diameters, that would work too. That number is the the number of 64ths of an inch. A typical muskie rod tip top would vary between 7/64 and 10/64 so the tube would be a 7 or a 10 in those two cases. Tip tops go in 1/2 size increments like 7.5, etc. The second number is the ring size which should be the same size as the last guide on your pole before the tiptop. 8 would be typical for muskie rods, although I've seen 10's. The tip top is held on by a higher temperature hotmelt glue so you can heat it with a lighter but be careful. There's a difference between heating just enough to twist off, and burning the rod structure. Some people use epoxy for that, but it's always good to be able to pull one off and replace if needed which is why most rod builders use the special tip top adhesive. Check in your area for any rod builders or sporting goods stores who can replace them. |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | Just got to mudhole:
https://www.mudhole.com/Components-Rod-Building/rod-guides-component...
Then using calipers measure the top of the blank diameter after you pull off the old one and clean the blank. Most will tell you the diameter of the ID on the tip top and just don't buy one with an ID smaller than your OD of the blank  |
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Posts: 267
| Thanks! |
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Posts: 1208
Location: E. Tenn | Bass Pro Shops/Cabelas carry Fuji tips singly and in kits of three different sizes with a glue stick.. |
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Posts: 157
Location: West Central WI | Just to note, those Bass Pro Shops, and Cabelas kits have three tip tops in the kit, all too small for a muskie rod. Now, if you're fixing a bass rod, they're in the ballpark at 4, 5, and 5.5 tube sizes. All the muskie rod blanks I've built on range from tip sizes 7.5 to 10. Tackle Industries had it right. Mudhole has what you want, although I'd check around locally first to see if there's a rod shop/repair place because those are typical in-stock items. Save on time and shipping cost. |
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Posts: 1208
Location: E. Tenn | The regular set fits 6,7, and 8/64 tips..the saltwater ones are 10, 12, and 14/64..
Been using them for several years on my musky sticks.
https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/fuji-heavy-duty-rod-tip-repair-kit
https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/fuji-rod-tip-repair-kit |
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Posts: 157
Location: West Central WI | Mike T, those should work. I looked on both Bass Pro and Cabelas and saw the numbers and read them as tube sizes 4, 5, and 5.5, vice those numbers being in mm's. My bad. Those should work for most muskie rods. Thanks for pointing those out. Since tip tops can take a lot of abuse, would probably be worth having a spare set in the boat unless you carry backup rods. |
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Posts: 267
| Are you talking about this one?
https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/fuji-heavy-duty-rod-tip-repair-kit |
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Posts: 157
Location: West Central WI | Those sizes of 4, 5, and 5.5 mm in the kit equal .157", .197", and .217", respectively. A typical muskie rod has a tip size of between 8 and 10. A size 8 tiptop is 8/64", or .125". A size 9 is 9/64" or .141", and a size 10 is 10/64" or .156". With that, you can see that the tip top they say is 4 mm will fit over all rods from size 8-10. The fit of a 4 mm tip top would be sloppy on all but a rod needing a size 10 tip. You'd need to slop on a lot of extra glue to fill the gap hold a size 8 or 9 tip and I'd consider that a temporary fix. The permanent fix is to get an accurate measurement and order the specific tip top that fits the top. On that kit, I don't recognize the numbers of the Fuji type used so it may be a cheap one as well. In those kits, there's probably only one tip top you'd use anyway. Others have recommended, and I will too, that you contact an actual rod maker, sporting goods store, or go to mudhole.com, jannsnetcraft.com or one of the other rod supply stores that can provide advice and get you the right one. Remember that the Cabelas kit is a repair kit and probably won't last for a long time in fit and quality of the ring. I would consider kits a temporary fix at best. In those kits, there's probably only one tip top you'd use anyway. Long answer, but you need to look at the long-term big picture. If you lived close, I'd fix it for you myself. Surely, you have a guy like me or sporting goods store within 25 miles to do this right. |
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Posts: 1208
Location: E. Tenn | Rotorhead - 3/8/2021 7:03 PM
Those sizes of 4, 5, and 5.5 mm in the kit equal .157", .197", and .217", respectively. A typical muskie rod has a tip size of between 8 and 10. A size 8 tiptop is 8/64", or .125". A size 9 is 9/64" or .141", and a size 10 is 10/64" or .156". With that, you can see that the tip top they say is 4 mm will fit over all rods from size 8-10. The fit of a 4 mm tip top would be sloppy on all but a rod needing a size 10 tip. You'd need to slop on a lot of extra glue to fill the gap hold a size 8 or 9 tip and I'd consider that a temporary fix. The permanent fix is to get an accurate measurement and order the specific tip top that fits the top. On that kit, I don't recognize the numbers of the Fuji type used so it may be a cheap one as well. In those kits, there's probably only one tip top you'd use anyway. Others have recommended, and I will too, that you contact an actual rod maker, sporting goods store, or go to mudhole.com, jannsnetcraft.com or one of the other rod supply stores that can provide advice and get you the right one. Remember that the Cabelas kit is a repair kit and probably won't last for a long time in fit and quality of the ring. I would consider kits a temporary fix at best. In those kits, there's probably only one tip top you'd use anyway. Long answer, but you need to look at the long-term big picture. If you lived close, I'd fix it for you myself. Surely, you have a guy like me or sporting goods store within 25 miles to do this right.
I keep both, the "regular", and the "saltwater" kits plus a 9/64, sold separately.. |
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