Rod handle modification

There's a few rods I have that have butts that are just too long. W/ a fish on I end up stabbing myself in the gut and reach for the reel. I want to chop the rod butt about 4-5 inches but wanted to get some ideas on what to make sure to do from the rod specialty people or those who've done it already.
Thanks!

Z

Easy to do... chop away. 

Here is a good butt cap to use that should be an easy install. 

http://www.mudhole.com/Shop-Our-Catalog/Rubber/Fuji-Tapered-Rubber-Caps

Basically just chop through the handle and blank at the desired length.  Then remove some of the grip material from the blank to expose an appropriate amount of the blank so that the butt cap can slide directly onto the blank and butt up against the end of the grip material. 

So if the butt cap is 1 inch deep, make sure you have slightly less than 1 inch of blank exposed and slide the butt cap on.  If needed, you can shim the blank with masking tape to fit the ID of the butt cap.

You can sand the corners of the grip to round them off a bit if needed... 150 to 220 grit sandpaper.

Epoxy the butt cap in place with any 5-minute epoxy.

EK

Awesome, didn't know it was so simple. Thanks for the info and link EK!

Z

you can also have custom butt caps made if you know anyone with a lathe.  the needed information for turning a custom cap is the OD of the grip where the cap meets up with it, the OD of the rod blank to be covered and teh length of cap you want.  then you can chose any wood or many plastic materials for the cap.  This week I repaired my broken Folstaff grip with a piece of rosewood for a cost of about $10 and a time investment of about 1.5 hours.

I shortened the butts on a few rods.  Obviously EK is the guy to talk to, but one more thing.

Z, you might want to put some weight in the butt of the rod to compensate for the weight you cut off to keep it balanced. I believe I actually prefer the rod a little more butt-heavy,  , than most since I'm jigging or trolling more than casting.

me, I have a pile of chair leg protectors from long ago. They happen to fit over the butt of most rods pretty well, and also hold a few quarters in them as a balancing weight.

What happens to me is I am in the garage and I have an idea and I have to do it right then, I cant wait to order parts etc. So I get kind of an insane duane gleam in my eye, and chop off some of the handle, with whatever saw is handy, grab a few quarters from the loose change drawer as counterweight inside the "butt cap", some marine goop and presto, shorter rod, 

Of course, later I did order a rod with similar measurements but done the right way from KZ. and yep, it was much nicer!

I'm afraid I have also done some other experiments and I would tell you about them, but I don't want an accident at the Kunz household where erik faints dead away while reading about them, 

J

http://www.mudhole.com/Shop-Our-Catalog/Rubber/Fuji-EWBC-Weighted-Butt-Cap

this one comes with quarters! 

of course, buying butt-anything from the "mudhole" should give somebody pause in case they are going to be running for office anytime soon... 

http://www.mudhole.com/Shop-Our-Catalog/Rubber/Fuji-EWBC-Weighted-Butt-Cap

this one comes with quarters! 

of course, buying butt-anything from the "mudhole" should give somebody pause in case they are going to be running for office anytime soon... 

You just had to go there didn't you.. 

Z

Z, you might want to put some weight in the butt of the rod to compensate for the weight you cut off to keep it balanced. I believe I actually prefer the rod a little more butt-heavy,  , than most since I'm jigging or trolling more than casting.

Word

Erik,

What would you suggest for the chopping part? A hack saw comes to mind.

-FF

Yep... hacksaw... saws-all... anything like that.

EK