# Graphite reel seat arbor vs tape arbor



## woodworker2001

What are the opinions out there about a graphite arbor for your real seat vs doing the tape build up arbor. I have built one rod with tape because that is what the class I took at Jann's netcraft had us do but sure seems like a graphite arbor or split reel seat would have a great deal more sensitivity!

What options and experiences are out there?


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## Cajunsaugeye

Of course the split is going to be a bit more sensitive as you'll be directly touching the blank.As for graphite arbor vs tape,I don't think there's much difference at all in the feel.Once you build it and fish it you'll never even think of what type arbor you used again.JMO.


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## revpilot

I like to build my rods on graphite tubes and then glue blank in . It makes them way sturdier for bigger fish and requires little buildup . Mud hole sells it in 10" pieces , but I just buy it at hobby shop in 4 ft pieces . Have you grabbed a rod of the shelf at a store before and gave it some good flex , and you can feel your handle flexing and bending, likes it gonna break the handle in half , this alleviates that .

I usually make a bunch of handles at once for all my orders , then it saves on epoxy doing everything together .


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## Bassbme

Tape arbors are definitely faster from a total time perspective. Plus you don't have to worry about your reaming being slightly off center.

With that said, I use the foam arbors because I think you get a more secure connection between reel seat, and rod blank. They're also less messy.

I've only built 5 rods thus far, and of those I've only built up a tape arbor for one of them. I used tape for the thread tube on a split casting reel seat. I used tape because the fit between the blank and the tube was so close I didn't see the point of going to the trouble of reaming out an arbor to such a small thickness. I only needed 5 wraps of tape for the thickest tape arbor I had to make. 

I belong to a rod building web site and a lot of the members use tape. but for ultimate sensitivity, I don't see how tape can compete with the foam or graphite arbors.


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## revpilot

Less tape the better . I rarely ever use more than 2 wraps just to center blank in the carbon tube . But I stick with small ID cork and foam.


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## Cajunsaugeye

Hate to be the odd man out here but tape is fine.Cheaper,just as sensitive and just as good.All the tape is doing is holding the epoxy.Once epoxy dries,its as solid as any arbor w/epoxy.If handle is properly installed and solid,the sensitivity will be the same whether it is an arbor or tape.It all becomes a solid piece.


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## revpilot

How many wraps of tape did take to build up a tiny Ice rod blank to fit in a reel seat ? I mean the smallest Id reel seat is 16mm? An arbor is .50 cents...


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## Cajunsaugeye

Don't know how much 8-10" of masking tape would be,but not much I'd guess.


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## Bassbme

The difference in weight between a foam or graphite arbor and the amount of epoxy it takes to glue those on, and the amount of epoxy needed to encapsulate the tape as well as that to fill the voids between the tape is considerable. That weight difference in itself has an affect on a rod's sensitivity.

Also, tape as well as the epoxy used for rod building is not as rigid as a foam or graphite arbor. Those facts alone mean that a tape arbor won't be as sensitive as a foam or graphite arbor.

And finally, the chances of having a void in the epoxy between the blank and the reel seat is virtually non existent if using a foam or graphite arbor mounted reel seat .... the same cannot be said of a tape arbor mounted reel seat.

Tape may be fine ....... but it's not just as good.

Below is a link to a very recent thread dealing with the same topic on the rod building website I mentioned earlier. As you can see by this thread, and the linked thread .... opinions vary.

http://rodbuilding.org/read.php?2,445414


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