Butt extension to NV8 - OK or bad move?

[Clonoid]

Hi All - I'm about to build up an NV8 for northern spin fishing, Queenies, GT's, Tuna kinda stuff and am considering extending the butt by about 30cm to gain some casting distance over the standard 7ft/215cm. I am a fairly decent caster and like to be able to reach out to the Longtail Tuna schools when they are boat shy (esp when clowns keep trying to troll through the bust ups)
So does anyone have any advice on how to, for or against ? I've got a couple of rods I can hack up to do the job.
I already have the NV8 blank, and am far away from any shops where I can just go and buy a different blank - freight on blanks to remote areas is pretty savage except from ########

[chris69]

Hi there Clonoid ive taken blanks out 3in and 6in ,but i dont no about 12in you might over balance the nature of the blank,if you were keen i suppose you could cut up one of those old rods 18in of one and put 6in up the butt grab your spinning reel and put it were your reels seat would go and you would want that on the blank not on the extention and see how it feels,and its best to measure that old rod first and see if the taper is similar.

You dont want your extention to be off center, and if you were going to proceed id sand the extention and tapper off the top of it and plug it up and use a 30minite epoxy and hold the rod upright or hang it up so the epoxy runs back down around the extention and blank,just put some tape on the 12in mark or white out,you just put the epoxy on and twist it in so the epoxy is being pushed back as you feeding the extention in so you dont put to much epoxy up the blank,its a uknown factor of how much extra distance you will get by doing this oppossed to an original 8ft blank with its original casting weight and taper compaired to a 7ft blank and casting weight and taper,but you will get more back bone out of it,this is only my opinion so just hold of and see if some others reply on your question and how too or not too,cheers Chris.

[Clonoid]

Good point re the taper, 7ft vs 8ft Chris, I hadn't considered that.

[nigelr]

I'd be putting the blank through the extension, rather than the extension into the blank, if you know what I mean.
Will change the action, just depends where the 'power' spot is in relation to what weight you mostly throw.
Bit of trial and error before you epoxy-up should give you the answer.
Cheers.

[Stuart]

Yes you can extend any blank regardless of action or power and even casting weight. By extending the blank you will immediately gain more distance because the rod blank is now longer creating more speed at the tip.
I extend blanks all the time to add or change the action of the blank, its cheap and very effective. Now the technical side of the equation. Extending a blank is very easy for some. Most get an off cut from another blank, smear glue on it and then stuff it up the guts of the main blank. That’s very bad and if you have done that then give yourself a bitch slapping. That’s the fastest way to split the butt of the blank especially when it’s left In the rod holder. Casting will be fine but if you should get a good strike while in the rod holder then expect your rod to go for a swim. As already stated by niggler, glue the off cut over the top of the main blank.

This makes for 100% strong extension and it literally becomes part of the main blank. There are a few tricks to getting it right and I will tell you a couple.
You need to linish or sand the blank while the blank is rotating so it’s symmetrical. You want to take a bit of the butt of the main blank so it’s almost parallel, do this around 3 inches up the blank. You don’t want the extension to fit over the butt but rather you want it to almost fit but not quite. Glue up the main blank using slow curing epoxy. Now for the fun part and one which makes it super strong. You need to heat the extension with a lighter or something like that while turning the extension so not to burn it. You want the extension to go up and onto the main blank by at least 3 inches. So heat the extension around 3 inches long and don’t focus the heat to much on one area at a time, spread it around evenly. You want it so you can just grab the extension for around 1-2 seconds. Your wondering what this does I bet. Well the resin and glass/carbon actually expands so when you fit this on the main butt of the blank and then cool it with water once on the extension will shrink back down and then clamp on like hell. Combined clamping force and epoxy glue and the bitch isn’t going anywhere.

I have done all my extensions like this for many years, never had one come loose. It sounds like it could be a nightmare but once you get going it will all full into place.
If it’s too much to grasp I would be happy to do it for you at no charge. I will even supply the extension; I only have 1000000 off cuts here.

Stu

[Willo]

Yes you can extend any blank regardless of action or power and even casting weight. By extending the blank you will immediately gain more distance because the rod blank is now longer creating more speed at the tip.
I extend blanks all the time to add or change the action of the blank, its cheap and very effective. Now the technical side of the equation. Extending a blank is very easy for some. Most get an off cut from another blank, smear glue on it and then stuff it up the guts of the main blank. That’s very bad and if you have done that then give yourself a bitch slapping. That’s the fastest way to split the butt of the blank especially when it’s left In the rod holder. Casting will be fine but if you should get a good strike while in the rod holder then expect your rod to go for a swim. As already stated by niggler, glue the off cut over the top of the main blank.

This makes for 100% strong extension and it literally becomes part of the main blank. There are a few tricks to getting it right and I will tell you a couple.
You need to linish or sand the blank while the blank is rotating so it’s symmetrical. You want to take a bit of the butt of the main blank so it’s almost parallel, do this around 3 inches up the blank. You don’t want the extension to fit over the butt but rather you want it to almost fit but not quite. Glue up the main blank using slow curing epoxy. Now for the fun part and one which makes it super strong. You need to heat the extension with a lighter or something like that while turning the extension so not to burn it. You want the extension to go up and onto the main blank by at least 3 inches. So heat the extension around 3 inches long and don’t focus the heat to much on one area at a time, spread it around evenly. You want it so you can just grab the extension for around 1-2 seconds. Your wondering what this does I bet. Well the resin and glass/carbon actually expands so when you fit this on the main butt of the blank and then cool it with water once on the extension will shrink back down and then clamp on like hell. Combined clamping force and epoxy glue and the bitch isn’t going anywhere.

I have done all my extensions like this for many years, never had one come loose. It sounds like it could be a nightmare but once you get going it will all full into place.
If it’s too much to grasp I would be happy to do it for you at no charge. I will even supply the extension; I only have 1000000 off cuts here.

Stu

Really informative reply
Love learnng about the technical side of things as well.....

[nigelr]

Agreed willo, we are so lucky to have stuart and others on-board giving us tips from their wealth of pro experience, sure can save a lot of heart-ache!

[Stuart]

nigelr, sorry mate, dont know why I called you niggler for. I do like nigelr, yum yum.

[Stuart]

With out sounding to soppy I do get a lot of pleasure from helping others. Wether it is on this site, the RBW or guys ringing me to ask a few how to every now and then. I have also very much enjoyed the RBW from the start. I remember when Roz rang me with great in trepidation thinking I would be a bit arrogant and I wouldn’t want to be involved with novices. She spun out when I said hell ya, would love to. I have been doing this full time for many years much to my own mental detriment but that’s not to say I’m too good to help anyone out. Nothing better than getting together with a bunch of other nuts much like myself. I cant take all the crap in my head when I go tits up so may as well give a bit away.