Having just had a stuck ferrule on the upper two sections of my FF75-4 and taking a day to get them back apart, what are the pros and cons of lubricating ferrules? Have never done so before but now considering it. Comments?

gulf-wax on spigot ferrules - clean first with denatured alcohol (q-tip in the female)
nothing on metal

Glass wears against glass so lubrication helps prevent that. I think it's particularly important on spigot ferrules where wear to the male spigot will ultimately result in a bad fit. I see too many older Winstons and Scotts with that problem. Prevent wear by cleaning the ferrule occasionally with a soft cloth (alcohol if you want) to remove tiny bits of lint or dirt. Run a few pencil strokes of paraffin down the ferrule. Reassemble with a twist to distribute the paraffin.

Beeswax which is tacky was the old standby for loose metal ferrules.

Lubricate - paraffin. Looseness - beeswax.

We're talking about fly fishing here. Land of the $100 nippers. We should probably use the finest ski wax. Only $140 for a 30 gram bit.

thanks everyone,i happen to have about 10lbs of bees wax and some chapstick tubes.That ski wax,i used to spray flurocarbon on parts at a factory when in high school.Never knew it was so pricey.

Apparently U-40 Ferrule Lube is no longer made by Trondak but Renzetti has a version that is identical and/or they bought the remaining Trondak inventory & recipe.

Based on your recommendation I ordered some of the Renzetti stuff to try.

As a general proposition for any ferrule type, keeping the ferrule clean and checking its snugness periodically while fishing is more important than any form of lubrication. Lubrication invites overtightening, and if too much is applied, retention of grit. Or the lubrication that enabled it to seem to slide together more easily also enables it to twist or slide apart more readily. In actual use, there is no movement between well fit ferrule surfaces, which mate and act as one, so no lube is required. In other words, lube is an assembly or protective function. Paraffin is soft and decreases fiction, but has low film strength. Bees wax is hard and slightly tacky; it has a much higher film strength and actually increases grip between surfaces. Thus, either has its pitfalls.

Bees wax was used to tighten metal ferrules. Too much could make them fit so tightly they might come apart, or the ferrule itself would part from the rod upon disassembly. It is a temporary measure for a poor metal ferrule fit. Then the ferrule itself should be replaced, kept clean, and assembled with a firm, continuous pressure until it "bottoms"/seats. Lubricating a good fitting metal ferrule, depending on the viscosity of the lubricant used, will just let it twist and work loose. Then the user keeps needing to push and reseat, disassemble and reseat, (picking up debris in the process) in a vicious cycle that wears the ferrule further.

Paraffin is recommended by some makers, as in Fenwick. Cleanliness and proper assembly/disassembly are more important if paraffin is to serve its function. The risk with paraffin is that its lubricity enables what feels like a smooth fit that is actually tighter than need be between the conical (not cylindrical as in metal ferrules) mating surfaces.

Beeswax was also recommended by some, notably Winston for the spigots on its Fisher-supplied 'glass blanks. Beeswax creates a smooth, grippy film. If too much is applied, the user may wind up forcing the sections too tight to replicate the gap observed before the beeswax was applied. Another way to damage the female section. Again, cleanliness and proper assembly are more important and necessary for beeswax to serve its protective function.

As in many applications of "lubricant," which is really acting as a protective film for nonsliding surfaces when used on ferrules, it is very easy to put on too much. It is almost impossible to apply too little. An old tip from a member years ago might be helpful--after ensuring that the ferrule surfaces are clean and free of grit. Fingertip warmth and leather pad with the preferred type of "lube" wiped into it, then wiped/polished in the male, all excess removed.

Even this is less important than cleanliness and assembly. Metal: continuous pressure of cylindrical mating surfaces, applied smoothly until the ferrule seats. Glass-to-glass (conical mating surfaces), slide on--little pressure required--until the surfaces engage. Push snug.
viewtopic.php?p=214110#p214110

This ^^^^.

I make a habit of checking the fit of my ferrules often. Considering most non bamboo rods I own have spigot ferrules and many of those male spigots are not made of exactly the same material as the rod blank and are only a few inches long; it is expecting a lot that one joint or another won't loosen with the constant flex of fly casting.

I don't lube spigots (manufacturer/builder recommendation) and maybe that's why I experience occasional loose joints, but stuck joints isn't a frequent or difficult enough problem to get me to change my ways.

I will add that I have only experienced one rod in my lifetime with a completely shot ferrule. It was a 1st generation Fenwick HMG that I owned, loved and cared for (waxed ferrule) but sold in perfect condition to a self-professed tackle abuser.

When I saw it years later, the ferrule was shot however I don't know if it was from wear or a damage.

However I bet if I never sold it it would still be OK, waxed or not.

YMMV

I found a used rod with a male ferrule that was too thin. I used epoxy that I wiped off clean. I allowed the thin film to cure and repeated the procedure time after time. Afterwards, I buffed a spot with fine grit sandpaper. I touched it with a little parrafin and fished it for about 6 years until I sold it. Worked fine. I didn't use bee's wax.

I'll second that. Beeswax worked wonders on an Orvis Madison cane rod I had.

Don't know if common, but it's what I was taught as a boy in Maine. Had to be from the nose; too much salt if taken from the forehead etc.

Where can one buy Ivory soap these days? It seems to have disappeared from supermarkets here in Colorado.