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Post 02 Jan 2023, 14:29 • #1 
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Joined: 07/05/10
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Location: Mid Hudson Valley of New York
What's the best way to remove the reel seat from this old Heddon Pal?

I have removed plenty of old metal seats by boiling or gentle heat, but never a plastic seat. I want to reuse it and I'm thinking that heat will melt and ruin it?


Last edited by picketpin52 on 02 Jan 2023, 15:47, edited 2 times in total.

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Post 02 Jan 2023, 15:07 • #2 
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Location: Holly Springs, NC
:(

Do you have to remove the seat? What is the issue that you feel it should come off?

According to the old Heddon catalogs, the Pal reelseat is made from tenite, not pyralin. While tenite is the better plastic of the two, it is a low melting point material. Boiling water or a heat gun are likely to cause damage.


Tom


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Post 02 Jan 2023, 15:45 • #3 
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Location: Mid Hudson Valley of New York
Tom,
Thanks for pointing out the distinction re Tenite v. Pyralin reel seat.

Here's the situation. The tip section is about 1.5" short. Not a big deal, right? But at first blush I'm thinking OK, carefully remove the reel seat, shorten the butt section to equal the length of the tip section, then reinstall the original seat.

Is it possible to remove the seat without damaging?


Last edited by picketpin52 on 02 Jan 2023, 15:55, edited 1 time in total.

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Post 02 Jan 2023, 15:54 • #4 
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That's a great period reel seat. If it isn't damaged I would never think of damaging it.

Just live with the short tip and maybe consider using one line weight heavier to load the rod (if necessary).


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Post 02 Jan 2023, 16:09 • #5 
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Joined: 10/30/18
Posts: 203
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Cut your 1 1/2” out of the cork above reel seat. Reattach reelseat with stent. Second option would be to add to tip from a donor of like taper/color/fiber weave.


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Post 02 Jan 2023, 16:36 • #6 
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Location: Mid Hudson Valley of New York
Cutting it off was my second thought. If I do, I'll strip and replace the whole grip and stent to reinstall the seat.


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Post 02 Jan 2023, 16:55 • #7 
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Location: western Massachusetts
Yes, Tom is right, that is the later, tenite seat, I have worked on a couple of glass Heddon Pals that had it. I never had to do more than clean the seats, though.

Sinclair in his handbook bible, states that, in 1939, when they changed the markings on their bamboo rods, they also introduced a new reel seat made of tenite. This included the barrel and down locking threads as one piece, and blackened nickel silver hardware. The marbellized brown color was the most common, but they also made a coral-colorized version for their number 14 rods. Sinclair also states that some of the seats were made of black pyralin to be used with their number 17 "black beauty" bamboo rods. I am not sure if these pyralin, or coral tenite seats were ever adapted for use on their fiberglass rods, but the brown ones were definitely used on fiberglass Pals in the 1950s.

In any event, from a refurbishing standpoint, Sinclair lumped pyralin, and other plastics into one category which he said were the hardest to work with. He stated that removal only worked half the time for him. He recommended using the seat in the boiling pot of water trick, but he was reticent about it.

He also noted that the heating process may cause a lightening of the material. He found that the fix was to use simichrome metal polish on the tenite, and a lot of "elbow grease."

Personally, I would suggest a dremel, but I think that CroixBoy has it right, do the cut and stent thing. John :)


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Post 02 Jan 2023, 18:11 • #8 
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Location: Nature Coast Florida
Why do the tip and butt have to be the same length?

Instead of one short rod section, you prefer two short sections.

Of course these rods can be had for around fifty bucks, so no big deal whatever you decide to do.


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Post 02 Jan 2023, 23:36 • #9 
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Location: Mid Hudson Valley of New York
Barry, you're right. there's no good reason to mess with it. It casts and fishes fine. You just have convinced me to let it be. The tenite seat and the blackened hardware really is pretty.


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