Скачать или смотреть How to Install a Fishing Rod Reel Seat

Jim Koba approaches reel seat installation as a precision fit rather than a glue-and-go step. The process starts with careful spine orientation of the blank so the reel seat aligns correctly with the rod’s intended load path. Once the orientation is marked, he dry-fits all components before any adhesive is mixed.

Instead of relying on pre-made arbors alone, Koba often custom-fits arbors—either graphite, fiberglass, or masking-tape bushings depending on the application—so the reel seat sits perfectly concentric on the blank. Each arbor is reamed slowly and evenly to maintain straight alignment, with frequent test fits to avoid over-reaming.

Before assembly, he preps all bonding surfaces:

The blank is lightly scuffed where the seat will sit

The inside of the reel seat is cleaned and scuffed if needed
This ensures maximum epoxy adhesion.

A high-quality two-part rod-building epoxy is mixed thoroughly and applied generously but cleanly—coating the blank, the arbors, and the inside of the reel seat. The seat is then slid into position with a slow twisting motion, which eliminates air pockets and evenly distributes epoxy.

Alignment is checked immediately. Koba is meticulous here, ensuring the reel foot channel lines up perfectly with the spine mark and guide axis. Excess epoxy is wiped away before it cures, leaving a clean transition to the grip components.

Finally, the rod is set horizontally and allowed to cure fully without disturbance, locking the reel seat in a perfectly straight, solid, and permanent bond.