my son just HAS TO HAVE a surf rod for xmas so i got a kit from mudhole, the 12 footer, 2 piece. do i need to find the spine and worry about all that on this monster? i will do a static test, probably with him on the end of it. the small end! does anyone have a guide spacing chart that i can use as a starting point? can i use U40 rod bond for the reel seat? does the reel seat go over the cork tape and be bonded to it or do i end the wrap before the reel seat area, glue the reel seat, then continue the cork wrap?any suggestions concerning this whole project will be appreciated. hope i haven't used up my quota of questions for the year. thanks

John; yes you need to find the Spine on the blank.yes you can use U40 to bond the seat to the blank. do the butt wrap first then the seat then the fore grip on the upper and lower end of your cork tape wraps do a short (1/4 ") thread wrap to secure the cork tape. taper the front edge of the fore grip and wrap up the ramp or cover the end with shrink wrap .
also do a short (twice Dia.) reenforcment wrap at the female ferrule end
as far as Guide spacing, These are off my own 12 footer
from the FRONT of the seat 33-52-68.5-81.5-94-103 you can start with them

GOOD LUCK!

"use up all your tips for the year"? Sure why not it's almost next year anyway! Barry has given you all you need to get underway.

John, you have enough info to get started. I can make a few suggestions on my preferences. I won't even get into rod length, weight expected to throw, etc... I am going assume spinning and hopefully Barry's spacing will get you started and a static and casting test will get you exact. As for the cork tape, I prefer to determine where my reel seat will be and wrap the cork tape from the butt end to that spot. I simply put a wrap of tape at both ends. I try and get the bottom of the seat to sit just over the edge on the cork tape to hold it there, and use a butt cap on the other end. I'll use Rod Bond to secure the reel seat, and when feasable, try and utilize hypalon as my foregrip. I have found, that it holds up much better to the wet and slime than the cork tape. Therefore, no need for additional tape for the foregrip. I am sure you got it from there.

THANKS guys!

Look at the rod building articles by Al Goldberg. You can find links to them I think through both Mudhole and Stripersonline. TK's book is also great but I don't know if you can get a copy in time to get done by the 25th.

I don't think it's going out on a limb to say that the very best surf rod info ever written was the in the volume 7 issue number 1 Rodmaker from back in February of this year. Get that one if nothing else.

ALSO- the EVA grips that came w/it are extermely small I.D. compared to the O.D. of the rod. yes i read toms book covering this but i don't know if using rod bond as a lube can overcome this big of a difference. i also have some hypalon that i'd like to use but its even smaller inside that the EVA. any thoughts/help?

Rat-tail wood rasp and ream out the inside diameter. The hypalon will expand more easily than the EVA. Check often for fit & remember it should be snug (require some effort to get down to the spot you want it to be). Better that they sent you smaller inside diameter as you can always take some out.

KEN- problem is that the EVA is very thin already on the leading end of the grip and there is nothing left to ream out on that end. very thin there.