For a fly rod, I thought I either read it on this site, had someone respond directly to me via email, or I dreamed it but I remember someone saying as an alternative static test - especially for Forecast single foot guides I believe - was to turn the blank upside down with the guides on the top side of the stressed blank and move the sf guides out until the line running through the guides almost touched the blank.

Is this acceptable? If so, would the procedure be the same as the regular static test whereas the blank is stressed by a 1/4, then 1/2, then 3/4 until all of the guide locations are incrementally determined from the tip on down? Thanks.

That's hooey. If you do that I can promise you the line will touch the blank unless you have one about every 3 inches. What will that tell you?

Just keep the guides under the blank in the position they'll be fished in. The line should follow along the blank with no large flat spots or jumps between guides.

Tim,
I agree completely with Mike, even his choice of words. You do not want to use any more guides than necessary. The extra guides that will result from using the approach you suggested will just add unnecessary weight. Adding weight has the same affect as lowering the modulus of the blank. It will lower the potential tip velocity and therefore casting distance and will also lower the rod efficiency which will reduce the sensitivity and feel. The number of guides that you select is basically a trade off between adequate stress distribution and weight. I would suggest that you use as few guides as possible to adequately distribute stress and as light weight guides as is practical to keep the efficiency as high as possible.

Tim,
I agree completely with Mike, even his choice of words. You do not want to use any more guides than necessary. The extra guides that will result from using the approach you suggested will just add unnecessary weight. Adding weight has the same affect as lowering the modulus of the blank. It will lower the potential tip velocity and therefore casting distance and will also lower the rod efficiency which will reduce the sensitivity and feel. The number of guides that you select is basically a trade off between adequate stress distribution and weight. I would suggest that you use as few guides as possible to adequately distribute stress and as light weight guides as is practical to keep the efficiency as high as possible.

Sorry, dummy hit the Post twice.

I believe part of the reasoning was specific to Forecast sf guides since the ring on these are slightly higher off the blank than other sf guides - thereby allowing the guides to be spaced out a bit more. Evidentally I was dreaming and hooey it is!