Greetings all,

I am new to this and need some advice on how to find the spline on a 4 piece rod fly. I suspect you have to find it on each individual piece correct?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance,

Bailey

Bailey -

Welcome Bailey, always glad to have a new builder.

This is explained the FAQ, The button located above on the menu,
You'll find most of the questions you have as you begin your new hobby are located there.

Also you'll find answers to many questions by using the search function on this site.

Christian

Bailey,
Blanks in 4 or more sections are usually pretty stiff, making it difficult, if not impossible for rod builders to effectively locate the spine/spline. Many manufacturers mark the spine on the inside of each ferrule to indicate the spine. Check the inside of the ferrules on each section of the blank.

You may have to settle for spining the tip only if the butt and middle sections are too stiff to flex. I would caution against putting too much pressure against a short section. You can easily snap it in two to create a 5 piece rod. Some manufacturers specifically warn against spining multi-piece blanks and will void a warrantly if the owner damages the rod while attempting to locate the spine.

You might also have to settle on aligning the guides on or opposite of any curvature of each blank section. You can determine if a rod is not perfectly straight by rolling it on a smooth surface, and then locate and orient the curve by sighting down each section. It take awhile before your mind's eye becomes accustomed enough to detect a slight curve.

Patrick Vernacchio

Spining stiff rod sections is made easier by decreasing resistance on the rod section. For example, using the table top method is tough because the resistance that the palm of your upper hand puts on the blank makes it tough for the blank section to spin into position. There are commercial spine finders that have a pair of sleeve bearings installed in a PVC tube. The rod section is slid into the tube and downward pressure is placed on the tip of the blank section. Even with this setup (I don't have one, but do use a pair of sleeve bearings as needed mounted into the jaws of my Craftsman Workmate) rotation is hampered unless you use a third sleeve bearing on the tip of the rod section. You may want to place a wrap of masking tape anywhere that the blank section comes in contact with the sleeve bearings. By using the third sleeve bearing the blank rotates very freely and you don't have to lever the blank very far to allow the spine to rotate to the top. This method works for me on rod sections and golf club shafts.

Pay attention to what R. Patrick notes above about voiding warrantee though.

Good Luck,
Jeff Shafer