Hi Tom K. I read your article and have a few questions.

Do you use the same size guides from the intersect point to the tip top. I read they're placed every 4 inches. How do you determine their size for ordering?

Being that the stripping guide is 17 to 23 inches from the handle, how do you measure the guides to the intersection? How do you know what size stripping guide to buy? Is it measured in inches from the rod blank to the table edge? Do you also place those 4 inches apart to the intersect point?

I guess I'm asking how these findings correlate to ordering from a catalog. I'm building a 6', 6" med./light bass rod.

No offense, but you need to read the article again. All the answers you ask for are in there, and you've made some bad assumptions in other parts. The guides from the intersect point to the tip may be 4 inches apart, they may also be 5 inches apart. They may even be progressively spaced.

That info, along with the size of the butt guide, how to measure the rest of the guides, etc. are all right there in the article.

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Wow!

What does OD in the article mean? Is it the outer diameter of the spool?

Outside Diameter.


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Do you use the same size guides from the intersect point to the tip top. I read they're placed every 4 inches. How do you determine their size for ordering?

1. 5.  Now set the guides between the intersect guide and tip top.  Use the same size and type guide you used for the intersect guide.  Measure the distance between the tip top and the intersect guide.  Divide into equal segments and set the guides so that they are no closer than 4 inches to each other, yet no further apart than 5 inches from each other.  *(On heavier saltwater rods, you may set the distances between guides at more than 5 inches - use your judgment with an eye on good stress distribution for the particular rod at hand.) It is permissible to progressively space each ensuing guide a bit farther apart. However, equal distance spacing is quicker and easier and works very well.

and-

2.  Note the point where the rod blank intersects with the table edge.  Set your smallest and lowest guide against the blank in the location where it¹s outer edge just touches the table edge. (Generally, lines from 2lb to 8lb will easily pass through a #6 ring.  10lb to 15lb lines may require a #7 or #8 ring size.)



Being that the stripping guide is 17 to 23 inches from the handle, how do you measure the guides to the intersection

2. 3.  Now set the guides between the reel and the intersect guide by selecting guide sizes and locations that put the guides' outer edges so that they just reach the table edge.  Ring size should generally be at least 1/2 the diameter of the reel spool OD and the required height is usually attained by utilizing fairly high frame guide styles.  Butt or stripping guides should generally fall between 17 to 23 inches from the spool face on most freshwater type rods and 21 to 30 inches on larger saltwater rods.  Select a guide size and style that puts you into these categories.





As far as the size of the butt guide I think it is recommended to try to get a guide that is about 1/2 the diameter of the spool. You will have trouble setting this up by ordering your guides first and to fit. You have to order a whole selection of them and then fit different ones in until you get the ones that work the way they're supposed to. They're cheap so having a few extra on hand isn't a big deal. You'll end up using them to set up the next rod anyway.

I use size 6 guides on the tip area and they pass 10 pound test with no problem. If you used size 7 I don't think it would matter much unless the rod is an UL.

Ken - if you use braided line with a long Mono leader, you might find you have trouble passing the knot (depends on the knot you use I guess too). I use 10# Power Pro with 20# Mono leader with a Modified Albright, and find the knot hangs in teh tip of a size 6 ring (in teh frame a lot), and gets caught sometimes on size 6 guides, but with size 7's there is no problem. I assume if one is using a uni-Uni, the knot will be bulkier & will be more of a problem.