I'm an absolute infant when it comes to rodbuilding so please indulge my ignorance. My question is,, is it ever advisable or permissable to shorten a rod blank from the butt to achieve a particular length at a given power or does the power change as well as the action? If I like everything about a 7' blank but want it 6' 6" can I do it?

AL

You can, and I've done it and been happy with the result. Technically, you will have a less powerful rod with a slower action, but in practice, taking 6" or less off a 7' rod at the butt is still going to give you a quite functional rod. And it will be a one-of-a-kind, which is part of what custom building is about.

Al Ciner - WARNING: Rod-building, and day-dreaming about it, can become habit-forming, and may be hazardous to other relationships. Participant discretion is advised.

Al, check out this recent Post on this subject. With all blank trimming, to borrow a phrase, "Think thrice, cut once." Vince's situation is a great study, and Tom Kirkman's advice pretty much covers the bases. [www.rodbuilding.org]
rod blank questions.....Vincent Koon ([email protected])
June 24, 2005 12:44PM
Vincent Koon wrote: [I'm thinking] "I'll have to shorten the blank about 12"-15". My question is whether I should cut off the tip section, the butt or both. IMO I would choose the 7'0" blank and cut the butt end of the rod. Will the line wt be lower by doing this? What kind of effect will it have on the blank by shortening the butt, and what about the tip? Will the action, line wt and lure wt change?"

Meanwhile, Al, I'll see if I can find and e-mail you a Table of Effects of Trimming on Various Performance Properties of a Rod Blank (*.DOC or *.XLS). I generated it after reflecting on Vince's Post and TK's Reply (and mine, too.)

Bye for now, -Cliff Hall, Gainesville, FL-USA +++

Al Ciner: Email: caseram@comcast.net Date Registered: 08/05/05

you might want to consider cutting three inches of the tip and butt section to better even the rod out and it looks better.....just a suggestion though ....tight wraps

Even better would be to learn the CCS system that measures blanks for line and action. measure it in different places and find out how it will be before any cutting
IMHO

What about when cutting a 6' blank so it can be install in a unibutt for an overall length of 6'?

I may be wrong on this but would think you are taking a stiff section off the blank -- but putting on a stiff handle as a section. Would think it does not change much if at all. Kind of a trade off

Robert Craftee suggested taking 3" off both ends. Think long and hard before doing it this way. Taking any appreciable length off the tip drastically alters power and action (increases power, decreases action), because that is where most of the rod's flex is. That said, I have rebuilt rods that had a piece of the tip broken off (such as by the "car door trick"). The rods are often fine, they are just very different from the original rod. Taking length off the butt end has a less drastic effect. So if you want to approximate "the same rod, only shorter", take it off the butt.

I strongle suggest not cutting any off the tip. I have taken off the butt section before with any problems. In fact is the most resonce rod I have as far as casting goes.

3" off the tip??? That's gonna seriously change that blank!!

Putter
Williston, ND

bill boettcher Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I may be wrong on this but would think you are
> taking a stiff section off the blank -- but
> putting on a stiff handle as a section. Would
> think it does not change much if at all. Kind of a
> trade off


thats what I was thinking when adding the unibutt. Does anyone else know about this?

Thanks to all of you for the input. If I do decide to go this route I'll probably trim from the butt. If so, I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks again and oh,, Cliff,,, Thanks for the caveat ,,but its to late!

AL

Maybe sell or build those and look for the blank in the size you would like ?? May be easyer then winding up with some thig you don't like

my suggestion was for a 2 piece not a one piece if you take six inches of the back of a 2 piece and not the front when doing this your trying to get a stiffer rod any way right. and just would not look right either taking from the back.........on the other hand a 1 piece rod i would see no problem he dident explain what blank 1 or 2 piece honestly i would just buy the blank i needed considering most rod blank manufactuars void the warranty when altered keep that in mind also al tight wraps r.crabtree