Which is the better way to align the guides on the rod? in my last rod one of guides stayed out of line, when i made the epoxy finish.. today i make the align visual. Which is a technique to make it?

Thany You

I make mine visually but some times will take piece of 20pnd. mono and run through the eyes holding the end center of the tip. Hold the rod so that there is no bend in it. This way some times even when they look straight visually., one will show up a little off center. Then I can correct it before epoxy

I do it visually - line of site. One trick I use is to put a reel base in the reel seat (make sure it is centered) then line up my guides that way with the giides on top. The I turn the rod over and with a light in the backround I tweek it as needed.

With double foot guides, I wrap one foot, then do it visually - sighting down teh blank with guides on top, then turning the blank 180 & doing hte same with guides under. I then go back and wrap the other foot, making sure the guide feet are straight, and not diagonal on the blank. I then sight down again & make sure everythign is straight

I do it visually and like Doc I have an old reel seat base(spinning reel) I use to assist in this process. After I'm happy with the adjustments, I'll take the reel off, and then put it back in the reel seat and recheck (one time the reel wasn't in right and the alingment missed by a mile) Doing it outside in the light is much better than with indoor lighting.

I find the spine, mark with tape and a marker. Then put the seat and tip top according to my mark. Once the guides are on and wrapped, alien - according to the top with guides up and then down

Also try to get them as close as you can as you wrap

In the beginning I did it visually. Then tried the string method, but still would double check using the visual method. Then tried the laser alignment tool that attaches to the lathe - still found myself double checking visually. Years later, now, doing it visually. I try to get the guides as close as I can before wrapping them, then sight down the back of the rod and do the alignments the usual way.

I use the reel seat foot from an international 30 (has a wide flat surface) for alignments to the reel seat.

Lou

I kinda use the light as a guide. When the rod is on the wrapper there is a glare line from the light that goes the length of the rod. I set the marked axis on that glare line and place the guide with the feet lining up with the glare line. I wrap all the guides on this way and then just eye ball them when done wrapping. They're usually pretty close and I don't have to move them very much. Like Doc said turn the blank over and see if there is an equal amount of the sides of the guides protruding from the side of the blank.

Guide alignment on casting and spinning rods starts with blank orientation. If you inspect the blank before your start the build you may find the "spine" orientation may get in the way of good guide alignment. For a blank that is gently curved in one plane, like most that I end up with, I typically place the curve down and do not use the spine as the first basis for the build. Guide alignment in this method becomes a little easier and can easily be done by sighting with the guides on the bottom. If you are set in your ways with the spine always on top or bottom guide alignment becomes a very difficult task if not impossible task. The guides may be centered on the blank at their position but they are certainly not aligned if the blank curve is not in the vertical plane. I have been taught by my mentor to spend time with the blank before location of spine and placement of guides.

Well Flocked and Back From Fishn!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2005 03:23PM by Bill Stevens.