Please forgive a novice question but I have to ask. In Tom Kirkmans' book he talks about the "hard side" of the blank,,that little area that the blankwants to roll away from left or right. Assuming that you are applying pressure and rolling as you would to find the natural place of rest,,,my question is,,as you find the spot on the blank that it wants to jump away from,,is it on the outside or the inside?


Al Ciner

KISS Reply (Keep It Short & Sweet): LOTS of information on this subject is available thru the RBO SEARCH = SPINE. ... Two of my favorite SPINE Threads in the last year were:

(1) Not another spine question! Author: Sean Walker 08-20-04
[www.rodbuilding.org]
"Sorry, guys. This whole spine thing baffles me. ..." -SW.

(2) Re: to spine or not to spine Author: Sean Hansen 10-20-04
[www.rodbuilding.org]
"Do you put your guides ... on the spine or opposite the spine?" -SH

RBO FAQS (Frequently Asked Questions) Page:
[www.rodbuilding.org] See #5 and #6.

TK: "6. How do I make a rod stable under load? - The only way to create a stable rod under load is to locate the guides on the bottom of the rod. Under load, the line will seek the lowest point, regardless of where you locate the spine. The greater the load, the greater this effect will be. By their very nature, all fly and spinning rods are inherently stable. Casting rods with guides located on top, are inherently unstable and will try to twist when put under load. A spiral wrap, which transitions the line from on top to the bottom of the rod, will create a perfectly stable casting rod."

The TOME Reply (CMH): Read the stack above for a full-orb view. The bottom line is that it has relatively little effect on the overall rod performance, at least when compared to other larger issues (such as blank choice, and the weight, distribution, ring size and placement-spacing of the line guides). The rod blank usually has a natural physical curvature, and at least two, so-called "spines".

So, this is one of those unsettling revelations about rod-building: the spine doesn't matter as much as we may (like to) think it would. But that is part of understanding the hierarchy of effects, and the order in which we should make our design choices, in rod-building. Add in the personal touch, and some creative or investigative experimentation, and to each his own, and there is plenty of room for more than one approach to produce a satisfactory result.

-Cliff Hall, Gainesville, FL-USA+++

The stiffest axis will be that plane where you feel the greatest resistance. Whether you mark it on the outside or the inside makes no difference, as long as you remember what plane it references. Like the spine, the plane of greatest resistance is not a thing - it is an effect.

Just keep in mind that if you want to use that particular plane, remember what position the blank is in when you find it and then consider how to position it so it will offer the same resistance to the fish.

(Generally, if you find the straightest axis of the blank, putting any natural curve so that the belly is down and the tip and butt are up, that would be the position you would want the blank in if you want the fish to pull directly against the blank's stiffest axis. Do keep in mind that the stiffest and softest axis' are rarely opposite each other and there is really not much difference between them in terms of actual power.)

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