Hi all,

I have been trying to absorb as much info as possible from this great forum for the last few weeks.

I am about to attempt my first two rods. Both for spinning, one for me personally (Loomis GL3) and one as a gift (Cabelas Fish Eagle). I just recieved the "Kits" from Cabelas and have inspected what I have to work with. Here are a few questions that I have for you all...

1) What is CP?
2) The tip tops that were supplied with my kits have a very loose fit... is this normal? Is the void going to be filled with adhesive, or should I underwrap the tip as some people do?
3) Does anyone know who makes Cabelas Fish Eagle green blanks? It is absolutely identical to the Loomis blank except for colour. Just curious.
4) How tight should the handle cork fit before gluing? Should I ream it to a fit that allows it to slide on easily, or should I have to force it into its final position?

Thanks in advance!!
Mark

This answer was posted before my message was deleted...

CP is color preserver...so the color of the thread retains its color after
the finish is put on. Don't need..depends on personal preference.

DOn't know about Fish Eagle's relation to Loomis. Have heard that the
cabelas FT blank is more like the GL3 though. I thought the fish eagle
blank was softer and a little heavier. Curious to find out though.

The tip top should have a small gap but it shouldn't be too big. The GL3
tip size size is 4.5 while the Fish Eagle, I think is 5.

As for the cork handle, I ream it until it slides into position with a snug
fit. When I put my handle on, I apply the epoxy and slowly screw the handle
down into position.

I could be wrong but it has been working for me.

good luck

Keith

Hi Mark,

1) CP is Color Preserver, apply it to your wraps before you apply the finish so your thread maintains its color. I use Brilliance, works very well.

2) The tip-top will be loose fitting to an extent, your epoxy will fill this in, but it shouldn't be an extremely sloppy fit. I very seldom underwrap the tip.

3) Sorry, no clue.

4) You don't want to have to force your handle on the blank, otherwise your cork will act like a "squeegie" when you apply the epoxy to the blank. You need a little space so the epoxy can get between the cork & blank so it will bond.

Keith

NCP means basically that no color preserver is needed with that thread. Color Preserver (CP) is used to coat non NCP thread (plain nylon) to preserve the colors. The colors will turn very dark and in some cases ugly if CP is not used. I would suggest using NCP. I believe NCP is available in all colors. Different manufacturers may call it something else, but it's the same thing. Also read some of the back posts on problems encountered with CP. There's alot of thoughts and feeling when it comes to CP. Myself I use it only when I have to, like when I use Pearl white thread.

Dwayne,
I have also seen all the discussion reguarding problems w/ CP & it has kinda baffled me. I use Brilliance & I apply it to EVERY wrap I have ever done, every color, on silk, NCP & Trimar. Not once have I had ANY problems with bubbles or blotches in my finish. I only use Clemens Custom Poly-Build.

I'm not a pro or "in business", but I have built about 25 rods this way, never had a problem. Maybe just got lucky.

Take Care,
Keith

I did want to add that a tight fitting grip won't act like a squeegee if you put your glue in the correct place. I have seen many failures of there assemblies and it's not because they were tight fitting, its because the glue was not located in the right place when the grip was slid onto the rod.

Drop your grip onto the rod and mark where it stops. Now put your glue well ABOVE that point and when you bring the grip down twist and spine it so that its inside is coated with glue. No matter how tight it fits the glue will remain in the joint.

Cork can't be expanded much so you want it to fit snug right about where it is intended to go. With any of the EVA or Hypalon grips you can scoot them down the blank no matter how tight they are as they will expand and slide on the epoxy you have trapped between the blank and the grip.

Mark -- by all means take a few minutes to read the FAQs page on this very site. It will answer a lot of your questions.

I believe alot of other builders use CP religously also. I don't see no problem with that. I actually at times use CP over NCP to get a change in the shade. I use color wands that show four different shades using the same color thread, by simply applying CP to Non NCP thread and regular thread. (if that makes sense.) The two primary reasons I don't prefer (a better word) to use CP is why use it if I don't need to. As I stated previously unless I'm attemping to seek a specific shade in color (many repairs require it) I don't use it or if I'm using the Pearl thread. NCP gets the job done. The other reason I prefer not to use CP is that I want my finish to soak through to the blank. Will that make the guides hold better? I personally think so. Thats just me. As to the original question I believe we all have to make our way through a pretty tough learning curve. Thanks to the message boards and publications like rodmaker it has become pretty easy to learn good practices in rod building thanks to the many expert that routinely post answers to alot of questions that before had to be learned the hard way. I just try and help. By no means do I have the experience that many do that read and post on this board, but I believe if I can pass on what I've learned and it works for me than I've accomplished something. Let them make an informed decision at that point.