Hello all. This is my first post and I would like to start by saying thank you all for a very interesting and informative site. I have toyed with the idea of making my own rods for quite some time. I even bought some thread and epoxy about 20 years ago but alas, I was quite poor and couldn't swing the rest of the equipment, much less the materials for a rod.

I ran across this site a few months ago and have been looking and reading and that old interest in building rods has come back. I built the rod wrapping jig that Greg Pennell placed in the library (with some modifications on the thread tensioners) and am ready to start.

I thought I would begin with a simple (?) repair on a surf rod that I damaged last fall. It is an 11 foot Tica fast action surf rod. The first (largest) guide broke and I thought I would get my feet wet by repairing that. I looked through the threads on this forum and found one dealing with Tica guides. The gist of the thread was that the closest replacement was a Fuji hardloy BHVLG 30H. My guide and thread arrived in the mail today and the guide seems to be quite a bit too tall. I no longer have the old guide so I don't have a reference and my memory isn't what it used to be so I don't have a clear memory of how tall the first guide was.

When I look throug the rest of the eyes on the rod, it seems as if I am looking through a progressively smaller circle but when I look through them with the new first guide in place, I am looking across the top of the 2nd guide.

This isn't the right guide is it? If it isn't, can someone recommend a more appropriate guide?

If it helps, the model # on the rod is UEHA766502C.

Thanks again for such an informative site although my wife might possibly have a less friendly opinion of it.

Thanks,

Stephen, Central North Carolina



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/2005 06:56PM by Stephen Branch.

Stephen, Where are you in North Carolina? I believe this site and the Rodmaker Magazine are also located in central NC. You might only be minutes from a trip that would answer a ton of questions for you!

I live in a little town called Fuquay Varina. About half way between Raleigh and Fort Bragg.

Welcome to the site and a great hobby. Doesn't sound like a very North Carolina-sounding town. I think of things that burn, like Hickory or Winston-Salem, LOL. If I were you, I would contact one of the sponsors and get an entirely new set of guides for the rod. That will be good practice and will only set you back $20 or so - the sponsors can help you. That way, all your guides will match and will most likely be an upgrade over what came on the rod. Give Bob at Custom Tackle in Tennessee a call. He will help out and the guides will be there in a day or two.

Steve
Wake Forest class of '88

Welcome Stephen!
I second Steve's post. You will get a good feel for the craft by just re-wrapping the surf rod. Although with some time and research
you could build it much better than it came from the factory I think you would be better off just to get a new guide set and place the
the guides right where they came off from and then refinnish. After that is under your belt you can get into the whys and werefores
and such regarding guide sizing, placement, performance and the other particulars of custom rod building.
Besides, once you get thread on a blank and epoxi on your hands. WE GOT YOU FOREVER!! so you have plenty of time. ( at least for now)
LOL LOL LOL

Like I said, Welcome to the Club!

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Stephen,
You might try a Hardaloy BSVLG30. I don't think they're quite as high as the BHVLG surf guides.

Lynn in Liberty, NC

Welcome to the wondrful world of rod building!
Replacing all of the guides is a great way to start. I agree with both posts. You can start by measuring the existing guide rings. The guide sizes are in MM , and you can follow the progression from smallest to largest. Since you no longer have the stripper (largest) guide, I think a 50mm would be about right for that rod. Try the Fuji guide style BSVLG. Good luck, and have fun!!!!
Steve Summer Moon Rod Works