I am over my head and I need some help. First I live in Yorba Linda California and I am looking for a rod making class I heard about a place called Bob Marrieatti Fly Fishing any comments. Second I have low income but I am a old woodworker so any plans to make a rod wrapper would help. Also how is RainShadow for rod blanks, and how do you choose the right color of thread to color of rod. Thank you for any help you can give. Chris Colome

Chris,
Hi, I'm right down the road from you in Temecula. There is a shop in the LA/Long Beach area (I think) that offers a basic rodbuilding class. The name escapes me at the moment but it will come to me. I'm not familiar with the other class you mentioned. I've built a couple of rods with the Rainshadow blanks and I think they are fine. The rods I built were smaller ultralight spinning rods so that's all I can comment on. Thread color is very much a personable thing. What one person may think looks great another may not care for. There are certain combinations that go very well together. I contantly try different color variations, some work and others look terrible. I'm sure some of the other more experienced builders here can give you a bit more insight on color choices. Randy.

Hi Chris . I am not aware of any classes or how good they are in So. Cal. I hear about them from time to time but dont know the people directly involved. As to Rainshadow I havent hear any real negative things about them so I can only assume that those using them are very happy with them. I do see them mentioned a lot on this site. As for the colors to do anything with it is really wide open. The person who is going to use the rod is the best source for that. I usually make a test wrap to show how it will look in the end. It you are every up in the Ventura area you are more than welcome to stop by and get some one on one help. You just have to let me know when. Doc

Hi Chris . I am not aware of any classes or how good they are in So. Cal. I hear about them from time to time but dont know the people directly involved. As to Rainshadow I havent hear any real negative things about them so I can only assume that those using them are very happy with them. I do see them mentioned a lot on this site. As for the colors to do anything with it is really wide open. The person who is going to use the rod is the best source for that. I usually make a test wrap to show how it will look in the end. It you are every up in the Ventura area you are more than welcome to stop by and get some one on one help. You just have to let me know when. Doc

Sorry for the double post. Shakey hands I guess



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/2005 11:53AM by James(Doc) Labanowski.

Hi Chris,
Check the photo section here! You should find some good ideas for making a wooden rod wrapper. A couple of "V" blocks mounted on a base with
a thread tension devise and a couple of screw eyes are all that you need for the simplest one. You can't go wrong with the Batson Rainshadow
blanks. I have built about a dozen of them and I like them a lot!


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

Chris,
Just use the search function just above your post. Put in something like "thread color" and pick "all dates" and you should have more info than you can imagine on the subject. Or just about any other rodbuilding subject.

Hi Chris I am an old wood worker also. I f you drop me a line at jgd1948@gmail.com I can forward you a site for real inexpensive 4 rpm 110 volt motors for a dryer and I can send you a couple pics of what I built for wrapping. I am also on a limited budget. I am just getting back into rod building after about 30 years and I enjoy wrapping by hand and I am in no rush to complete a rod. lThe building is one of the biggest enjoyments in a rod not that I don't really enjoy using it as often as possible. As far as blanks are concerned I have built 2 rods on rainshadows for a couple of friends and they where kind enough to go fishing with me and let me try them out. I really like those blanks. Anyway welcome to rod building .

There are plans for a simple rod wrapping jig here on our library page.

..........

Chris,

New Rodbuilder here also. You will find a wealth of information here on this forum if you use the search function. I haven't used new blanks yet to build any rods I'm heavily in to refurbishing old blanks and giving them to kids. As for color choices I agree that it is up to the person you are building for to pick the colors they want used. But, I would invest in a color wheel that helps whith what colors fit together. You can purchase one from the sponsors on the left. I bought mine from Mudhole, great folks to deal with. They have or can get just about anything you would need to build with. There are others I use also, but am not allowed to mention them here. If you will send me an email, I will refer you to some other great sellers.

Bill in WV

Chris, if you are a woodworker, I'm sure you can glance at a rod-wrapper and build one with ease (mine is made from a shelf I stole out of our armoire...don't tell my wife). If you really want to save money, use the phone book method for thread tension. Put your spool(s) in jars, run the thread through the pages of a phone book near the binding, and pile more weight on 'til you get it right. I went out and bought a few $5 thread tensioners, tried them, and went back to the phone book.
Ditto for all the advice for thread color. Also, matching the color of the blank with your main thread and adding gold, silver, or copper trim bands always works.

First, finding a class with an experienced builder is a really good idea. Books and videos can teach a lot, but a hands-on class with a pro is invaluable. I built my own wrapping stand for approx $23 dollars. Only needed 2 boards 1"X6"X20" Anything close to that will do fine. I used poplar. Built a dryer motor from a bar-b-que rotisserie for $23 dollars. I have now built 5 rods. 4 of them have Rainshadow blanks. They are great to work with, and they catch fish just fine. As for colors... definately look at all of the stuff in the photos section of this forum.

You have been given a lot of good information. All I can add is my 2 cents on the rainshadow blank question. I build mostly bass rods and I love them. You get a lot of performance for not a lot of money. Order them with confidence. I also suggest Fish Stix 4 you as a source. They have been great to deal with. Pick any color combination for the thread wraps you want for your personal rods. Have fun with it. You'll soon get a feel for what looks good together. Any time I wonder what a certain color combination will look like, I just take a piece of broken rod and wrap a "test wrap' I even use this for testing thread with Color Preserver and Flexcoat to see what it is going to lok like. Welcome to rodbuilding...Have fun...I think your'e gonna get hooked.

Steve Buchanan
Steve's Custom Rods

Bob Marriott's in Fullerton has Rod Wrapping Classes
2700 W. Orangethorpe, near Magnolia, south side of street

You will enjoy the store. $$$$$$$