Another great issue arrived today. The cover photo Antti's birch bark handle along with the how to article was awesome. Also the article by Jim Ellis, "The Art of Decaling", answers all the question that many have about the application of decals.

For those of you that visit this site that do not subscribe you should not waste any time in subscribing. It is by far the best magazine that a person who is interested in rod building could have. Tom deserves a big thank you from us all for making it available.

Bob Crook
La Pine, Oregon

I agree, can't that anything away from the magazine - it is well done with good articles.

I used to subscribe the first 2-3 years after it's introduction, but got bored with what to me were mostly beginner articles. I did get a thing or two out of the mag - that wooden spring loaded cork ring tool - but I then finally let the subscription expire.

I realize I have missed out on articles that I came to find out interested me. My loss for not subscribing. I am thinking of re-activating my subscription so that I do not miss something I want more info on.

Lou

Lou, True there are articles geared towards beginners but I would consider most geared towards intermediate and advanced. Just about every cutting edge info available has come from this magazine. I would gladly pay double for the info that is available only in Rodmaker.

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Lou, in the 7 years since you let yours lapse you wouldn't believe how much stuff has been in there and how much the magazine has improved. It was always good but it's a WAY different animal at this point than it was those first two volumes. I can't think of any topic on this or any board that hasn't been covered in much greater depth in the magazine and most of the really new technologies or advancements in rod building these past years have come from information that first got delivered in the magazine.

Also get the back issue with the big article on color preserver. You might start using it once you see how its made and how to use it without problems! *Just kidding*

Just received Rodmaker 9-2, the article on birch bark handles is a dandy, and I want to try some. Anyone know of a source for birch bark pieces? I'm too lazy to harvest my own. Any info will be appreciated.

The birch bark article was well done and its something I'd like to try also. I Had to work in VT for the past couple days and of course I'm looking at Birch trees at 70 mph thinking about trim rings and hole punches etc...sure enough I'm driving down a rural road and spot a guy cutting up and splitting birch logs. Guys that sell cordwood for a living are a great source for birch bark, especially if your lazy like me.

I just moments ago, completed my subscription online. Though I have been wrapping rods for better than 20 years (hobbiest at best), after finding this board I realized there are many tips and tricks out there that I was not exposed to with my "doors shut and nose on the wrap". As mentioned on a previous post, tips like the rod finish in the top pocket and inline skate wheels for rollers are shear genius.

My favorite, and the one that brought out an audible outburst, which caused my wife to query on what I was "looking at now" on the computer, was the resolution for the attachment of the mixing cup to the 1/4" shaft of the mixing motor - yep, right in front of me and I never saw it. As suggested by another poster, I glued a mixing cup to a cork ring and stuck it on the shaft – problem solved without so much as even one trip back to the hardware store.

Heck, the way I figure it, $2.25 a month for all the pretty pictures is worth it to me.

I just received my copy of the magazine yesterday :)

Thanks for all nice comments towards my article and cover shoot taken by Markus. I'm so glad that Tom asked me to do this.

Magazine was good as always. Was happy to receive it with some older back issues as well...

I have sources of birch bark here in Finland for those who really cant find them at own country. One place to order is www.brisa.fi
Also if you have any further questions, please dont hesitate to contact me.

br,

Antti Kymäläinen
[personal.inet.fi]