Ever worked on a possessed rod? One that made you wonder why you ever bought a spool of thread or made you check your calendar to see when exactly it was when you whizzed in the wheaties of the rod gods? Here is a sample of my life. I wish I could tell you that I was joking.

Started out simple enough. Glue on tip and wrap the guides. When I almost had the alignment perfect, I realized I put the tip on upside down (up on a spinning rod). Then I noticed that I had aligned all the guides to it. I laugh at myself. It was a good chuckle. Thought about flipping the stripper and make a reverse spiral wrap but that would have been a bit too radical. Should have been my first clue that it wasn't gonna be my weekend. Rewrap everything and move on.

Start a weave. A simple three color metallic pattern I've done before half blindfolded. I get it done but I just don't like it. A few color changes had looped around each other, knotted up and looked pretty bad. Strip it and start over. Halfway through, when packing, I slip and strip the mylar off about 6 threads. Swear, take a deep breath and start over. Halfway through, when packing, I muscle a bit much and break a couple threads and strip mylar off several more. With quivering bottom lip, strip and start over with regular thread. Metallics aren't happening this time. It's in a split grip area and I had to put a butt extension on the grip to hold the loom. Halfway through, the extension and rod separate and all crash to the floor. All my "left" threads pull out of the loom. I'm about to start crying I'm so mad. Start over. Halfway through, my right side loom breaks. I'm beyond being able to believe what is happening but calmly rod bond it together in place, and while putting stuff away, fumble my applicator stick which falls sticky end down on the threads between the looms, thinly coating them with rod bond. I'm going bananas. Start over, remove one color completely to simplify things a bit and in my paranoia to not miss anything, make changes that aren't even on the pattern. I can't take it anymore and move, pack and squish threads to make it look barely passable. My story now is that I deliberately slopped it up so it will be readily apparent that it is thread and not a decal.

Moving on, I'm working on the buttwrap. Things are moving nicely until something doesn't seem right. I'm packing my brains out and my fingers are cramping from the effort but it's just not working out. That's when I realize that while I usually work with the butt end to my right, this time it was to my left. My math on the compression was perfect. Unfortunately, I laid it out in reverse. Left side is way too loose, skinny end is bunching up big time. Salvage what I can though the whole wrap is a few inches shorter than planned. That's when I notice that while doing the tie offs, my hand was rubbing on the hookkeeper wrap, which is now a bird's nest with no hookkeeper to be found. I can't even swear at this point. I tried but all that will come out of my mouth is grunts and squeaks. Find a new one and whip it on.

Moving on, it's time to finish. Everything is going nicely. Guides are done, I just finish the buttwrap and have just the split grip area to go. I'm using Threadmaster for the first time and it is starting to get sticky so I need to hurry, not knowing how much time I have left. I start to move my halogen floor lamp and the diffuser glass falls out of it, hits the butt wrap skimming a swath of finish off it, to the cement floor and shatters into a hundred pieces. Did I mention I'm barefoot and my work area does not let me move my chair backwards where I am? I hop the chair over, do the split, hop it down to the tip to check all the guides, hop it back down and am now happy. Time to give the rod a final spin. I am so relieved that I'm done that while staring that the bottom side of the finish, looking for any rogue sags, I triumphantly reach up to turn the rod and grab it right in the middle of the buttwrap.....

Anyhow, it's finally done. I might celebrate by going to Kmart tonight and picking myself up a new crappie rod. They have a cool pink Barbie kit with built in reel that I have my eye on.

I really liked Threadmaster though. Very good stuff!

Mick thanks for the laughs!

DR

When the loom and rod separated I'd have cleaned it up and gone fishing! and made a new start later. For me it all just keeps getting worse if I keep on. Ralph

If at first you don't succeed, go fishing, then try, try again.

I'm thinkin he wanted to just throw it in the corner and go fishin...problem was it was the DAV spinning rod project and he was feeling rushed...lol..Mick..The part where the rod bond gets slopped on the threads is where I would of boxed it up and sent it to the next guy...(which is me). I would of opened it up and said "What the #^%*" You could of claimed...It must of been damaged by UPS. Although it was a frustrating build...thank you for your time and restraining from snapping it over your knee.

Jeff

I don't believe you...post pics. lol.

I couldn't go fishing, but I did have a drink and a ham sandwich somewhere around that point. It helped but it was just one of those days. Anything that could have went wrong, did. Any mistake that I could have made, I made. All simple stuff but somedays you eat the bear, somedays the bear eats you.

Jeff, it went from frustrating to almost comical. I honestly could not believe it and it got to a point where if the rod would have spontaneously combusted, it would have been the most natural thing in the world.

I'm just happy I didn't have to do any grip work. Probably be in the hospital or funny farm today! lol

Billy, I do have a pic or two of one of the first few weave setups with the metallics I'll put up tonight, along with with finished (crappy) product.

Thanks Mick! Just cut off a buttwrap I had been working on for a day and a half. Didn't like the way it was going...Now I don't feel so bad! LOL!

Regards......Doug@
TCRds

Mick
That is why you get the big bucks, I would have beat that rod about half way through
that with a base ball bat. You made it all the way. That's worth a cool million at least !



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/16/2006 08:57PM by bill boettcher.

Mick,
Thanks for the chuckles. I was just getting ready to go re-wrap the first guide on an ultralight that I am making for a family reunion raffle item. I was putting a decal on the butt section yesterday & was being very careful to get it lined up. I used the reel seat as my reference & as I looked down the rod, there was the guide cocked out about 10 degrees from where it should be. How do these things happen? The wrap & finish on that guide was nice. Too bad but it came off with the good old razor blade. Now I can call those times when things go wrong "Micks" & just move on. If I take something apart & then it goes back together without any hitches, I usually find out that I put it back together wrong or left some crucial part out. Thanks again for the laughs & I'll go & fix my "mick".

That's the heck of it Bill. Not counting the vacation day I took, it cost me $25 shipping to endure this abuse! I don't mind paying for a beating but it better involve a whip and... well, not a fishing rod! hahah

Most welcome Mel. Normally things go rather smooth for me but this was something out of a bad zombie movie. I couldn't not share it!

Mick~

Don't feel too bad. I had my fair share of problems with that rod! I ruined 3 checker pieces while boring out the inside diameter! Then glued everything up only to realize that I had the reel seat 180 deg. off from the spine. Luckily I noticed it before the epoxy had set up so it was a quick fix. I think the pressure of this being the first DAV rod along with such a short timeframe has added to the frustration! I'm sure the feeling we give Jason will be worth our troubles!

John

Man...you 2 got me scared $&^#less...I'm the scheduled third guy to work on it...It's on the way here right now. I'm suppose to marble it....I'm worried imagining all the things that could possibly go wrong marbling the guides etc...I have a bale of rags and a 55gallon drum of alcohol ready for this one....lol

Don't let the sweat get in yer eyes, Jeff!

Putter
Williston, ND

Maybe I'll just spray a can of minwax poly on the whole thing from 5 feet away...then immediately spray it with a little krylon...then toss a match to it and see how she comes out...I bet it;d be one helll of a marbling job.

Mick
Whips, chains and handcuffs ?? LOL Do you also roll your own ??

Don't burn off your eyebrows Jeff Put a rod on the Barbi ??

Most rods go very smooth but evey now and then one of these comes along and nothing goes right. Gremlins are the only explanation I can come with. Thanks for the laughs, we've all been there.

Jeff, I like the idea of a flame job hahah. Don't turn your back on the fargin bastage and keep the number of a good priest handy. By the time I was done, I had over 40 hours invested in a 10 hour job!

Bill... Anything but a live chicken hahah

I can't wait to hear how this rod fishes!

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"