I was taught how to check the spine of a rod by the bending rolling method.( Lets not get into the importance or non- importance of the spline in this thread, puleeze.)

Have you ever had a graphite rod just snap in your hand? Have you ever had a heavy action graphite rod snap so that you had to look down at your hand, just to see if you had any fingers left? Have you ever had a section of graphite ping around a room leaving thoughts of " Thank God my eye wasn't in the way" echoing through your head?

Exploding graphite is freightening!!!

One time. It was a spontaneous explosion.

I had been put on a high dose of cortisone for an allergic reaction while on vacation. I went fishing in spite of feeling pretty wicked. I was stalking a rather large fish, downstream of a rock, and upstream from a log. I could get about a 3 foot drift. First cast, slightly too close to me. Fish rose two more times. Second cast, right over it. No take.

I let the fly leave the drift, pulled up and hhokes the log. Now, do I pull the log (slightly floating) and spook the fish, or wade in for my fly and put it down? I pulled.

Lost the fly. I was so angry (drug induced, no doubt) I slammed the rod on the water. Broke the tip. Seeing red now, I broke the rod in three places with my bare hands. See? It was spontaneous. It was one of by best builds, too.

I walked back to the car for another rod.

Really, I don't need anger management...

Dave

I'd bet that more rods have been broken while static testing than while "spining." But no, it hasn't happened to me, yet.

..............

I haven't broken one while spining, but have always given a blank the 'first test' bend to see if I'll even use it and I've broken a few that way. I don't want that to happen later on when the guy first uses it...

It scares the dickens out of me when it's happened...and then I curse a few times (but softly). :)

Putter
Williston, ND

I usually dont explode them I just use the "hit the ceiling method of shortening a blank" By the way this technique is only effective on shortening the tip end and is much easier with UL and ultra expensive graphite but with some effort can be employed with glass rods. I even give demonstrations on how slick it is. LOL

Yep! I had just finished a nice 11'-0" 1 piece Lamiglass graphite surf rod. About 3 casts in with a large Gibbs pencil popper, and POOF!!! I had grips, reel seat, and my new Newell reel left in my hand!! The other 8'-6" found its way to the bottom of the Pacific about 30yds from shore. Luckily the line did not break and I was able to retrieve the rod pieces guides and lure. Lamiglass replaced the blank.

I tend to use the stick it in the ceiling fan method for accidentally shortening rods/blanks than any other method. When I do this and scream out a single word, I don't have to worry about cats in the workroom for the rest of the day. LOL. I'm getting better, I usually look up and then move the rod/blank but sometimes I forget. Ralph

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

I intensionally broke a number of standard modulus blanks, blems, several years ago during some experiments to see where they would break relative to the ferrule. I could make them break almost anywhere along the blank by varying the butt to tip angle. But I found it surprisingly difficult to break moderate action blanks even relatively light weight blanks unless this angle was high (high sticking), fast action blanks were quite a bit easier. I may be a wimp but I was not strong enough to break blanks with line ratings of about 15lbs or more if I did not have this angle high.
I agree that sometimes the break can be pretty spectacular and I have also had small pieces of graphite flying through the air at high speed.

Had a guy taking our rod building class and I called him to tell him the foul weather would delay our last class where we would cover applying finish. He proceeded to tell me how he had set up his rod to do a practice cast after wrapping his guides in place and all the guides that had been pulled off when a knot had passed through them. Apparently the wrapping process was too much for him because he told me he was finished with the class. I explained that we would be happy to help him with retieing the guides on and so on. He replied that he brokenthe rod into at least 6 pieces and it was in the garbage can, none of the pices of which was even long enough to be an ice rod. This was an IMX loomis spinjig blank too, so not cheap! - He went on to say he was done fishing and was going to give all his fishing stuff to his sons!!! That was the biggest graphite explosion I am aware of... I hope the guy has lightened up some - he was wound tight from the start but WOW!
Chuck Ungs



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/2006 09:42PM by Chuck Ungs.

LOL! That's funny!!

Putter
Williston, ND