A question for the board. How do you go about holding a guide secure while fiing the foot? I use a method I first read about here, a plastic screw and Dremel. Since this is how I'm spending part of my aftrnoon, I thought I would see how others go about this task.
Thanks

Joe Luebeck
Butte, Montana

Hmmm!
Joe,
I use a nylon screw and a dremel with a diamond disc.

Your neighbor to the North

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

Nylon bolt through the ring and a Dremel/diamond disc Dremel mounted in a little drill stand (mini drill press) [www.rodbuilding.org]

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!!

When I grind guide feet I use a belt sander and just hold the guides in my hand. I outwrap for a living and most of the time I'm grinding guides for 25 to 40 rods. Putting screws on the guides and taking them off may help but outwrapping is piece work I just don't have the time to do that. I usually grind guides and wrap 25 to 40 rods a day and a few seconds here and there to put the screws on and off the guides costs me money.

Thomas F. Thornhill

I use a Exacto blade holder to hold my guides. I use a belt sander to bevel the feet. If you do not have a belt sander, You can modif. a old knife sharpener. or use diamond files to grind the foot down. Be careful and do not leave a sharp edge. A sharp edge can work its self into the blank and cause a failure
Good wraps Bob

I use a pair of square nosed pliers with out teeth. I have about 4 layers of masking tape wrapped over the ends to protect the eyelets and to provide better grip. Eyes kind of push into the tape, and use a belt sander

Like Thomas, I don't use anything to hold my guides. Just my fingers, and that's even on the small ones. This is one of those things that is much easier to show in person than to try and explain in a board post.

If you make it to the International Custom Rod Builders Exposition in February, I'll be happy to show you an easy way to do it.

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

I use an old Clemens guide holder that I've had forever. The nylon bolt sounds good. A Sears flap wheel, not the kind with foam between the flaps but the 3in. wheel that is solid flaps, chucked into my lathe. I then use a cloth wheel on the grinder to remove burrs. Ralph

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

I hold all my guides with my fingers. I either use my bench grinder or my belt/disk sander (depending on my mood..lol) after they are shaped close , I use a set of hemostats to hold the foot while finishing with a jewlers file

Mark Syck

SYCKO Custom Rods
There Are No Limits To The Imagination

I have a dedicated pair of locking hemostats also to hold my guide feet. The same type I use when flyfishing. The jaws are narrow enough to hold the guide by the foot and not the frame or the ring, and still provide a solid grip for grinding and finishing.

Terry