Chuck Mills Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Geez guys! I didn't invent the Tennessee handle!
> Where have you been? :)

CLASSIC! Chuck, with that one you get a free pass next time if you want to post 15 pictures of your rod.

Thanks guys! I've never fished Black Duck. :)

I weighed an AMTAK Aero Comfort sz 16 on a digital postage scale and it is .9 ounces. I weighed a Fuji NPS sz 18 with the extra threads cut off and it is 1.1 ounces. Add glue and arbors...

I know the cork TN handle is not for everyone. But it is lighter and warmer than anything else. Up here guys put black electrical tape over the seat of store bought rods just so they don't have to touch the seat. Loomis sells rods with straight cork grips and no rings.

I was wrapping a Batson ISB781 last night. It has a Batson graphite sensor tube handle and the thing weighs 3.5 ounces with Alconites held on with surgical tube rings - no thread or epoxy yet. (The blank is 1.9 oz and the SCIV is 1.5)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2007 09:13AM by Chuck Mills.

jim spooner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chuck,
> Really nice rod. I am curious about what reel
> you’d use on it. Weight saving is also one of my
> obsessions and I’ve found it a challenge to find
> reels that perform well that are light.
>

Well Jim, I can't afford a new reel right now since I put titaniums on an SCIV. (GRIN)

Some guys I know with money put Stellas on their rods. You now, when you open the bail and drop 20, 30, 40 feet of line down I can do it just fine with a Gander Mtn. Guide Series reel for $20. Seriously. Having said that, I am not sure what I will put on here but I will be looking for a small light reel that won't break the bank. I like Shimano and Okuma too. I have a few older graphite body Shimanos that I might try.

Comfort and warm feeling surface - flock one of those cork grips and see how you like it!

Crap! I just placed two orders last night and I was going to buy a flocking kit but forgot about it until I read this!

Chuck,
One of your graphite bodied Shimano’s might work out well assuming the spool centerline height is compatible with your guide heights. I’ve found that many of the newer reels, especially those under $300, are far too heavy. Ball bearings seem to add considerable weight to reels and more than one or two seem redundant to me since there are no moving reel parts when casting. Because I use braided lines, I can get by with relatively small reels (2000 series), which also cuts down on weight.

Chuck,
That looks like a nice job to me. If you are as fussy about weight as I am there are a couple of things that you might consider. It looks like you could get by with one less guide and it also looks like you used a conventional tip so you might consider using a single footed guide as the tip which will weigh less. The effect of added weight on sensitivity increases roughly exponentially as you get closer and closer to the tip so keeping the weight toward the tip as low as possible is the most critical.
Also epoxy is surprisingly heavy so if you are attempting to maximize the sensitivity you will want to use guide wraps that are as short as possible and use as little epoxy on the guides as possible.

You can think about it like this. What you feel at the reel when the fish bites is motion and for a given amount of energy from the fish's bite that comes up the line the lower the mass the more the rod tip will move and the more motion there will be at the handle.
How much of the motion at the tip gets to your hand is mainly a function of a number of things but mainly it is what is called the mechanical impedance. There is an article on this that I think that Tom is putting into the next issue of RodMaker that might want to look for.

Well, both those seats have a substantial chunk of plastic on the middle and back sections, and would probably represent maximum seat weights. The Fuji skeleton is just two hoods and the threaded barrel. Obviously weighs less.

Now, a reel. Like Jim said, for best performance you're gonna have to find a reel that sits comfortably where you've cut that recess and ties in with the centerline to ring edge for the distance. Shouldn't be too much of a problem, although not quite New Guide Concept. If you did work out your spacing with a reel, then something along the same lines in terms of size and upsweep would work fine. Maybe a 2000/2500 size Shimano.

Thanks Emory. My rodbuilding friends think I'm "anal". I'm always trying this or that and they just smile. I tried to reduce the number of guides but with this extra fast tip I didn't like what I was seeing during static testing. The TT is titanium and weighs very little (but costs very much), but I hear you. Surprisingly, the rod weighed 2.5 ounces and only gained 1/10th of an ounce with another light coat of LS Supreme. If I would have gone easier on the glitter I could have done it in one coat. I tried to keep the wraps short and started up the foot as soon as I could. Every time I build a rod I have several things I want to do different next time, and I will try your suggestions on some rods this winter. I'm looking forward to that article in RM!

Jim, I agree with you - ball bearings must be heavy. I wish reel makers would get off that kick and start adding lightness. I'd rather pay $50 for a lightweight 2 or 3 ball bearing reel even if I only get a season out of it.

Ted, it is set up on a Shimano 1500 Sodona?.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2007 02:34PM by Chuck Mills.

Chuck,
Well, if you are anal about weight so am I. Are you using braided line? It results in much better sensitivity. The factors that determine the amplitude of any motion or vibration that comes up the line are the tension on the line, higher tension results in higher amplitude vibrations, the mass density or mass per unit of length of the line and the elasticity of the line. Braids lines have much lower mass density than monofiliment for a given line rating and also have lower elasticity so much higher amplitude vibrations coming up the line or better sensitivity.

The guys above are also making a very good point about the weight of the reel. Mass is mass whether it is in the reel or in the rod. Fortunately the reel is far enough back on the rod that it has much less effect. For those that do not buy the importance of mass near the tip of the rod think about what effect the mass of the reel would have if it were hung on the tip of the rod.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2007 03:12PM by Emory Harry.

I use 6# Fireline Crystal with an 18" florocarbon leader tied on with a double uni-knot.

Boy do I have a deal for you! Send me a shaped cork grip!

Get some Sumo Adhesive, Perma Gloss and send me an email.

I know what you're thinking Bill! :) I have a couple OG Batson bass blanks that would look very nice with threadless "wraps" and gold guides. I have the RM article.

What is Sumo and where do I find it? I am a bit out of the loop on that.

Chuck

If you want a light reel, try one of the Magnesium reels, I have a 3000 Diawa Fuego for instance that is about 8 1/4 oz. Strangely the bigger 3000 is lighter than the 2500 and almost as light as the 2000. The new Pfleuger Supreme Mg looks like a winner to me also, and cheaper. I've only handled one, but it seemed as light as the Diawa, both seem to be considerably lighter than the Shimano Mg. Been a while since I weighed a Penn reel, but I think the Penn 4300 for instance was a light, but very sturdy reel with good line capacity and awesome drag..