I've received all the back issues of both RodMaker and Rod Crafters
that address spiral wraps and new guide concept. Have read all the material 3-4 times and figure my basic understanding is good enough to give it a go. Since I'm an avid reader I've read almost all of the issues front to back highlighting things that I want to look into more.
In one of the 99 issues there was a piece about the "average rod maker" that I found interesting.
When it comes to "fancy equipment" I reckon I'm Stone Age. I still wrap by hand although I do have a really nice thread tension device. Although I prefer using cork I do use the synthetics,different ones for different rods, I inspect my guides with under a fly tying jig with a glass and light. I hone my guide feet by hand with a jewelers file and polish if necessary with jewelers rouge, I have a stone age method of spine finding, and load testing. I don't underwrap because it's not necessary, I make no wraps on a rod that aren't required, I use Fuji reelseats and guides, I keep guide wraps as short as possible and finish as light as possible as well.
I build for myself,family,friends and friends of friends. My personal collection of rods is 51, 4 SW fly rods, 7 fixed spool and the rest multipliers, no Alveys YET.
I started learning about building rods watching my Grandfather and Father build cane and later build and rebuild fiberglass. I'm 561/2YO so I've been at it for a while.
While my methods and equipment may be stone age I've always tried to keep up with what's going on in the rod building/fishing tackle realm. This Internet thing is as far as I'm concerned the greatest thing that's happened to this industry, since graphite,maybe even fiberglass.
There's a ton I don't know and even more that I question and I would say that I'm an average fishing - rodbuilder. Warren

























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Most rod builders do not have rod lathes or power wrappers. They turn the rod by hand, like yourself. Count yourself in the majority.

The quality of a custom rod doesn't lie nearly as much in the type equipment you have, but rather in the time and patience the builder puts into it. The rods I built early in my career were made on the most rudementary equipment. They are easily the equal of anything I ever put together on more sophisticated equipment. They just took a little longer to build.

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