Well almost. I'm just waiting for a winding check, good thing it;s a 7 piece rod or it would be a little hard to get the check installed.

Things I found out during this first build...
1/ Tying single foot guides on as tip guides on really light rods are a total pain. I think it took me 3 tries and about 45 minutes to get the @#$% thing on right.
2/ Don't be cheap with the rod finish. It took 3 coats for complete coverage.
3/ It's not as hard as I thought it woud be.
4/ Not sure why people have difficulty with rod finnish. During this build & during testing
I mixed quantities between 0.5 cc's and 3 cc's with consistant results each time. I also whipped the stuff to a froth and had no bubble issues after speading out the finish and using the straw trick. Room temp was between 60 & 65 degrees.

Overall I'm pretty happy with the outcome, but I have a ways to go yet.
I have my next 3 planned and am waiting for parts.
This could get expensive!!!!!


[www.rodbuilding.org]
[www.rodbuilding.org]
[www.rodbuilding.org]


Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

It looks pretty dang sweet Dave

Congrats on the first one....now get to work on the next hahaha

Regards

Scott

Dave,

Nice job on your first project. Your wraps and finish look nice and sharp.

I'm curious why you choose to use a single foot guide as your tip guide. Not being critical. I just wondered what your specific reason was. I recently finished a 7 piece rod using titanium single foot carbide guides, but choose to install a titanium wire tip top guide instead of the matching carbide tip top guide. The primary reason was because I just didn't like the look of the carbide guide sitting on the end on the rod.

Why some have trouble with the finish and other parts of the process while others don't, can be mysterious. I think some guys appear naturally to do well building rods because they already possess the skill sets that require a person to pay reasonable attention to detail to build a rod with little or no difficulty. That's just from my observations.

Good luck.

There are a couple of reasons I use single foot guides as tip tops.
!/ They're lighter than the tube over design.
2/ I think they look nicer.

Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

i think your rod looks great!

Very Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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!!

Heck of a good job Dave!

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

great job and not an easy first choice did you turn your own cork (rear grip) or did you buy pre maid and where did you come accross it dan

DANIEL J MINSKER Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> great job and not an easy first choice did you
> turn your own cork (rear grip) or did you buy pre
> maid and where did you come accross it dan

Hi Dan
The handle kit was purchased fom Mudhole Item #Q on this page.
[shop.mudhole.com]

I had to do a little custom work on all 3 sections of the handle to make it fit on the butt section & so that the seat would snug up on the reel properly.




Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

Do you have a pic of the tip? I would like to see what that looks like.

Let's fish,
Chris

Chris Means Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Do you have a pic of the tip? I would like to see
> what that looks like.
>
> Let's fish,
> Chris


Here you go Chris.
Sorry for the lousy picture, I just moved and have no idea where my tripod is.
I had to take about 20 just to get this one :)

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

Looks great! I can't wait to get started on my first one!

Chad,

Don't wait too long (LOL)

...Seriously, I'm with Patrick: Dave has done a really nice job. If I didn't knew for sure, I'd scarcely think that the rod on the photos is a very first one.


Dave
Keep on rockin' the way you started :-)

Pavel,
Moscow, RU



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/2007 05:01PM by Pavel Novolokin.

Dave, that looks a hundred times better than my first one. I "mercy killed" it by slipping carrying a 25 HP outboard and dropped it on it.

Putter
Williston, ND