Hi guys..My first post here. I am just getting into building my own rods and I'm already hooked. I have several older rod that I am going to rebuild before moving on to a nice custom from scratch for myself. My first rebuild was an 8' MH action fiberglass rod...used for bottom rigs and ocasionally throwing lures in the surf. I am amazed at the difference in feel with the new guides and set up.
OK..on to my question. The next rods are 2 identical 10' fiberglass heavy action spinning surf rods. The finish is in good shape so I just want to freshen the clear coat..new reelseat and grips..new guides. I plan on placing the guides as the old guides were placed to cover the area where they were at originally. I remember reading that it is not necessary to go through all of the sizes of guides..or to choke the line guides down to your smallest guide quickly..but I was never sure if that goes for both spinning setups as well as casting. So should i start with a 40..or 50..and graduate down to a 16..or 12..or start 40..25..16..12...12...12..?
I'm still in the phase of stressing over such details..I'd appreciate any input from you guys..and I have a copy of Tom's book on the way..:)
Thanks!..Tony Holland

Tony, there's one piece of advice I can't stress strongly enough: ignore where the guides used to be. You're starting from scratch, so don't think about what used to be there or what size the guides were. If you mimic what used to be there, you're probably going to end up with the same mediocre layout that was there in the first place, and you'll have missed the main reason rebuilding an old rod can be such a good idea. Just replacing the old guides with newer and lighter models isn't good enough.

To get the best performance from a rod, you want to do the same thing whether you're rebuilding something you stripped or you're starting from scratch. So pick what size ring you want your smallest guides to be (for a surf rod, I recommend a size 10 if you're not using a shock leader, as this is what's worked well for me), get a tip top and install it. And then get started testing.

If you haven't already, buy Tom Kirkman's Rod Building Guide. It'll be the best $12 you ever spent. There's also an article in the library here about New Concept guide spacing. My best results have been with the New Concept method, and I recommend that you give it a shot too. It's not really that hard. With the new concept method, you'll probably start with a spinning guide in the 30 mm size range, and you'll want to get down to your smallest guide size, say 10, as fast as you can. On a 10-footer that probably means two or three transitional guides between size 30 and 10, and then as many size 10s as you need to get to the tip top.

Now, for the important part: buy a bunch of different-sized cheap/inexpensive ceramic spinning guides (I recommend Fuji aluminum oxide), and get out there and test cast. Do not cheat; do not copy what used to be on the rod; do not use a spacing chart. Spend an hour or two learning what different-sized guides, and where they're placed, do to the performance of your rod. You'll A) end up with a guide configuration that will allow you to get maximum peformance from your old stick, and B) much more important, give you a basic understanding of how guide spacing and sizing affects the finished product. This will help you immeasurably for all future products, whether you're building a rod from scratch or rebuilding a factory rod. And don't worry if your new guides end up not covering the old guides -- just coat the areas where the old guides used to be with a coat or two of Perma Gloss, and you'll be fine.

This is certainly not the easiest way to do your job. You could find a spacing chart here or somewhere else online, and get a good end result with a lot less time and effort invested. But if you want to move forward with this great hobby, you need to understand the fundamentals of why things work -- you need to "get under the hood" and learn the very basics of how each component affects peformance. I can't recommend strongly enough that you use this rebuild as an opportunity to do just that.

Chris is right on the money here. I've rebuilt almost everything I own, and a bunch for friends....I never end up with the same placement, size, or number of guides. Testing is the key until you figure out the basic setups. Rebuilding old rods is alot of work, but the end product should be something that's head and shoulders above what you started with. Good luck.

Chris is spot-on. And a 50mm stripper is OK, or a 40mm, though I wouldn't go smaller on that length rod.

The idea is to use the original rod as a base to build a new one. The grips and reel seat being in place to start with are a bonus, but the secret to any custom rod is the guides and guide placement.

Don't obsess about it - just build it and test it and build it some more.

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods

Thanks for the tips guys. I did take my time on my first rebuild and it was worth every minute. It turn out really sweet..I used the bmnag alconites and replaced everything but the reel seat on that one.
I am taking the reel seats and grips off of these two rods. So after reading your responses I started cleaning up the blank on the first one last night..I'm going for a paint job as well..They have a red paint under the guides..I don't want to leave that..That was the only reason for going back in the same place..but you are right..If it's worth doing..it's worth doing right is my motto. So I'm sanding them nice and smooth and will shoot them with a fresh coat of paint and a clear coat. My components are in the mail..along with a copy of Tom's book..:) I'm sure I'll need some second opinions along the way..Thanks again for the input and ecouragement.
Tony Holland

Good luck, Tony. I'm far less experienced than most of the guys here, but feel free to e-mail me (you can get my address through my profile here) if you have any questions. You're embarking on a great hobby, and I'll be glad to help you any way I can.