This is probably a stupid question. I have tried numerous ways to align the guides, stringline, eyeballing it, starting at tip top and vice versa. Are there any tools available for this or is there some grand secret that I'm not getting? I come pretty close but I always have just a slight flaw to one side or the other.

Val,
First did you check for blank trueness before the build, your small deflection may actually be in the blank in which case you never get it out completely. I look down the blank, guides down, against a light/white wall and split the guides in half as I look at it. Also having the guides off a little won't effect performance in the slightest so don't get to upset about it.

FWIW (newby here). On one rod I just finished I marked out the guides with the blank bent to spline it. I did the underwraps and then eyeballed the guides to their marks and made the overwraps. Then before I put any color preserver on them I adjusted them by sighting down through the guides. A little push here, a little tug there, and they look like a bullseye. On a second pole I made my marks just like the other one; however, when the blank is straight the marks weren't in a straight line along the axis. The blank twists just a little bit as it bends. I stuck with the marks figuring that if there was any difference then I'd rather have them perfect when under stress. The twist only amounted to a degree or two so it's not very noticeable but if you look down through the guides you can see it. The rod works fine and I've managed to stress it quite a bit on everything except fish:)

thanks for the tips guyz, i guess im justa tweak about tryin to make it perfect. have made about 15 rods and none uv them are far off, just thot i had missed some secret handshake or somethin.

Val,
You asked about a tool. Although I really think using it is overkill and time consuming, a laser pointer
set-up is available. Try a "search" using all authors and dates with the key word "laser".

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

Thanks Ray, I had figured that there would be some kind of laser light to chase the length of the blank, but from the responses I got it seems to not be a problem and i'm the only one that notices it. Thanks for the input.
Val

Val, I sometimes spend more time aligning my guides than I do building the rod that they are on. Hold the rod at arm's length, eyeball it with guides up then guides down, adjust, then repeat endlessly until you are satisfied.

A laser will work, but only if the blank is as straight as the laser. If you have a slight bend to one side, that's when you gotta bite the bullet and just do the best you can.

Val,
I'm kind of new at this myself, but what seems to help me is a couple of hardwood dowels, 1/8" and 3/16" so far; the straightest I could find. I set them through the guides to help align them. Maybe it is overkill, but I find it easier to "eyeball" the guides into position.

RON.

Nice trick Ron!

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