I've heard some impressive rod building blunders, but I think I may have topped them all. I had cannibalized a broken fly rod, including a very nice REC reelseat and full wells grip with an extendable threaded fighting butt. I
boiled them off the broken rodand salvaged both. I was building on a 4 section St. Croix SCV 9wt.and I decided belatedly one evening to get a start on the new rod. The internal threaded fighting butt is a bit tricky to work around but I got out the fiberglass mesh tape and the Rod Bond and went to work. The blank was quite slender but I was still surprised how large an arbor I had to build. I glued it up and went to bed.
The next morning I checked out the grip, and after a short examination I discovered I had glued the grip and reel seat to the second section of the rod. Humiliation and despair were followed by more boiling. I eventually got it right, but my self-esteem took an awful beating.

Just about equals finishing the last coat of epoxy, no bubbles, nice and tacky, spinning away, and the putting your sleeve in the biggest wrap or the butt wrap as you walk by.

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods

Phil,

Too bad you went all that trouble to 'fix' it.

Would have made a nice popper rod for bass fishing in the shorter length.

Buddy Sanders

Don't beat your self up too much.

As they say, "been there, done that". I made the same blunder and rod bonded the reel seat onto the 2nd section of a Batson 4 piece 9 foot fly rod I was "rushing" to build. I've since learned to slow down a bit (and double check what I'm doing before it's too permanent). Luckily the great folks at Batson were able to send me another 2nd section (at a very reasonable price) and I then more carefully finished the rod. I later finished the "blundered" 2nd section and can now use the rod in it's full 9 foot version or a shorter 6 3/4 foot version.

i was affixing a fly rod grip to a fly rod and i accidently mixed up a quick setting epoxy versus my normal 20 minute or so stuff..... i slid the grip down the rod and it took herculean effort to get it snugged down to meet up with where the reel seat was already installed.... frankly i was shocked that it got there, it took two guys and some quick action to get it slid down. thought for sure we were going to break the blank but it all ended up ok afterall.

and i hear ya about the finish... i also put one of the support stands for my drier right into a nice long wrap.... whoops.

the one i'm most proud of is forgetting to put the phillipson sliding reel seat on the tennessee handle before glueing the two sections together. I was able to get it apart, but i have a huge glue line as a result. Left it the way it was as a reminder to slow down once in a while!

Carrington

My biggest blunder was probably thinking I was going to build a couple of rods to "save money". Yeah, right.... Now I give away rods and pile rods that I don't use in the corners... but I don't think I have "saved" any money.

Arrrgg! I hid my book Decorative Wraps by Billy Vivona from my kids...now I can't find it!