I have assembled and wrapped my guides and need to align them. I put them on the straightest plane of the blank and even then I cannot get to the point where I think they are straight. I look at them and move them and think they are straight and then look at them from the other end of the blank and they just do not look straight enough to suit me. Are there any tricks to aligning guides straight???

Laser alignment tool?

I am the same.. often, the eye plays tricks!

Put on a reel, add line string it up, add a little weight to the line, then look at it, make sure to center the line on the reel!

I just eyeball them. I found it easiest if I point the rod at a brightly lit wall.

I also eyeball them by looking down the blank to a well lit wall. I find it more effective to look down the top of the blank with the eyes facing downward.

We use a laser. We want the laser tine to cut the TDC (or BDC) of each guide, right through the tip.

However, the other "trick" is to gunsight the guides, from the stripper to the tip. You should be able to see each guide centered in the guide before it, and be able to see the tip from the stripper. However, keep in mind that we build our rods with a large stripper, and progressively smaller sizes to the tip. So, when gunsighted as I suggested above, they look like a "tunnel".

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods

There are 2 things I use for alignment - - - - - -
I have an old piece of spinning rod. It is about 3 1/2 ft long.; about 1/4 inch at
the large end. - - - I check it to be straight by rolling it - - - - - this I put through the
guides - - -- - - then I stand and eyeball the rod, guides and this piece of rod.
Any guide out of line usually shows up.
I took a reel stand off of an old Penn reel. It has holes in it used for bolts, etc.
to lock reel to rod.. - - - - In these I put two 3/16" bolts with nuts; 2 1/4" long.
With the rod stationary and with the reel seat straight up, I put on the reel stand
with the 3/16" bolts straight up - - - - - just another way I can eyeball the rod; guides; etc.
Not perfect; but works pretty good.

I use a 8 foot flourescent shop light and if you put the rod up under it you can see a line down the blank. The light works best on gloss finished rods rods. After this i eyeball them looking down the reel seat to the tip. Hope this helps.

Sometimes its easier if i flip the rod over so the guides are on the bottom, the see if they are all even on both sides of the blank.

yep
The eyes do play tricks
I sight down the blank from the butt looking at the guides against a light coloured wall.
I check my impression of any minor misalignment and its orientation with stripper guide centered below the blank & having identified what I believe is the miscreant , I immediately turn the blank 180 degrees to guides up and repeat, to check the same guide before touching anything.
if the eyes tell me I have a misaligned guide in both tests I move it ................if not ..........I don't trust myself and touch nothing.
Repeat as necessary ( not often ) until everything is straight.
DenisB

I put on a reel replacement jig then run a brightly colored line (old flyline is nice) through the guides to the tip. Attach a weight to the end of the line. Pull enough tension to make a slight bow in the rod. Adjust the guides until the line is centered at the top or bottom edge of each guide. This will also work with a spiral wrap.

BTW; I learned this many years ago from someone. I think the flyline trick from TK. Whomever it was; thanks. I don't claim originality for this method. I will 'adopt' new and better things. C2

If you have an old spinning reel that you no longer use, strip it down to the bare body, then cut (hacksaw) away the rear half of the gear housing leaving the front of the housing attached to the reel foot. This will leave the front spindle bearing hole exposed and visible when sighting from the butt of the rod. Install in the rods reel seat and use like a gunsight. It can also be used to align guides on casting rods. Although you won't get a concentric sighting, it does give you an alignment reference.
I did this a few years ago and was amazed to discover that some of the guides on my older rods, that I thought were perfectly aligned, were'nt

These are all great suggestions. I drive myself crazy sometimes trying to adjust guides 'perfectly.'
I use two methods, which are the same in essence, and one philosophy.

I gunsight down the blank using the blank as the line to center equal amounts of guide overhang; or in the case of micro guides no guide overhang. First I do this with the guides up and then with the guides down. These are the two nearly identical methods. I might even switch eyes as I sight down the blank from the butt to the tip. A high contrast background is a must so I can see tiny and equal specks of light/contrast shining through the guide frame or ring on each side of the blank.

My philosophy is to get them as good as I can using the above method and then practice feeling satisfied that I did my best and not drive myself nuts. I doubt that my guides are perfect even if they appear that way because I am not a machine nor a lazer...and the line seems to go through just fine!

That's why I love fishing...I can be imperfect and still bring one to the boat enough to keep me interested. You know the saying about the blind squirrel finding a nut now and again....I still don't know which part of that saying I identify with the most!!!

Les

Les I think you will appreciate this query?

Ponder this in the evening sitting on the bank of the lake while consuming a few adult beverages!

If you take the rod with the perfect guide alignment fishing a few times ... gun sight it you will find they are crooked again!

Is there a solution?

I wonder if the rod went out the door with the guides crooked and you fished with a few times would they end up perfectly straight?

I am now listening to the silver dollar spinning on the bar top on the Country Music Station of XM Radio .. Cheers!

No laser is this shop!

Gon Fishn