I am building a two handed rod (some might call it a switch but I would one-hand it rarely) on a 4pc, 10'6" CTS Affinity X #12 blank.

I have the tip-top installed and have the blank in the jig for guide placement. I use neoprene "O" rings that I can slide up and down the blank to determine correct guide placement and number of guides.

Well I am doing this and seem to have way too many rings left over- I started with 11. Wow - this must be an unusual blank to not need the usual quota of guides. You know the blank looks shorter than a 10'6" should look - I guess it is the bend in the blank that mahkes it look shorter. I had better check that I took correct blank out of the box - sure enough the plastic bag says 10'6".

Then I decide tat I had better measure the blank - when I got to 8' I saw that I was about to run out of blank before I got to 10'6".

Then I saw the butt section on the other side of the room.

Herb not really anything new just "OLD TIMERS" kicking in, LOL.

Hey, if it does not involve cutting off cork, reel seats, or finished guide wraps or ordering a new blank, it is not a "dumb move". Just part of the natural working process.

I can tell you I've done worse - much worse. Most involved removal of grips; gimbels (crooked); splitting wood inserts while reaming; mixing two of ; the same parts of epoxy and wondering why it didn't cure; installing roller tips upside down; reel seats "backwards" uplocking vs downlocking' ; forgetting to CP one guide wrap out of several. The list is almost endless and most were caused by being tired and therefore less attentive than I should have been.

Oh yes, I can & have more than I like to admit. Try leving the locking nut off of the reel
seat & gluing everything up only to notice the next day. Hope I don't do THAT again. lol

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

Raymond,
I've done that a few times now. Finish all the guides and then notice the hoods not on it. I have a new system when I'm gluing the seats, I tape the hood on the blank just above the seat so I don't forget.

Robert

yea Russell,

Kudo's to the folks @Swampland Tackle! Bill sent out a replacement flocked foregrip.
On their dime too. I'll never forget that ever!

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

Yep I can beat it. But I will let you have this one.

How about putting the guides on a casting rod 180 degrees off. And this was no spiral wrap. Didnt notice untill after the last coat of finish was dry

Mike Thompson
Thompson's Custom Rods

It is impossible to make anything foolproof, because fools are so ingenious!

Then there's that ever popular using 5-min epoxy as guide finish.....

Nope, not yet. But I know my day is coming. Its only a matter of time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!