micro fly rod build
looking to build a micro fly rod on a 30" blank
found this for a reel seat/handle
[www.jannsnetcraft.com]
but it's 10' long ( a full 1/3 of the total length). Too long in my opinion.

Any advice on shortening this seat/handle? would like to take it down to 5-6"
Cut down with a fine blade saw in a miter box? sand to re shape?

any one else make a micro fly rod?
something like this:
[www.jaustinforbes.com]

Thanks in advance for taking my new obsession to the next level of madness!

As a custom builder, you can shorten, reduce, cut, chop, etc. to your heart's content. Best bet would be to make the grip up from rings and get what you want on the first go around. But you can certainly modify a pre-formed/shaped grip if you like.

.............

Never built a grip from ground up. (new to rod building- one kit under my belt). Have plenty of hand tools, but no lathe any advice on shaping cork grip and installing rings? wanting to learn how to do it all from the ground up! since this is a small grip it might be the best project to practice on...

Then you can use a miter to shorter the grip to your liking and then rasp/sand it to general size and shape. Follow up with finer and finer grades of sandpaper.

Or, buy a 4 to 6 inch foregrip designed for a spinning or casting rod and rework that. MIght be even less work.

..............

If you have a drill -- you have a lath ! Home Depot has threaded rod that can be used to glue your rings with. Wing nuts and washers.Scrap blanks are good for turning arbors on your drill.

Bill - willierods.com

Bill,

That's a good tip, thanks. You probably helped a good many builders with that one.

...........

something like this?

[images.google.com]

Can cork handle be worked to size after gluing on a dowel or a smooth metal rod?

This NEWB Might need a bit more info on this.

Might be a silly question but how does one get the slip rings on to a cork handle? (like the kid in million dollar baby-"how did you get the ice in the bottle?" lol!)
Do you glue up 2 halves work to size insert rings and glue together?

thanks.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Once you glue it to a dowel or rod, it's there forever.

I would do as Bill suggested. Use a threaded rod and snug the grip up with washers and nuts. That way you can get it off after the shaping operation is over.

...........

AHHHH, so its glued AND shaped on same threaded rod... got it!

Will be stopping off at lowes on my way home... see what I can find.

Thanks for the info.

I'm SURE I'm going to have more questions!

No, don't glue it up on the threaded rod - you'll never get it off.

If it's already pre-shaped/formed, you can put it on the threaded rod and snug it with washers and nuts.

................

Threaded rod is the ticket Chris.
Until a friend of mine bought a lathe and started producing custom Center Pin reels I was using threaded rod. Now that I have access to his lathes I can use mandrels and more suitable techniques.... but the 1/4" threaded rod and sandpaper works wonderful for the investment cost!

Chris - here is an article on hand shaping.....I think you will find it easier or as easy - [www.georgescustomrods.com]

Also here is how you gluer up - [www.georgescustomrods.com]

awesome! picked up some threaded rod, wingnuts and some large 1 1/4" washers.

probably going to order my cork rings today, and possibly a 30" blank i found.
anyone have a source for slip rings to make reel seat. haven't found any yet.


thanks for all the info. might build this micro as practice before my 9' 5wt.

Anglers Workshop has the Struble Rings you need.

thanks adam

10 inches is about right for a rod grip. Gives you a six inch handle and a four inch reel seat and butt. You could take it down maybe 1 inch. Five inches doesn't leave much space for your hand. I'm not sure that messing with it is going to do more than blowing eleven bucks for you when you find out that it's unuseable and you need to buy a second one.

I think you'd be better off rolling your own, so to speak. On a really short rod I'd maximize the grip by keeping it cylindrical for most of it's length and just rounding over the tip hemispherically at a point equal to the radius of the grip's diameter.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/2009 05:06AM by Eric Petersson.

For clamping, the easiest way that I have found is to modify a standard bar clamp [www.rodbuilding.org] The only thing that I have changed since this pic was taken is to eliminate the wood supports and just put the hole and slot directly in to the clamp heads. Use a waxed (rub with a candle to hel prevent the epoxy from sticking. Any wax stuck to the cork will be removed when you ream) piece of threaded rod. Glue the rings up (I use Titebond) clamp it tight and you're done. I useually remove the rod after it starts to set up but you don't have to, it just makes it easier for me. If you do happen to get the grip stuck on the threaded rod, just put the end of the rod in a vice and unscrew the grip.

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

laying up my first cork handle for micro fly rod.
it's 5 1/2" long, with brown and orange closed cell craft foam trim rings
reel seat is going to be Tennessee style graphite slip rings (need to order)

hand shaping begins tonight...

have 2 different blanks need to do a wt test on them tonight to decide which one I want to use.
36" very fast action. 30" very slow...

hoping to use the 36" antiquing the white blank down to an antique white with a few coats of spray helmsman spar varnish.

Quick question on color preserver....

planning on using dark brown, peach and gun metal Gudebrod Rod Wrapping Thread.
does the thread darken at all with color preserver...
I would like peach to be a bit darker, but Don't want the dark brown or gun metal to darken most of the wraps will be dark brown, next few wraps will be peach and a final trimwrap or 3 of gun metal. would it be possible to coat all wraps with color preserver... Except peach?

any tips for applying isolated color preserver.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/2009 11:53PM by chris starr.