Am I correct that the term "building on an axis" means that is the line or side along which the guides are placed and wrapped?

Building "on the axis" refers to building to the straightest axis of the blank instead of to the "spine". Most blanks have a slight curve to them. I usually build with the "belly" of the curve down and the butt and tip up. The guide weight tends to straighten the blank.

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!!

Mike
This is were I get confused. Lets say it is a fly or spin rod. I find the straightest horizontal line and the tip points up. So the guides would be placed on the opposite side of the tip pointing up or another way to say the side that the belly is on.

"On the axis" and "Straightest axis" are not exactly the same thing. If you build on the straightest axis you are indeed building on an axis, but not necessarily vice versa. These terms aren't used perfectly in rod building but generally when you hear somebody talk about "axis" in respect to fishing rods they're breaking down each point of degree of the blank's circumference. Thus you hear someone talk about putting a guide on the "0 axis" or on the "180 degree axis." They are talking about the straight line (butt to tip) which they use as a reference point for setting up the rod.

Generally the "0 degree axis" is the axis on dead center top when the rod is held in the normal fishing position. That may be the straightest axis, or not, depending on how the builder has oriented the rod blank.

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I am referring to the "build on the axis" as it relates to the way it is used in Rodmaker and on the Guide CD page 20.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/17/2009 12:01PM by John Kepka.

Build on which axis? The way the term is used there are 360 of them on a rod blank.

I think you may be referring to building on the straightest axis, which is what that particular article concerns.

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Yes I was sloppy. I meant "building on the straightest axis." I hate to be really dense and hard like ironwood but once the rod is in the "natural concave position" with the butt and tip high and the belly low do the guides get mounted on the concave or convex side?? When I finally get this we need a celebration.

With the blank in that particular orientation, the rod is in the normal fishing position. So on casting rods the guides are on top while spinning and fly rods have the guides on the bottom.

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Mike B said it the best.

Bill - willierods.com

Which side to place the guides on the spine is a debatable point, some do it the way Mike said others do the opposite as Tom said. When I teach I teach that on spinning and fly rods the guides go on the bottom and casting go on the top spine. Alot can be left to interpratation and builder preference. I think its a point that could be debated forever.

We aren't talking about the spine here - in fact if you use the straightest axis, the spine is not a consideration.

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Tom and Mike are saying the same thing assuming thay Mike is talking aboue baitcasting nd not spinning or fly.