Okay, sorry for such a stupid question. But seriously, is it best to pay for a class? Can one get by reading some books? I can handle wrapping guides but don't have a clue on diamond wraps and such.

Mudhole offered a class in Fort Lauderdale but it was sold out by the time I found out about it. Perhaps there is a member here in the Hollywood, Florida area that would be willing to help? Or maybe you guys know of a club?


Thanks in advance,
Russ

Russ, I'm on rod numer 2 and 3 right now, and I don't own a book about it, but I'll tall ya what, I wish I had read more before assembling rod 1, and I wish I had used practice pieces to practice guide finishes before finishing rod number 2. Diamond wraps, I look at them and just stare in amazement, so I will be buying a decorative wrap book and advanced custom rod building here in short order. This forum rocks when it comes to asking specific questions.

A class is certainly good, but most builders started out by just reading a book and getting underway.

Flex Coat has a DVD titled, "How We Do It," that walks you through each step and shows how easy this can be. It be a low cost investment and help you get started right away.

Decorative butt wraps are not necessary insofar as the function of a rod is concerned. You can delve into those right away or at a later time. That's up to you.

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

Russel,

If you unhide your e-mail I can possibly give you a contact of a club that is in the St Petersburg area.

Mike

Billy Vivona's book is by far the easiest to follow with instructions and pictures. His book includes all the basic simple wraps such as chevrons and diamonds, all the way to highly complex wraps that can take upwards of 6-8 hours if you are new to wrapping.

Best advice I was ever given and will pass it along to you: do not attempt something too difficult for your first go round. It will likely put you off to doing butt wraps as you will get frustrated and either give up on it and cut it off, or walk away and come back 6 months later and have no clue what you were doing. Diamonds and chevrons look wonderful when done well and are both very easy wraps as every other wrap is based on these simple 2.

My advice? Keep it simple: focus on function, not looks. Forget about the fancy stuff (diamond wraps, feather inlays, etc.) until you get the basics down. And keep it cheap, too: don't spend a lot of money on your first rod, because you'll look back on it later, after you've built more rods, and see a lot of stuff you'd do differently.

But do give it a shot - it ain't rocket science. Get a DVD or a book (Tom Kirkman's Rod Building Guide is the best for a beginner), get a blank and some components, and give it a whirl. You'll be glad you did.

I got started by watching some vidoes on youtube, the Mudhole site and talking/e-mailing Sean Cheaney. I asked a lot of questions and stumbled my way through the first one.
I took a class at Mudhole and was amazed at how the "difficult" things were made much easier when I had some hands on instruction. I just learn better that way. I've built quite a few more but my first one is sitting in my house, on display of sorts. I like to give her a look every now and then and see how much better I am than 1 year ago. It just takes practice.
One thing I will recommend against is not wrapping guides on pain meds. I had to cut the guides off of my first rod because I spiral wrapped a spinning rod after my knee surgery. But I got plenty of practice,

Russell,

I just started building rods about 2 years ago myself. I've really gotten into it this year and it's extremely addicting. Like the guys said above, take your time and do some reading before you start. Tom's book is excellent and I would recommend reading several of the articles in the Library here before you attempt your first rod. A basic rod build is not difficult and there are some very simple ways to dress up your rods without having to spend alot of time on them. Things like marbling, snake skin inlays, trim wraps, and thread inlays are easy to do and make a rod look stunning. My last recommendation would be to use the 27x rule (along with the NGC) for setting up your guides. As long as you follow the instructions that are given in Tom's book and the Library articles, you shouldn't run into many problems.

I've dealt with many of the sponsors to the left and every one of them have great customer service and they are more than willing to take the time to help you out. Welcome aboard.

jeremy

Hey Russell,
I am about an hour and a half away from you. Drop me an email you are welcome to come to my workshop and take a look. I will show you what I know. I have only been doing this for about a year. I did take a Mudhole Class and it got me on my way.

John

Russell Brunt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Okay, sorry for such a stupid question. But
> seriously, is it best to pay for a class? Can one
> get by reading some books? I can handle wrapping
> guides but don't have a clue on diamond wraps and
> such.
>
> Mudhole offered a class in Fort Lauderdale but it
> was sold out by the time I found out about it.
> Perhaps there is a member here in the Hollywood,
> Florida area that would be willing to help? Or
> maybe you guys know of a club?
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Russ


I just finished rod number 2. Before number 1, I watched a bunch of videos on youtube and read this site over and over. I started by stripping some of my old favorite rods and building with new components. The hardest part so far is epoxy finishing but the more I do the more I have learned. I'm not doing any diamond wraps because it doesn't interest me (at least not yet). I'm into the light weight, sensitive bass rods.

Scott

Russell,
I would make two suggestions. First, spend $15 or so and buy "Rod-Building Guide by Tom Kirkman and published by Amato Press. This will guide you through all stages of rod-building from handles to wrapping and applying finish. The book also includes a section on making a simple diamond wrap. Second, if you are serious about rod-building, Order a subscription to Rodmaker Magazine. You can do this on-line from this web site. Good luck.

Mike Blomme

The best $15 you will spend on this obsession is for a copy of Rodbuilding Guide by Tom Kirkman (Most vendors to the left sell it). Next, a subscription to Rodmaker magazine (simply the BEST source of rodbuilding info available anywhere) Scour the Library, FAQ, Glossary and Photo pages at the top. If at all possible, try to attend the International Custom Rod Expo (Link at the top left) Utilize the SEARCH Function on this site and keep asking questions, no matter how "Dumb" you think they are!!!!!!

Welcome aboard

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!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/12/2009 11:57AM by Mike Barkley.

Another thing I thought of, give any of the folks at Mudhole (or other sponsors) a call. They will all be happy to help you if you run into any questions or problems.

First, I would read everything on this forum. There is a great amount if info found in the library. Go back and read past posts. They will tell you lots about the epoxys, threads, cp, and a lot of tips. Then look at the sponsors at the left. They are a great reference to the products you will need. We are somewhere between 15 and 20 rods now, with a lot more planned. Look at Mudhole. They are great for kits, a good place to start. They have a good reference and training video section also.
Get RodMaker Mag. There is so much info there, it is unbelievable. Get the back issues if possible. Good info for sure.
Read this forum everyday. I have learned a lot from the regulars here. Thye know their stuff. I see a good thread, I print it off, keep it in a book. Or save it in a file on the computer. A lot of these guys are way ahead of me, but I know I can learn a lot from them.
Also, build some rods! Make some mistakes, you will learn how to di it right. There are some $5 blanks out there. They are great to practice on. Also replace guides and tip tops on old rods. We learned a lot about wrapping and epoxys that way.
We did take a couple classes also. If possible get to a Mudhole class. We live in Iowa, and have thought about going. But it is a bit far! Also would like to go to The Rod Building show at HighPoint, but not in the cards for us.
Start small, you will soon learn what equipment you want to move up to. Some like to stay with the simple stuff, some like the fancier dryers, wrappers, mixers and struff. That is what we are using now. The suppliers and sponsors to the left are great for helping with this. Bill at Midwesty Rod and Reel, and Swampland have been a big help to us. As well as some others. Janns has some kits also.
Last but not least, read everything Tom replies to, or writes to. We learn a lot from him, as well as the others!


Kyle Robinson

Thank you all very much. I feel blessed to have stumbled upon a forum full of such gracious gentlemen. I think we have all seen places where beginners are ridiculed and labeled “googans”.

Wrapping the rod seems like the easy part. Knowing which blank, handle, guides, etc. for each type of rod is the part that overwhelms me. There seems to be such a bewildering amount of choices these days. Used to be the only ones were what type fiberglass and did you want roller guides (I guess I am showing my age:).

I think the best question for me to ask next would be for suggestions on “good value” components. Basically I’ll fish salt water, 10 to 40 pound class, spinning up to 20 pound and conventional down to 15. Names like Loomis are beyond my means.

I guess the next question is about how much can I expect to save? For example, I had to replace my 12 pound spinning rod this weekend. I ended up with a St. Croix tidewater 7’ medium rod (rated 8-17 IIRC) for $129. From what I see the blank is $100 at Mudhole. That would leave $29 for guides, handle, shipping etc. which makes it hard for me to see how one would break even.

I'll certainly get Tom's book and rodmaker magizine plus look into the other suggestions. My dial up modem makes youtube a pain.


Thanks again,
Russ

This is where a good dealer will be an asset to you. Call a few of the vendors listed to the left and tell them what you just said here - explain what you're wanting to build and the budget you'd like to stick to. Most will be happy to steer you to good quality components that will be within your budget.

It's nice to see people recommending the magazine, although I think you should probably build a rod or two and see if this is a hobby you want to get more deeply involved in. If you find that it is, then the magazine would be a good investment. But get that first rod or two built, first, and then you can determine if you're in this for the long haul or not.

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

You may or may not save ANY money by building your own (probably not) BUT you WILL be able to get a rod that fits YOUR needs/requirements/fishing style and not an average configuration that will be average, at best, for most of the general fishing population. As far as blanks, ask questions as there are numerous, high quality blanks that will equal or even surpass many of the (high recognition" names that you are familiar with. Keep in mind that some of the biggest blank companies don't sell completed rods so you may not have heard of them. You can build a rod to best match up with the reel (mass manufacturer's cant) Your choice of components and configuration can give you a rod that you will not be able to buy in a store at any price!!

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!!

Knock off a liquor store. You'll need the cash to fuel the addiction!

I got lucky and have a pretty good mentor who loaned my a lot of the building stuff until I could buy my own. He also had Toms book for my to read and seeing it done for me was the help i needed getting going.

Welcome Russell!! I'm still a novice, but I think TK's book, Rodmaker mag and a trip to the EXPO in High Point were some of my better decisions. I especially appreciated the seminars at the EXPO. Mike Barkley's was great. I went ahead & got TK's early issues & the guide CD. Flexcote's DVD is also good. Look at Mudhole's videos & make the plunge. All the sponsors at the left are great to help you.
BTW, just got back from a 4 day Wilderness Blue Ribbon Smallmouth canoe Camp & Float trip & caught a bunch on the "Maiden Rod"(kit from Mudhole). What a hoot to make your arm sore that way.

Welcome Russel, Take a look at the Batson / Rainshadow Line. Very good products