O.K. After being totally turned off by spending hundreds of dollars and much time to build 2 rods that that snapped like dry twigs for no good reason ,I am thinking about trying again. Is there a way to test a blank to see if it is going to hold together before I waste money on expensive guides and handles and stuff? If I buy a factory rod I know if there is a problem It will be replaced completely . With customs most companies say they will stand behind the blank( although some won't when it comes down to it) but if I have a $50 dollar set of guides on it when I send it back I will not see them again unless I look on @#$%&. It is not very comforting to be maybe reimbursed for a bad blank after spending money and time on components and return shipping that comes to a lot more than the value of a blank. If I wanted a spliced together repaired rod with a patch that negates the weight savings of expensive guides I would just buy a busted rod for pennies on the dollar to start with.

So what is the question other then the rant?

Rolly Beenen
Rovic Custom Rods

Yes, it is called static testing. All rod builds should get one. It is the best way to decide guide placement.

I think you would be best served to determine why your other builds broke.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Ed Long Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
Is there a way to test a blank to see if it is going
to hold together before I waste money on expensive
guides and handles and stuff?
--------------------------------------------------------

Yes, but if your two rods "snapped like dry twigs" then the problem MAY not have been with the blank but with the fisherman(?) How were you fishing (technique etc.)? What pound test line? What was the blank rated for? Was the reel drag set correctly?

I don't think you will find very many on this site who will say that their custom builds "snap like dry twigs!" Sure, every now and then we get a rod that has broken, and in most cases it is due to "cockpit error" of the user, not the blank or build.

Before you even start to build out a blank, it should be closely examined for any nicks or cosmetic blemishes. It then should be flexed to a reasonable degree and static tested for guide placement. Passing these tests, you can be reasonably sure the blank is OK. After that, proper care in building and proper use by the fisherman should result in a satisfactory product.

Rods do not "snap like a twig" without a good reason!"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/2010 03:26PM by Phil Erickson.

like said

What blanks and where did you get them

What were you doing when they broke - high sticking ? heavy then normal fish- pulling cause a snag

Bill - willierods.com

Think about this after a blank is completed how many people handle it. From the guys who put them in storage, shipping, shippers, receivers at suppliers, more storage, order department, more S&H then the customer/builder. along the way this blank may have been bruised, nicked, lightly crushed or abused in some manor. Once built the rod may have received a hook scratch, bumped into a tree limb bounced around in a boat. Be leave it or not more rods have been broken because the owner put in a gun hook in their Pick Up Truck. Always check your blank for any flaws before building an of-course stress test. Once completed now reinspect the rod then go fish. A couple of issues back there was a excellent article on why rods break and what these breaks look like. 98% of breakage is caused by the user

Good Wraps Bob

Less than 5% of broken blanks are due to defects. You are the major equation in how well and how long a blank holds up.

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

NO graphite Rod is designed to be high sticked, it will break every-time!! Unless that graphite tube was designed to be used as a low water boat pusher, pool cue or Golf club. Fishing rods can not stand that type of abuse. Read my other post about why rod do break . I do agree with tom on his assessment. If you do not know how to fish with graphite the rod will bite you every-time. When were you ever told or instructed how to use a graphite rod when you bought one at a big box know it all store, How many know a rod gets softer, less sensitive and a little longer with use?

Good Wraps Bob

You said, "snapped like dry twigs". There are many reasons this can happen. One way is when a fisherman/woman changes fishing with Mono line that has a lot of stretch to fishing with Super Braid that has almost zero stretch. The hook setting method should change. You have to get over the huge hook setting stroke because of the Bungee cord effect to a shorter efficient stroke setting method or you will surely shatter your rod unless maybe it is a super limber rod like a Noodle rod.

Sometimes some of those "snapped like dry twig blanks" were damaged ( Like Bob Balcombe said) long before the incident by the rod being hit by someone else's rod, sinker, etc. or one of the many sharp corners on a boat. Following that incident the rod may have fished good, but the damage was done and continued to worsen as the fibers in that area continued to fail to the point that one day playing a "small fish" it just "Snapped", "I was hardly putting any pressure on it".

I am not saying this is what happened with your blanks/Rods. Maybe it was indeed a design/manufacturing flaw although I would thing this is a very small percentage of all the blanks produced.

Second, my experience is that the manufacturer should and will send you the new blank (if he feels it is their fault or is feeling real generous) free or if it is considered your fault from examining the break (see a past issue of Rodmaker discussing Rod breakage) for a modest fee, and he will also send back your old rod to harvest components. Of course there should be necessary information available to prove that it is one of their "Number One" blanks. Some require that their label furnished with the blank be on the rod even as in Sage's case that a ID chip is buried in the blank because they also donate to charities and other organizations like Youth and they do not want to replace freebie blanks.

Finally, if you are motivated and enjoy making your own Rods, don't be afraid to make another. However if you are not motivated and don't enjoy it then go buy a factory Rod.

Kerry you made another great point!! Not knowing exactly where the break occurred, it could have been caused by a poor guide prep. Where a sharp conner of the guide dug in to the blank. Occasionally this happens with the pros. who build rods for a living. Just another of my 2 cents that will probably hit the round bucket, just food for thought. I agree you should continue building and question each procedure. Know-one does it right the first time. At one time or another We builder/designers have made every mistake in the book, that is why We came up with these possible causes.

Good Wraps Bob

Like Bob, guide prep is needed to prevent breakage. Another point I didn't see mentioned is "thread tention". Too much tention when wrapping guides will cause a break as you described. Especially since you said that they snaped like twigs... Being your first two rods, make me thing "Tention".. Good luck,
Jeff

Ed, Please supply a little more info on the break. Such as where (ie. near a guide, at the handle) and location on the blank (ie.tip section, butt section) and the look of the fracture (was It splintered? clean break all around). And what was being done at the time of the failure (hook set, cast etc). This will make it possible to analyze the condition that caused the failure so you can take the proper steps to remedy the situation. I`m certain all will learn a little something from this when the info is provided.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

you might try reading this article from the library as well [www.rodbuilding.org] really anyone that ever picks up a rod should read this first.

Even if You never intend to build an other rod. You can take this info and use it when you purchase a off the shelf rod. Ever watch customers at a big box store handling rods. They over stress them, whip them around like buggy whips and of course they always are dropping them.

Good Wraps Bob

Good point Jeff. Ed what were you doing when the rods broke?

Good Wraps Bob

If your worried about the guides cut them off before you send the blank back to the manufacturer. I have had to send a couple back and they told me to cut the guides off. I had one manufacturer just ask me to email them some pictures of the break got a new blank in 3-4 days. You might be out of the cost of the grips and reel seat but you should be able to salvage the guides.

Gents, you might care to search on his name and see what blanks were involved and why they broke.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Russ I came up with nothing! What did you find. You can email me

Good Wraps Bob

The first one broke when Sam lifted a crappy from the water. A crappy. Do you call that high sticking abuse? I don't . The second one broke when Sam was holding the rod by the handle and pulled on the line to observe where the rod flexed and how the guide location worked out . he did not pull the rod into a tight arc or anything of the sort. Despite the accusations and conclusions jumped to by some on this board ,neither rod was subjected to any treatment that should cause any rod to break as these did without them being inferior blanks to begin with. It was pointed out that the two part blank construction process used by the manufacturer was actually the cause of both blanks failing.Now all this has been hashed out in the past for you "gents" so here is some new information. I bought these blanks from someone that has been one of you "gents" for years on the forum on the buy/sell page of this forum. He knew he had some defective merchandise and unloaded on a gullible newcomer to the craft such as myself. I have not named names and don't intend to but research on the buy/sell page can divulge the culprit if any of you"gents" care to look.Because of my mistake of buying second hand cast offs from an unscrupulous seller ,I have no legitimate recourse to return the blanks to the manufacturer in my opinion. I took a chance trying to save some money and got burned. Lesson learned . Now this new post just asked a simple question to which static testing was the short answer. How to do this static testing would be the long answer which I suppose I can find for myself now that I at least have the term to work with. Thanks for your help,but I sure do seem to get attacked a lot on here .Maybe I should just lurk quietly and gain what I can that way and not attempt to contribute anything to any discussions ever. Both rods broke exactly 18 inches form the tip and neither had guide at that area. They did not break because of misuse, abuse , or error in the build up process. Have a good day"gents".