Hey guys, just ordered my first rod build, and I was curious about wind checks...Are they absolutely necessary? I know they add an extra look to them, but is that all they are used for? Also, how would I find out which winding checks that I need?

Don't do anything except for looks. BUT, they do look nice!

They don't really perform a purpose. The only one I would think you would need/want, is if you are building a foregrip-less rod. A winding check will close the end of the reel seat off, and make a nice transition to the blank. I guess you could do an epoxy ramp instead of a check, but those seem like they would weigh more. Winding checks between the grips and blank are personal preference.

Most come in 64th of an inch. Lay out your blank butt section with the handle and reel seat along side. Use your calipers to measure the blank in front of the grip. Take the measurement and multiply by the denominator (64) and then round up to the nearest whole number. For example, I am working on a blank that measured .296 with the calipers. I multiplied .296 times 64 and got 18.944. Round up to 19. I need a 19/64 winding check.

Bryce Abbott
Go & Do Likewise

Thanks bryce and everyone else! Guess I will have to buy a caliper! Hah!

Michael,

You will find a caliper indispensible.

A tip top sizer is also handy

Bill - willierods.com

Michael.
If you want to do a rod without a fore grip and without a winding check - here is a nice looking simple solution.
Simply take a piece of cork - what ever width is convenient for you and turn it down so that it is a perfect fit on the inside of the reel seat, just like an arbor.
Then, ream the inside of the small piece of cork to the size of the blank at the location at the front inside of the reel seat.
Now, when you glue the reel seat to the blank, using arbors to fill the space, use the short piece of cork at the front of the inside of the reel seat to finish off the inside end of the reel seat so that you have a piece of perfectly fitting cork in the inside of the reel seat that comes just flush with the end of the reel seat.

Now, you have an end, that is essentially identical to the end of a rod with a fore grip installed. Use or not use a winding check. Use a thread wrap or don't use a thread wrap in that area in front of the reel seat to finish off the rod.

Take care
Roger

This is a split grip assembly, so it looks like I would need some winding checks--Otherwise it might look a little off.

Michael,
Actually, if you put no winding checks anywhere on the rod, it would look great.
A nice way to finish off a wrap is to put 3 or 3 wraps of a nice contrasting color or metallic color next to both sides of your grip as well as the butt wrap and the fore grip area.
No checks anywhere on the rod, but a nice finished looking rod.

Simple, easy and attractive.

Roger

Thanks Roger! That sounds like an excellent idea! I wanted to do silver winding checks, but why not just metallic silver thread? I'm sure it will look sharp!

When ordering a winding check, make sure to get the next size larger than the one that's an exact fit. If the WC is too tight, it can cause rod failure when the blank is deeply flexed.

George Forster
Fort Collins, CO

Hate winding checks never use them:

[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]

DR

Guys, I'm building a spinning rod with a Fuji VSS reel seat ...

If I understand all that correctly, I don't need the winding check on the upper side of the reel seat?

Thanks and regards!

You don't actually need winding checks anywhere on a rod that I am aware of. It's a trim piece used to, in some instances, add color to areas of the rod, and in other instances, to make the build more finished looking.

The only thing you really need to do is make sure that water can't and won't get into the reel seat, by at least filling the ends of the reel seat with epoxy glue.

First, it is all decorative.

Second, assuming you're speaking of the Aluminum Colored Checks. Epoxy does not like that finished surface as a glue point. If used you will need to scuff the inside diameter to achieve a solid bond, think 80 or 60 grit Dremel Sanding drum tool.

I am no expert, yet this is the best guidance I have received.

I personally think that aluminum winding checks are ugly, gaudy, lipstick on a pig kind of thing. Yes, there are some nice builds with them, but most appear overdone and phony. I like the black vinyl/rubber checks-they make a nice transition, understated, classy look. Cover the whole check with wrap epoxy and it will basically just look like a black line at the end of the grip, then do a thin metallic wrap, then the main wrap color. Classy. AND, no chance of failing a blank, are quite tolerant of being stretched a little so sizing isn't as important.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Michael,
Ditto on the use of a vinyl winding check, inexpensive easy to use and if you keep a variety on hand, never short one.

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Also for someone who does not have a caliper, purcahse an inexpensive digital caliper that can be switched from decimal inches, to fractional inches to mm. You will find that you will use all setting and use a caliper on almost every rod you build.


Take care

David Baylor Wrote:
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> The only thing you really need to do is make sure
> that water can't and won't get into the reel seat,
> by at least filling the ends of the reel seat with
> epoxy glue.

Yes, that's exactly why I'm asking...

A Fuji VSS reel seat is down-locking and on the upper side (where the moving part is) there is a place where water can come under the EVA. 
And because of that I can't use the winding checks or epoxy to fill that air hole ...

Thnx and regards!

If you are talking the area in front of the threads, usually a front grip of some sort would go there and could be effectively sealed, then a winding check or epoxy fill in front of that, as David suggested. But there are also winding checks that can go onto the front of the seat if no fore grip is used. They are sized for the size of the seat.

I believe the seat from the front of the threads to the rear where the rear grip attaches is one piece and therefore sealed.

I expect those who use that seat will chime in, so stay tuned.