I always do my best to make the perfect rod . I might be over doing this but that is just me. Im still stuck on static deflection for guide placement , How much stress do you place on the rod to find out where the guides are suppose to be? There will be less stress at the tip than and more on the lower section . Can someone tell me in words how much to place on each section, To me this a critical part of rod building when you consider weight and rod performance. thanks

Maryann, I wrote a response once that is close to what you are asking. I'm just going to cut and paste it so don't mind the name.


Chris you have to take the time to learn the static guide placement method. Basically you glue up you grip/reel seat assy. and the tip top. You place your transistion guides and choker per the 27X method. Space the remaining guides out at equal intervals. Masking tape works but surgical tubing is a bit easier. Attach something like a sand spike rod holder to the side of the house at something like a 30 degree angle. Use some light cord, like that used on curtains, and tie through the brace on the tip top. Other end goes to something like a gallon milk jug or 5 gallon bucket depending on rod's power. Mount the reel and run the line as normal through the guides and tie on a light sinker, just heavy enough to make contact with the guides. High contrast line helps.

What you are looking to accomplish is as you load the rod, by adding water to the jug, you move the guides to get the line to follow the natural curve of the blank. You want to minimize any sharp angles in the lines flow. You want the line to incrementaly touch the guides from the tip down as more load is added. For the first guide or two you may have to slightly lift the jug. I think it is best to decide on the maximum load ahead of time and pre weigh that amount of water. I'm a fool and like to use the same as what pound test I'll fish (I am NOT suggesting others should load to this point). I do so because. for me ONLY, it is better for it to break now than on a once in a lifetime fish. The other school of thought is to decide maximum drag setting and use that amount of weight. I'd go that route for a freshwater rod. Use caution!!! A graphite blank can seriously hurt you if loaded to failure. I'd also encourage you to lift that weight yourself to gain a feel for the maximum safe pressure you could put on a fish with that rod. Many are surprised at how hard it is to lift even 10 pounds and 30 pounds is near most's limit. Be very careful not to high stick the rod during any of this. You pretty much have to work from an elevated place....balcony, ladder, etc.

It is easier than it sounds. The first time or two you will fuss around a bit. Chances are the results might look weird. I often end up with more space between my tip and first guide than the first and second guide. Forget what store rods look like and hence what you have been conditioned to expect. After you have done a couple you will be certain of your results and will never feel the need to ask for guide placement advice. You will be positive you have placed the guides perfectly for that rod/reel combo and that is a wonderful feeling!

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Use enough weight to flex the blank as per the article.

Chuck

_________________________________________
"Angling is extremely time consuming.
That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane

Russell,
Flex the rod as if the rod were fighting a fish - up to a 90 degree bend.
Then, simply put a guide where the rod is bent to able to have the line follow the contour of the loaded blank.
You really don't need to do any measuring or anything else. Put the guide on the bent blank and you will be good to go.

To help in this task, I generally go with a progressive load. i.e. flex the rod a little and put the first guide location at the spot whre the rod flexes first. Then, the 2nd guide where it flexes 2nd etc.
These marks are the guide location. After getting all of the locations marked on the blank to allow for a nice smooth loading of the blank with the line, choose the appropriate size, height and style guide that you need to use for the rod that you are building.

Take care
Roger

p.s.
No two rods are idential. Close, sure, if it is the same brand, type and model, but never identical. So, even though you have a dozen different blanks of the identical blank, you may find that you can have some small variations in the position of the guide for its perfect position.

Normally however, if you are building a bunch of rods on the same model blank, you can generally use the same guide spacing. However, you always want to check the guide spacing markings, before wrapping because you may run into a blank that has a slightly different bend that may require a guide position adjustment to be in its optimum location.

Good luck
Roger

Roger,

Do you stop as soon as the tip gets to 90 degrees or do you load it Billy V. style?

[northeastrodbuilders.com]

Maryann,

The answer to your question is that it depends, in my opinion. For the freshwater rods I build, I stop when the blank first loads to 90 degrees. I put the guides on for a line path that follows the blank well and looks good to me. As Russell said, the spacing looks a bit weird compared to a factory rod, but it works out well for me. For heavy duty off shore rods (I've never built one.), where line touching the blank when dealing with large fast running fish is more of a concern, I suspect you would stop at the max load/drag setting you plan to use with the rod, or perhaps load it just a tad more to be safe.

Joe

Maryann if you dont have it Toms book (rod building guide) does a very good job of telling and showing how.

Maryann,
Not to place too fine a point on it, but what you are actually measuring is blank deflection due to load. Stress on the blank is based on load,taper, transition and material thickness at specific points.
This requires a detailed measurement and calculation of the blank properties at specific locations throughout it's length.
Though possible to "perfectly" position guides this cannot be done by eye.

Eugene Moore

I do have Toms book and have read quite a bit on the subject but I still am getting a flat spots between the 2nd and third guide .

Maryann i do not have near the time in that most of the guys and girls on this forum do. But my guess is just what you said in your first post and you are just over thinking the problem, that probably is not even a problem. any way you could post a pic. of what you think is wrong? ricky

There's no need to over complicate things. Try this:

[www.rodbuilding.org]

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

Hm,

If you understand the basics of the principal in the static test and guide placement MarryAnn your best source for getting information about how much load or stress the rod is going to have when used .....is by the customer or user of the rod. I have ran into this already with specific builds for customers and what they planned on using the rod for. Generally most fisherman know just how much load they can put on the rod they have been using for the fish they are catching with it. I Actually Invited a few of my customers oveer during a Static and load test and asked them to load the rod to were they usually see the rod stressed too . This gave me a good idea of were to start with these builds and there guide placement afterwards. So I knew I wasn't going to get any performance issues from the rod during its use. This is just a way I have learned to deal with this question you have come up with.

Like stated above no two rods will test the same even on the same make and model, they may be very close but not the same. this also applies to the User of that rod.....They are not all the same and will do something differently with there rod.....the best you can do is Just ask ! I have...and it works for me :) Good Luck and have fun doing it !

Rick H.

rwheil@msn.com

Website
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thanks so much for all the info Its really been helpful . Im going to reread the info and follow your suggestions you have been great thanks MA