I finaly get my chance to build a rod that might take my hobby one step up. I was to build a heavy flipping stick to pull the bass out the thick grass for a guy who fish's for the LSU fishing team. I chose a Castaway bb2 (white) blank from Swampland with American Tackle micro guides all the way up. It has a Pac Bay split seat with custom cork trimmed out with nice checks. It was going to be a very nice rod for the application. I wanted this rod to be perfect in every way so that he was very pleased with it because he had told me that he had a few freinds that was intersted in getting one also. So I get every thing in and started on it right away.I took my cork that I got and turned it to the shape that I wanted and added a rubberized cork butt to the split grip. After getting the seat and the grips set I started on the guides. I wanted to do it simple with out alot of art work so that this would be a rod that would be used regularly. I decided to alternate the purple and gold colors on the guides. One pne purple one gold and so on. He wanted the rod to have his name and LSU fishing team on it so I had a decal made for it. This was my first decal attempt that I had done. This is where things started to go wrong. I was applying the decal when I started to notice the lettering was rubbing off so no big deal I pulled it off and ordered a new one. It was time to put the epoxy on the guides and hook keeper. I wanted the lines to be real straight so I decided to tape them up. I had never done this before I always just used a hand rest which I should've done this time. I pulled the tape off while it was still fairly wet so it didn't leave a defined line. I looked it over and every thing seemed nice. I let it sit for a couple of days till a couple of freinds came by and I took it out to show them. This is when I noticed that when I pulled the tape off it had smeared the epoxy away from the threads up and down the blank. Needless to say I was upset about it. No big deal right. I figured I would just heat it up a little and scrape it back with old credit card. I then re-epoxyed it thinking I wouldn't see the lines with this coat. I was wrong I could see them very well and I noticed 2 little hairs in it. Now I have to pull basicaly all of them off and start over. I've done this quite a few times in the past. I got all the guides off ready to be wrapped again when I noticed I was out of the yellow thread I stared with but by this time I had already put on the new decal trimmed out in the same colors. So great I got to wait for new thread Gudebrod golden rod. At this point I was fustrated I didn't worry about for a few more days when buddy stops by today looking at a few of my builds I have when I pick this rod up and looked down the blank noticing a bend in it about 8" from the top. Right away I knew what it was so I started bending the rod nd SNAP there it went in two. I had to have aplied to much heat to it even though I feel like I didn't. The part that's messed up is while I'm building this rod I was aslo builing a rod for myself just doing a little here and there. I came out realy great I have had alot of compliments on it. I guess I was just trying way to hard to make it perfect and now I have to start from the begining. All that time and money right out the window.

Gaining experience can be a hard thing.

Just part of the learning curve Steven. Building should be fun and believe it or not very repetitious! Stick to what works for you and just refine it to perfection.

Side note along the same lines: The last rod I built was "the perfect rod". I've tried to build a "perfect" rod (with rod builders eyes of course) for QUITE some time. I finally built one that I couldn't find a single flaw in. After looking it over with 3X magnification, I said the same thing as the title of your post: "Unbelievable" :-)

Dont get discouraged on the loss, consider it a lesson that will make you much much better.

DR

everyone has a few friends who want a rod. If someone uses that asan angle to get a break on the price tell them to *&^%$#

steven we have all had the one rod that seemed everything that could go wrong did over the years. Anyone who says they have not is either a liar or really has not built a lot of rods. I have been building for over 25 years and still have one that seems to be a bear at times. It cant get you down. Its the ones that go off without a hitch from planing to finish that make it all worth while. Its nice to vent though we are all simpathetic ears.

I just finnished a jig rod for my doctor frends father and i even impressed myself.
When i delivered it he was so excited and was looking it over when the worst, I spelled he fathers name wrong.
I had to remove thecoat of clear and the decal now im in holding pattern on the new sticker.
Just goes to show you
well what ever that means.
Herman

Hm, Not trying to be funny at all! That is a prime example of a just a bad day of events Steven! I have them too ....I had a routine build on the bench simple tear down and rebuild and it was about $180 rod I picked up for 10 bucks and I was going to turn it for a a good penny more past $180 bucks! Got to a simple removal of some cork and believe it or not what I thought was not extreme pressure at all in any way ! I snapped it in two! Things happen and they happen for reasons ! The best part of it is that's how we learn things and create opportunity to do things better that's how I look at it ! Hang in there and don't let it hit you so hard in the ego area ! Happy wraps fella ! keep turning those rods !

Rick H.

rwheil@msn.com

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Hi Steven,
I'd like to echo the words of Billy Broderick, we've all had a rod were Murphy's Law applied. Don't get discouraged, sometimes experience can be costly. My other thought is to try something you haven"t done before on a scrap blank not a rod, as that can save you cash and embarassment.

ESFNEM Col

I have found that when I overthink things and put too much pressure on myself I don't wrap as well. Relax and build it like you always have before and the 2nd one will be fine

The basic thing that is going on here is EDUCTION.
Sometimes it is fun, sometimes it is not much fun, sometimes it is inexpensive, sometimes it is very expensive.

But the most important thing about education, is that you do what education is intended to do., i.e. Educate. Lean from your mistakes, don't make th e same mistake again and after you are 200 years old, you will have a huge number of mistakes under your belt that you won't do again, because you Learned form your mistakes.

The biggest mistake that a person can make is to make a mistake and NOT learn from it and change your future method of doing a similar task.

Do enjoy the work that you do, learn from your mistakes, be pleased by your successes and move on.

You are running the great big wheel that we all call life and it is fun to be up and running on this big wheel.

Be safe
Roger

Eduction...

Perfect.

Thanks fella's this will in no way get me down or stop me from buiding. It was defently a learning experience for me. I guess it's back to the drawing boards on the this one.

Steve know any local rod builders with experience? There is NO substitute for experience in the learning curve of our craft.

I am an advocae to add the city or area you live in as your signature. It will make it one step easier when tying t0 find other builders.


Bii

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

I live in New Orleans La I am fortunate to have Mr. Bill Stevens live near by and Lance Dupre from Swampland. The only person I can blame is myself because these guys have helped me more than enough and keep inviting me to there shop to learn more. I just haven't made the time to do so. I no I should've along time ago but there is no buts. I've just haven't run acrossany problems until now. It was just my own ignorance in tryiung to hard to make it perfect but still I've been in contact with Bill so before I go any further I'm going to spend some time with him. I know I have only to gain by this meeting with Bill I'm sure he will have to ask me to leave.

It would be hard to beat these two fine builders and ghentle man to mentor from. Good luck and don1t be too discouraged

Bill

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

some rods are just evil. You must be a secret 'Bama fan. :-)

You listed a number of things that wen't wrong, hopefully you can learn from all of them and not repeat them again. Practice your finish work and the look you want on a scrap blank before you try a new method. Of course, you know this now.

Take care, have a beer and move forward.

Terry

i by no means have the expierence most of the guys on here have, but i will tell you the worst thing to do when your working on a rod you deem to be that critical. do not change your building style, if i read right you used tape to make sure the lines were straight, and this was a first for that part of the build, Everytime i build one that to me is a little more critical. (they all should be) and try something different to maybe get a better outcome, I end up in trouble. if you change your technique practice the new change first. works for me.

PS. i was watching the college bass championship the other week, i noticed several white rods.

I have become convinced that some rods just REFUSE to be built to completion the first time. I can do a dozen various types and #13 will just not want to be built. Normally it's ME and not the rod. I'm either pushing too fast; too tired or something. When the first "problem" crops up I find it's time to walk away for awhile. Sometimes an hour or two and sometimes a full day until my mind is "right".