To everyone involved in RBO!
This is long overdue and I think it’s time for me to give some insight on what RBO and this forum has done for me. I want to tell this story as it all happened in my pursuit in this craft! I think I should begin with a little bit of back ground of who I am.

I was raised in a small town along the Columbia River, and my father was an avid hunter/fishermen. I landed my first salmon at age 6, a Springer Chinook. There were many more after and my father was well known for his prowling of the species. He began building fishing rods for his friends and himself.I never took to the craft at that time as my life changed and I grew more into the hunting aspect of our heritage line. The years past and I was 18 and in my last year of school. I was hit with a life threatening situation. I had an aneurysm in the center of my brain, needless to say…. I am one of the lucky ones who survived this in the 80’s. It took a few years to learn how to get my motor skills back to full function.

Life was very hard for me and trials and error were always at my door, but I survived and continued on. I have 2 sons now both 18 and one daughter. I worked in a plant for about 12 years until I could no longer do that with my old condition coming back to haunt me. I am now medically retired at the age 44 and that began at the age of 37. I needed to find something I could physically do with my current medical conditions. My two brothers suggested try building fishing rods as my father once did.

This is when I began to research into the craft and did several searches on the internet. After a couple of days of research I come across Rodbuilders.org and I began to read and explore extensively, reading every post and looking at everything the site had to offer. I knew then that this was where I needed to be to begin my crafting career! I spent two full months using Rodbuilders.org site to research, plan, and construct my new exciting journey into this craft.

Now it’s been one full year for me and I have constructed 23 fishing rods for customers and # 24 is on the bench now! I have built a reputation that is fast growing and is continuing to grow in my little community. I learn something new every day as I build and log into Rodbuilders.org and read everyone’s ideas, science, and principals. I have found this site to be the best source to anything that’s has to do with custom rod building and the respect, integrity, and honor that this site provides to the craft.

This in my eyes was a life altering event for me and it changed the way my family and my friends see, and think of me. I can do something that has meaning to all of them and I can leave behind a little bit of me in this world we live in to my family and friends. Rodbuilders.org and all its members are responsible for this happening in my life and I want you all to know that you can change or make someone’s life a better place. I am one of those people you all helped make that possible.

Tom Kirkman! It is in my opinion that what you created here is a place that can change a person’s life for the better and that is a good thing! You should be very proud of what you have accomplished here and continue to do what you do. To all of you who support this site, I thank you! And I hope to have many long discussions and fun in what we do.
Rick Heil

Rick H.

rwheil@msn.com

Website
[www.facebook.com]
[home.comcast.net]

AMEN !

Rick, what a great and uplifting story!! You speak for many of us with your complements for Tom, this site and the participants.

Thanks. I'm glad you have found the site helpful to you. The site wouldn't be what it is without the participation of so many talented builders. I can't answer every question and fortunately, I don't have too - there are plenty of others who do. Often when I see a question I just look over who has responded and when I see certain names I don't even bother to read the question - I know the topic starter has been given good advice.

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

Rick, This is truly an inspirational note that you have posted. I share your appreciation for Tom and all that he has done for our craft. I was fortunate to get to the show down in High Point NC. a couple of years ago and words are not enough to describe how much it did for me. I look forward to getting back there as I understand it is growing bigger every year. I visit the website very frequently and keep caught on all the latest.
I think this is a great thing that our shared passion of rodbuilding has done great things for you and that is a wonderful thing.

That is a real uplifting story, I have only been building a year myself, but I only like have like 8 rods under my belt, you are doing really fantastic! Keep up the rod building, I too have a medical condition, and thats why I pick this rod building to spend my extra time. Thank you for your story, like I said it was very uplifting.

Rick.

I agree, what a touching story. Rod Building is not only therapeutic for some it may turn out to be another source of income to help you along. God works in very mysterious ways.

By the pictures on your web site it looks as if you have been building much longer than you have.

Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing that with us. I think it is nice to hear these stories as it helps us to understand one another.

I agree with your thoughts on this site. Tom has no idea what it means to so many people.

Thank you Tom, and Thank you Rick. God Bless you both.

ill

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

Most Welcome to all!

Bill E. you pointed out something interesting and worth some input on it as well. You mentioned; By the pictures on your web site it looks as if you have been building much longer than you have! You are very correct in that observation, and it also says allot about the information I used from this site to achieve what you see in those pictures. Everything in those pictures you see I purchased and some hand made items are from using the information that was provided by everyone on this site. Even on when to take the next steps in training my self in wrapping,thread choices, epoxy, gluing and technique in application principals. Its all here on ROB and I used it to build my rod-building studio. So in a large way everyone on this site, for the most part had a hand in building my work studio.

My point here! Is that the sharing you all have been doing day in and day out is not wasted words and not wasted time. A simple website and some talented folks help make what I do now, and I appreciate everyone that takes the time to type up those answers and shared ideas. This site is worth its "Time" in gold! Have a great day everyone!

Rick H.

rwheil@msn.com

Website
[www.facebook.com]
[home.comcast.net]