Hi,
I am replacing guides on a cabela's spincasting rod. It is a medium light 6' rod. I am trying a spiral wrap with static guide spacing. My second from the tip, third and fourth guides are not progressively larger spacing. Is this what usually happens with static guide spacing?
Thanks,
Gary

What I have found is that the first guide from the tip needs to be around 6-8in because that part of the rod cannot be bent. However, that would look ridiculous to have the first guid 6in from the tip and the next 2 4in apart. So I ususally start off small and work my way up. I have found that with most of the rods I build with micro's on top I start of at 4in from tip and increase by 1/4in till you get past the soft tip section. On a spiral wrapped rod placement is not as critical. Your not trying to keep the line off the blank, just looking for a smooth flow.

Gary,

Yes. This is the area most susceptible to damage from high sticking. The static test helps alleviate some of the stress by putting guides where they need to be. It won't make the rod immune to high sticking, but you can rest assured that the guides are spaced to deal with the stress.

If you prefer a progressive spacing for aesthetic purposes, you can add an extra guide in the tip area and redistribute them in a progressive spacing.

Joe

If you were to put a guide beyond the tiptop and then flex the rod, you'd find that the guide behind the tiptop would, in most cases, need to be closer than you think. Except for heavier saltwater rods, I almost never put the first guide more than 5 inches beyond the tiptop, and more often, just 4 inches.

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

Hi Gary,
Most rods I build have equal spacing for the first 3,4 or 5 guides, around four inches. Doesn't look out of place as it would if with what Brandon is talking about is used. The area of concern is where the most bend is and you need to come up with a spacing that suits that area. From there out to the tip I use equal spacing which is mainly for looks as that part of the rod is usaually pretty straight when under load and doesn't need the number of guides used.

ESFNEM Col
Port Kembla, NSW
Australia

Brandon,
I agree 100% - that for many blanks the extreme tip of the rod is stiffer than is the blank that is 5-10 inches down the blank.
In past times, I used to do as you do. i.e. keep all of the guides equal, or with a progressive spacing from the tip down toward the butt of the rod. But, as you and others have pointed out, this sometimes results in adding an unneeded guide near the tip of the rod.

So, for most of the rods that I build now, I just use the required spacing and no longer about the slight non symmetry that results if there is a 6 inch space at the tip, before going to spacing of 3-4 inches for the next two or three guides.

This fact is more pronounced on some of today's very fast action rods. i.e. these blanks in particular have a very fast action with a very quick bending tip in the upper section of the rod. But many of these same blanks do still have a bit stiffer section right at the tip, which leads to the non symmetrical spacing of the first guide to the tip.

So, for some of these extra fast tipped blanks, I will have a spacing as you pointed out.
i.e. tip to first guide 6 inches, 2nd guide, to first guide - 3 inches,
2nd guide to 3rd guide 3 1/4 inch, 3rd to 4th guide of 4 inches - etc. etc.

Does it look a bit odd, sure. But you end up with perfect line flow with no extra weight or drag due to an extra non needed guide near the tip of the rod.

By the way, if anyone ever asks about the spacing at the tip, I simply tell them that it is the latest new guide layout for this year. They never ask another question about it.

Take care
Roger

Medium light rod

Don't worry how it looks
protect the tip from breaking with a hight sticking or sudden quick hook set Most repairs come in of the Tip breaking 4 - 4 1/2' spacing of the first guide
IMHO I go no more then 4' From there 1/4 - 1/2' progressive
Then static test

Bill - willierods.com

As others have said, it all depends on the rod blank.
Right now, I am working on some rods with micro tips.
So the spacing on these rods are tip to first guide 2 1/2 inches.
1-2 guide - 2 3/4 inches
2-3 guide - 3 inches
3-4 guide - 3 1/4 inches
4-5 guide - 6 inches.
etc.
All of the bend is in the first foot of the rod and thus needs to have the guides spaced accordingly.
By the way, the size of the tip is 2/64th. So very very fine tip indeed.

Roger



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/28/2012 02:26PM by roger wilson.

I can see your spacing if the guides are on top casting
Spinning ???

Bill - willierods.com

Thanks for all the info. I originally tried the spiral on this 2 piece rod by putting a transition (bumper?) guide on the tip section (just above the ferrule) and turning the top section upside down. This fished well enough, so now I am doing a proper spiral. After reading Tom's static guide article in the library and the one on the Angler's Rsrc site I tried the 4" from the tip spacing. This didn't work like I wanted, so I let the rod decide. I ended up with a 5-3/16" space ( the factory guide was at 4-7/8"). I will fish it this way, and if problems arise I will go to the 4" from the tip in the future.
Gary

Bill,
This spacing is for a noodle tipped spinning rod. If the guides are any further apart, the line will not follow the very quick flex of the tip.

By the way, wrapping these guides on this rod are much like wrapping a guide on a piece of cooked noodle.

Take care
Roger

Gary,
By the way, when you do a spiral wrap on a two piece rod, what do you do for alignment marks on the rod?

To simplify the assembly job on two piece rods, I generally weave in an alignment mark on the butt section of the rod wrap at the butt and at the tip section of the rod. Sure, you can sight down the rod, and align the tip, but it is much quicker and easier with adjacent alignment marks on the rod.

I weave the alignment marks on the rod - before I do the final alignment of the guides. This insures that the guides are in perfect alignment when the alignment marks are lined up.

Take care
REW

Thanks Roger, I will see if I can do that.
Gary