I am playing with a 'restoration' of a bamboo rod, just to have the chance to play with a bamboo rod. More a learn on the fly than an actual restoration. The question is, on the tip section, there is enough twist that the tip top and first guide at the ferrule appear to be twisted one flat side out of true. Do I move the guide over one flat to make it look good or attach it where it belongs? The rod will catch one fish when I am done and be retired to a wall.

Pesco Ergo Sum

Bruce

Learning on the fly with bamboo can work, but your odds are not so good.

Suggest you first invest in some homework by reading Michael Sinclair's Bamboo Restoration Handbook or another similar work.

My initial reaction to your question is two wrongs do not make a right. Maybe your old soldier ought be retired to a wall hanger as is, else properly repaired / restored.

Do a google search on Building a bamboo rod It will tell you all that goes into untwisting

here is a good site to check out [www.canerods.com]

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2016 11:25AM by bill boettcher.

You have two choices here. Fix it right or hang it on the wall. Moving the guide over will only make things worse.
taking the twist out is fairly easy.
1. determine where the twist starts. i.e. is it just between a guide or is it longer.
2. you need to gently heat the entire area that is twisted. use a heat gun on low if you have one or a hair dryer. gently heat the areakeep the heat moving. do an initial heat then stop for about 30 seconds and heat again. this give the heat time to work into the cane, kind of like slow cook instead of a sear. if you can't touch the cane it's too hot. you want warm on "Hot"
3. twist the section in the direction you want. you will actualy feel the cane change when you heat it. it should be able to bend easily. if it's not stop and reheat.
4. after untwisting hold it in that position until it cools

you can work in smaller sections if need be.

Donald, I hear the wisdom in your message. Bill, thanks for the link. Gary, I will go to work straightening with a hair drier.
The rod came to me with some parts removed, some parts missing and some initial varnish scraping already done. The poor old rod has nothing to lose by becoming a learning tool! Thank you all, BR

A 'little trick" - remove the guides where the twist is. Grab momma's steam iron & set it at a medium setting. Put the rod on a padded hard surface (a couple of folds of a pillow case over a hard surface will do. Run the steam iron over the cane until it is limber (NOT noodle-like). pull the padding out from under & use the hard surface to flatten the strips. Less chance of delaminating the glue & much less chance of searing ... Gary hit on the
particular step by steps ... just substituting the steam iron here.

Yep the technique Ken offered works also. If you're really brave and feel lucky you can do it over the burner of your gas stove. Don't try it on your first outing.

Bruce

If you can get a stand up heat gun This way you can put the rod over it warm it then twist it with out keeping shutting the gun on and off or laying it hot on some thing

Bill - willierods.com

Gary

When the strips are cut glued and then wrapped

Why can they not be twisted to keep them straight before the glue dries
I am thinking when they are wrapped this tends to twist the flats ( the pressure of the thread wrapping them ) and I wonder why they can not be looked at and ( untwisted ) before the glues dries
I have gotten several blanks and wonder WHY I HAVE TO HEAT AND FIX THEM ?
Have sent several back
What the heck after wrapped take a look This twist can not be seen and then fixed ??

Bill - willierods.com

Bill, much of the reason that the rod twists is because of the way it is made.
Let's compare a small one or two person shop putting out maybe 50 rods a year tops to one putting out 500 rods a week.
the small shop will take the time to make sure that the blank is striaight after glueing and binding. it's an easy 5 min process and yes it eliminates many problems later. It's a personal quality control.
now look at the large production shop. 500 rods X 5 min. each = 8+ hours. that's an entire day just straightneing. since the of shore production places want to get you that rod as fast and as cheap as possible this step is probably ignored.
and other reason for twist is how the cane is cut/split inthe first place. was it sawed or split? did it come from the same clum? was the moisture content of all the strips the same? It's kind of like going to the lumber yard for a 2x4 and looking thru the pile for a striaght one and asking yourself why most of them are twisted.

Your right I just figured since I have not made a blank But figured it could be straightened after wrapping easier then letting it go and doing it later
I have had several made and did not like any One I sent back But it was like Gee What's wrong with it
Quality Control and some one that cares about there work

Bill - willierods.com

I'm a little late to this discussion, but this may help you:

[www.youtube.com]

Harry

Harry Boyd

Excellent video I learned a lot from his site and videos

Bill - willierods.com