Awesome... Done in 1 coat.. Theres only 1 complaint i have, where the winding checks meet the cabon fiber grips... I ended up having to use rubber winding checks instead of the aluminum ones i originally was going to get.. Funds wouldnt allow for that extra little touch.. Where the checks meet the carbon fiber theres a small gap.. When they made the grips, they pull the fiber to a ring, (thats what scratched the blank, i had to reem all the poly foam to the carbon ring for the butt) so the ring sits slightly out away from the grip itself... I tried to build a bit of aepoxy dam so hide it, but apparently failed.. Just an aesthetic flaw.. Any suggestions on what i could fill the void with? The front winding check has epoxy all the way out to the edge of the check, and to be honest i wish i wouldnt have done that.. Now theres a visible epoxy ring.. Mind you its only really visible when using my 2,600 lumin headlamp, and if you dont know its there you wont notice it.. Unless your looking for it.. I hate that headlamp by the way.. You think you cleaned something very well, but throw the headlamp on and realize how well of a job you really did.. Spot a speck of dust 10' away lol..

So, the winding checks are going to drive me crazy..
There are 2 thread tags, im not going to worry about, not worth puting another coat on for that.. Mind you give it a week, they will drive me nutz, and ill end up puting another coat on anyway..

I ended up using the edge of a paper towel soaked in alcohol to clean up my edges on the guides.. That worked beautifully..

Whenever my account stops giving me a hard time on the photo section ill upload pictures.. I got the verification email and got a message saying sorry my account cant be verified...

Thank you all so much, it seems i found a new home for another expesive hobby lol

If I follow you, you can mix rod bond with a little of the correct color pigment and with the rod turning apply it to the area where the check should contact the grip in order to fill the void. Then with the rod still turning, smooth and remove excess with either a cloth or brush dipped in alcohol whichever you find easier. I'd let the finish cure completely before doing this. That headlamp might be your best fiend!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2018 02:23PM by Lynn Behler.

Anthony,
A little tip when using a carbon fiber grip(s) (CFG) - and for those who may use them in the future:

On the forward, or rear (for split grips), end of a CFG that comes into direct contact with the blank - you MUST port the end of the CFG to accept a neoprene "O" ring. The ring will cushion the blank against damage from the rough fibers of the grip. The ring should be flush with the grip so that the WC will hide the ring.
Not taking this precaution will cause the blank to become scored and eventually snap.
Herb
U.S. Distributor CTS Rod Blanks

Wow, thats outstanding info by Herb , something that can easily be overlooked .

Thats very excellent info.. Wish i new that before i built the grips... Its a split grip, and my brother wants a rod simular to the one i just built... I wont stress it with this rod as its my second, and complete now.. If in the future it ends up snaping... Its just the butt, and i contemplated cutting the blank down from the get go... It would make the rod look a little funny... But that would make for good practice on repairing...

Ive said it before, and ill say it again..
I am so glad i joined this board... Its great to know there are still people in this world that share knowledge like you guys do

And to show how much you guys helped, i showed a few people the rod today, and have possibly 4 more rods to build now lol.. We will see, and you guys will know about them im sure



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2018 10:21PM by Anthony Unger.

Actually.. I may have gotten lucky.. I got over zealous with reeming the butt.. I had to wrap 2 turns around the blank with masking tape.. And kept it fairly close to the front of the butt.. So there is a space between the blank and the carbon fiber.. And its loaded with epoxy... Not sure if that will suffice for a permanent fix, but im sure it will postpone a failure if nothing else... Also, the rod will never see its limits.. I run 6lb test mono.. The blank is 6-12lb..

I dislike seemingly to always being the bearer of warnings - BUT-
I'm sure it doesn't apply to your build, as you describe it.

I learned the following while modifying my fiberglass sailboats:
(And I'll use non-nautical terms here.)
When installing a bulkhead (inner wall) from one side of the boat to the other - care must be taken not to create a "hard-spot". i.e. one in which the hull is subject to being normally flexed under heavy sea conditions - and then becomes rigid due to an inner structure that was not in the original design. i.e. a retrofitted bulkhead.
The possibility of a hard spot can be eliminated by feathering the attachment of the bulkhead to the hull. The point is not to attach the bulkhead directly to the hull using an unforgiving adhesive, like epoxy.
The bulkhead should be "lightly" attached to hull and then heavily reinforced with fiberglass tape that is feathered out 4-5" on both sides of the bulkhead.
Not doing this properly will cause fractures or delamination in the composite hull.

This has application to rod building ONLY if a carbon fiber or wood grip is installed. It also has application if one used stabilized wood rings up close to the forward end of the grip. The very experienced Oregon rod builder - Bob Meiser - has wisely stated many years ago - and I paraphrase: "Wood rings should not be installed close to the forward end of the grip". He stated a specific distance that I now do not recall.

Bottom line: the creation of a hard-spot unduly stresses the composite blank and MAY cause failure at that point.
One sees it all the time when an angler, fighting a fish, will increase his leverage by grabbing the rod above the grip. Depending on the rod and its layup, this often causes failure. Rods that load down into the grip are more prone to suffer from hard-spots or using the area above the grip as a pressure point.
Natural cork grips , since they are flexible, do not produce hard-spots unless wood is used up front.
Of course - the more a rod flexes into the butt section - the more prone it would be to failure.

Even though CFG's have a foam core - the foam does not flex because it is captive in the unyielding CF. So be careful when you use CF and wood for grips.

I had 3 fly rods fitted with CFG's that I ultimately ground off in favor of cork. I am aware of all the benefits of CFG's - but did it anyway.
Herb

Bad news? Thats wealth of useful information and possibly saving heartbreak and sorrow.. Thats not bad news at all.. I more then appreciate your input..

I will never say i learned everything there is to know.. Something i learned from being a bass player.. If you say you learned everything there is to know about a trade, you know nothing about a trade...

It makes perfect sense, and i cant believe the producers of said products dont warn about the possibility of failure due to a stress point..

When they first made tires for vehicles they were slick, didnt have much grip through mud and stone, goodyear put thier name on the tire so it would work as an advertisement, as the tire rolled down the street it left an imprint saying goodyear.. They realized that having something on the tire added grip.. Hence tread was born.. If people dont utilize suggested advancements in application technology we would never have the things we do today...

On the topic of hard points though, wouldnt metal winding checks also need to be cushioned? Understandably thats a small fraction of the blank vs say, a 6" grip.. But as you stated, scoring will eventually lead to failure..

I stress again, there is no bad news.. Just advancements...
Thank you for the explination too, it helps paint a picture

Anthony,
You are correct that a WC, under some circumstances, can create a hard spot. That is why one should never seat a WC with force. If it is a little too tight - use a larger one. I always push the thread of the butt wrap under the WC to act as a cushion.
But you used rubber ones.
Herb



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2018 12:26PM by Herb Ladenheim.

On this build yes.. But the original design i had in mind used dark smoke aluminum checks with dark cherry accents.. Funds wouldnt allow for the additinal "flare" and to be honest im glad i went without them.. This build ended up becoming more of a "steathy" look, rather then "showy" rod.. Sometimes a minimalist approach is 10x more aestheticly pleasing then having the whole thing decked out.. I learned this in fly tying, and woodworking..

Anthony, for your 1st. post this turned out to be a peach! Great info here. I hope Herb L. can put me onto some more. Good luck with your future builds. Lynn (former bass player)

I completly agree.. And i cant wait to build another, this "hobby" is Definatly addicting..

Figured out i can use one drive to upload pics.. Figured id give a few quick pics of the rod..
Not sure if you guys are going to be able to see these.. But...
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Not the best "photo shoot," but the idea gets across..