What is everybody using to line your guides up on the rod blank? I have the CRB laser but it doesn’t work that well.

Douglass,
The best thing that I have found is bright light and pointing the rod toward a white wall and sighting down the rod.
By using the bright light and the white wall, it is easy to see any guides that are not aligned correctly.

I will first sight down the guide side of the rod and do a quick alignment.
Then, I will flip the rod over and sight down the blank side of the rod - giving the rod a slight twist to each side to verify the ability to see the edge of a guide poking over the edge of the blank for an equal amount of blank rotation in either direction.

It is interesting as to how quick one can spot a guide that is slightly or grossly out of alignment by using the two sighthing methods.

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I have also used all sorts of lights, lasers, strings and a few other methods.

But, I have found nothing that is quicker nor more accurate than sighting down the rod.

By the way, whenever a client picks up a rod, about 90% of the time one of the first things that he/she will do is to sight down the rod to verify that the guides are aligned.

So, since it is quite likely that a user of the rod is going to sight down the rod to verify guide alignment, it only makes sense to utilize the same method as a final alignment check for the build process.

Good luck

Thanks for the input. I look down the rod also because the laser doesn’t work that well.

Does a perfectly straight guide train always produce the best cast for all types of lines, from braid to monofilament, and line of any diameter or stiffness? I refer only to spinning reels. With conventional reels "line slap" from line hitting the guides doesn't seem to be a major issue. Maybe that's why conventional reels can cast farther than spinning reels.

You're correct; lasers are not such a good idea for guide alignment.

And Roger is correct; we've got mighty fine "onboard alignment devices" - our eyes.

Problem is, the blank is frequently not dead on straight even when the guides are mounted on the straightest axis. And this makes sighting down the blank a challenge. My solution is to use the vertical groves in the basement wall paneling by holding the rod in the groves and then adjusting the guides as needed until equal amount of each guide over hangs the blank. Works well for most rods with the exception of Robert's / spiral wrapped rods for which the 180 degree axis running guides must be aligned before stripping and transition guides are wrapped.

An alternative that has worked for me is to use the inside corner of a door frame trim instead of paneling groves.

Douglas

I agree the eye is the best tool. The problem is that you may have to try many configurations and gyrations to get a "sight picture" of the guide alignment.
In my case during the day my best shot is in my garage with the door up and I point the rod towards my neighbors driveway. At night the best place is in my garage pointing at the white AC duct.
After I think they are in line I get a second opinion, I ask my wife to check my work.

Have fun

John

Although you may not get the guides in perfect alignment, it is doubtful that tiny deviations from perfect affect casting distance to any noticeable degree. I would add, however, that with any sort of "micro" guide train, alignment is more critical as the space within the guide ring for margin of error will be less. But don't fret over it too much - just get things as close as you can and then go out and enjoy the rod.

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roger wilson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Douglass,
> The best thing that I have found is bright light
> and pointing the rod toward a white wall and
> sighting down the rod.
> By using the bright light and the white wall, it
> is easy to see any guides that are not aligned
> correctly.
>
> I will first sight down the guide side of the rod
> and do a quick alignment.
> Then, I will flip the rod over and sight down the
> blank side of the rod - giving the rod a slight
> twist to each side to verify the ability to see
> the edge of a guide poking over the edge of the
> blank for an equal amount of blank rotation in
> either direction.
>
> It is interesting as to how quick one can spot a
> guide that is slightly or grossly out of alignment
> by using the two sighthing methods.
>
> ----------------
> I have also used all sorts of lights, lasers,
> strings and a few other methods.
>
> But, I have found nothing that is quicker nor more
> accurate than sighting down the rod.
>
> By the way, whenever a client picks up a rod,
> about 90% of the time one of the first things that
> he/she will do is to sight down the rod to verify
> that the guides are aligned.
>
> So, since it is quite likely that a user of the
> rod is going to sight down the rod to verify guide
> alignment, it only makes sense to utilize the same
> method as a final alignment check for the build
> process.
>
> Good luck

This is what I do also. You can also take it outside and use the sky as a background. Whatever you do, it will still be better than a store bought rod.

Thanks guys for the helpful information.

Agree with Roger for the final check, but you will be surprised when you pinch gently a guide between the finger and thumb, then with those digits supported by the blank, run the finger/thumb down the rod to the next guide. If it's out of alignment you will probably notice it. I use that method when placing the guides to be wrapped onto the blank just before wrapping.

Then the final check like Roger does.

Regarding whether they have to be in alignment for best performance, because I am what I am, they have to be in perfect alignment or they bug the heck out of me. Forever. I'll bet that fits most of us builders.

I use the blank itself as an alignment tool, facing the guides away from me it's easy to use the blank to compare how much guide hangs over on each side. I wrap the rod and fine tune if needed by a final sight down on the guide side, than finish the rod.