Messing around with an acid wrap, on a blank, with slow/parabolic action. Seems that no matter what, the Butt guide will be side loaded, when the rod is under heavy load. This makes me think a lot of torque will be imparted to this single location, causing the guide to rip out/the blank to fail. Am I overthinking this? Should you not acid wrap a blank with slow action? Any input from the experts would be appreciated.

Use the simple spiral method and there will be no guide that is appreciably side loaded, or torqued, by the line. No problem with slow action. Use double foot guides for the first three. As low as possible for number two.

Being a slow blank, what's the application? Trolling, crankbait, live bait, etc?

Nick

The application is bottom fishing for Grouper, using live bait....and trolling. Its a 6'6" blank. Wish I could post a picture to show you the action, and how the guides are placed. I tried the simple spiral method 1st (with an extra guide clocked 90 degrees, between the 1st two guides, and it didn't look right (the line had too much angle to it making the transition. I would of had to space the guides further apart). I ended up making the transition to 180 with three guides. The Butt guide was placed approx. 5 degrees clocked in the direction of rotation, the 2nd guide 60 degrees, and the third guide 120, with the final at 180. The line "flows" really nice around the blank, but like I mentioned, under heavy load, that 1st/Butt guide has a side load too it.

Hmm interesting, heavier load on a short slow rod so the majority of the bend is occurring closer to the transition. Also tough because the the butt guide is probably larger, taller, exaggerating the angle of the side load. Will it succeed by reducing the angle of the first guide? During the load, the second guide with pull the line toward the side of the ring on the direction of rotation. Angle of the guides aren't necessarily placed assuming line on center, but rather the expected path through the range of the ring. Bigger and taller the butt guide, bigger the deviation. You might hit a 5 degree angle in the range of the guide ring with the guide straight up.

Best of luck Ken
Nick

Casting is not a priority, right? And the advantage of getting most of the guides on the bottom is significant.

Since you are a builder you can pretty easily fix it if it fails. I recommend using the best solution you've come up with, possibly lowering the first guide to reduce the torque, and go with it. If you use stout guides it will probably work fine.

Casting is not a priority. I am going with what I have built, and to your point, if isn't working out, I will amend. The guides are the heavy saltwater Virtus guides, which I've heard good things about their durability.

Thanks everyone for their input.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2018 02:52PM by Ken Patek.