Hello,

My Name Is Travis Simmons.

I am brand new to rod building and will take ANY info related to building. For my first rod I want to do some marbling. My question is when doing it under guides, do you do the marbling then place the guide and wrap? Also do you place grips and reel seat on before marbling between it and the first guide or do it after those have been placed on the blank ? Also is MHX rod blanks good blanks for saltwater built rods ?


Thank You in advance for reading and or responding to this and for all help in this matter.!

Travis - If you want marbling around the guide area, it is much easier to do this before putting the guides on. As far as marbling around the handle and reel seat, it is up to you. I have done it both ways and either way works. If your going to marble before gluing the handles and reel seat, dry fit everything and make marks on the blank where you need to add the marbling.

Thank you !!!

MHX are very good blanks. I have made many of them. I like the Batson blanks, Rodgeeks are good,

If I marble guides, I usually wrap the guide with a thread to match the base coat of marbling. Then I put down a base coat of colored epoxy that approximates the thread and then I add the other marbling colors. Most of your major distributors have instructional videos on how to do the basics.

Thank you !!