I did a search for Spiral Wrap and Acid Wrap but none came up, so if there is a thread (pun) on it already, please point me in the right direction. Otherwise... I understand the concept and theory behind the spiral wrap but I haven't found any information on setting it up. I'm looking for a straight answer on: Which spline to use, Casting or spinning? Number of guides? Degrees of rotation?.

I purchased a casting rod kit from Getbit and would like to build it for myself because I've never used a casting rod, other than salt water set up and I'm looking to showcase what little skill I have right now. Although I'm learning quite a bit through sites like this and youtube.

Looking forward to hearing from you Pro's.

Dace

Change search to "All Dates" . . . plenty of info on this board
no such thing as a spinning Spiral/Acid wrap . .
personally I use the simple spiral . . . 1st guide (from reel to rod tip) and 3rd guide 180 degree with the 2nd guide being a bumper guide that just keeps line off the blank

Put this in your search engine: forhan revolver spiral rod wrap
It brings up this site among others. Rod kits are a great way to get started but, look beyond the rod kit and see what you want to do and make it happen. That is what is so great about making anything and I think that is why a lot of us do this.

Spine is of no consequence and because the guides are on the bottom of the rod there will be no torque/twist of the rod under load.

You would not ever use a spiral wrap on a spinning rod - the guides are automatically and already on the bottom of the rod.

...........

Simple spiral works as well as any, I believe, and has none of the problems of some other layouts, like line build-up on one side of the reel spool, complicated layout, and goofy look.

i don't know if it is the right way, wrong way, or if i'm just being dumb, but i've tinkered with a few spiral wraps and this is what i found out for west coast style fishing;

- Some people will think you put your 2-piece rod on backwards
- If your first guide is dead center with the blank, the line will have a tendency to lay more on the side where the spiral wrap happens. i counter that by putting my first guide so the left edge of the guide ring is dead center with the blank.
- I don't need as many guides as a traditional casting rod. my 7'6" casting rod will use 9 guides + tip, but a spiral wrap can get away with 7-8 guides.
- Spiral wrap versus regular casting rods built identical have the same casting distance.
- How often do you hook a fish big enough to torque/twist the rod? spiral wrapped rods for sharks and big tuna is good, but a the torque of a 3# bass doesn't seem like a spiral wrap unless you're going for that "i've got a custom rod" look.
- I use 4 guides to complete the spiral turn. first guide is set so left edge of guide ring is in line with blank, guide #2 is at 60*, guide #3 is at 120*, guide 4 is at 180*. from what I've seen, guide #2 and #3 don't need to be exactly at those angles. they just need to keep the line off the blank.
- I prefer more parabolic rod blanks for spiral wraps. That's just my preference though.

Vincent,
Where I come from we wade fish a lot and the spiral comes in handy when landing or netting fish when holding the rod with one hand. Many times you will get into schools of fish and with the reel staying up in position you can recover quicker to start fishing again. No doubt that the spiral really shines with large ocean fish and big reels but it does have a place in the bays also. I too like the 4 guides to the bottom, believe it helps keep the line straight as possible. I will however use 9 guides on a 6'9" (4mm runners, 6mm stripper), it seems to manage the line better.

With no transition guides involved, the Simple Spiral offers the straightest line path. The line wants to go directly to the bottom of the rod and the SS allows it to do that.

Burt, I am using a casting rod set up.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/16/2019 06:40AM by Scott Dacey.

Tom Kirkman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Spine is of no consequence and because the guides
> are on the bottom of the rod there will be no
> torque/twist of the rod under load.
>
> You would not ever use a spiral wrap on a spinning
> rod - the guides are automatically and already on
> the bottom of the rod.
>
> ...........
I'm pretty sure I said I was using a casting rod that I wanted to spiral wrap. My question is, how do you spine it? In spinning rods the spine is on top, casting its on the bottom. The spiral wrap is basically a hybrid using the concepts of both rods. Do you spine it for casting or do you spine it for spinning because of the positions of the guides? I didn't think this was a really hard question to answer. I appreciate all the input though.

So. I'm going to spine it as I would a conventional casting rod and just wrap the guides as suggested.

Dace

Spine has no importance. It does not stop nor cause rod twist. The lever arm effect of the guides always trumps any spine effect. Most build on the straightest axis - position the curve belly down, tip and butt up, for both spinning and casting. Disregard the spine.

.............

Scott,
If you spine a rod - your choice of course, you find the spine or point of least resistance for bending.

But, once you do find the spine if you choose to build on the spine - Your choice - it is up to you to decide to build with the spine up, or the spine down.

Either way will work just fine. If you build it with the spine up, the rod may have a touch more power. If you build it with the spine down, the rod will bend a touch more easily and the rod ends up bending a touch more than the converse. i.e. slightly less power - maybe.

But, a spiral wrapped casting rod - for all practical purposes just becomes a rod with the guides on the bottom of the rod - in a manner that is analogous to a spinning rod.

So, if you like to spine a blank, and you may certainly choose to spine a blank - build the rod up with the spine up, or the spine down - again completely your choice.

The spine up or spine down decision is much like when one builds on the straightest blank that many rod builders use in today's rod building world. So, the concept of building on the straightest blank might mean that there is a slight bend in the rod somewhere. Then, the question is asked - I am building on the straightest blank -- do I build with the tip bend up, or do I build with the tip bend down ( slight that it might be)?

Again, the decision is entirely in the hands of the rod builder. Folks who are familiar with the concept will indicate that by building on the straightest axis with the slight or major tip bend up, the rod will have more power and is the conventional way to build the rod.
The countra argument for folks who build on the straightest axis with a blank that has a minor or less than minor tip bend who like to build with the tip bend down, say that the rod looks more natural with the tip bend down and that the rod has plenty of power with the bend in either direction, so that they don't care about a slight difference in power on the blank.


Summary - if you build on the spine - build with the spine up or the spine down.
If you build on the straightest axis, build with the tip bend up, or the tip bend down.

The finished rod may have a touch different power depending on how the rod is built and if that slight difference is important to you - then build it with the spine up for those who build with the spine concept and build with the tip up, for those who build on the straightest axis.

But building either way, will deliver a quality rod that will catch lots and lots of fish over the years that the rod is in service.

Enjoy the minutes, hours, weeks, months and years of building rods the way that you like to build them. Thus is the freedom of the custom rod builder.

Damn Guys,
My mind is blown. All this time I'm thinking that you have to spine the rod up or down depending on the type (spinning or Casting), for strength in relation to the guides. Never though about the natural bend of the rod being a factor. All these beginner videos I've watched from Mudhole and various other builders have always stressed the importance of finding the spine.

Thanks for all your help.
Dace

Read an article in RodMaker magazine years ago on spine effect, it's so small only the most powerful of blanks out there have a noticable difference.