I recently started a new casting rod build and I can't wrap my head around the guide spacing for this blank;

Point Blank 731MXF 7'3"

I've completely redone my other rods and none of them have the line touching the blank under load. I used the same amount of guides on all my rods that range from 7' to 7'2". (11+Tip Top)

KW8 > KW6 > KW 5.5 > KB5 x3 > KT5 x5 > TipTop. I like the KW8 as the stripper guide, I haven't had any issues using it in the past builds.

I've been putting the stripper guide 20" from the reel face (roughly 53.5" from the tiptop), and the first guide behind the tip at 3.5", this is my base layout for new builds, it's worked great. I have the split grip handle at 10.75" behind my Fuji KSKTS16 reel seat.
The line starts touching the blank at the top of the bend towards the tip. The further I move the KW8 stripper guide back towards the reel (roughly 19" from the face of the reel) the less the line touches the blank near the tip. The spacing I found works the best but still is not perfect is from Batson Immortal Blueprint 7'3" rod, which goes;

TipTop
1. 3.5
2. 7.125
3. 10.875
4. 14.75
5. 18.75
6. 23.5
7. 28.75
8. 34.375
9. 40.375
10. 47
11. 54.25

I'm using Titanium Torzites, so weight isn't a huge issue here, I've considered adding another guide, which would make it 12+tiptop. Has anyone built on this blank that can offer any insight? Or tell me what I'm doing wrong? Is it the XFast action that is making this difficult?



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2020 12:24PM by Jason Yu.

For a KR build use either the RV6 or KW10 as the stripper followed by a KW5.5 (or KB5.5) and then your KB/KT 5 runners. The KW 10 and RV6 are recommended by Fuji because they give you the proper height above the blank for optimum performance. Try it you will like it. For my PB731MXF Rods I place the stripper at 20” from the reel.
Norm

Iason,
Try

11 guides .......... 12 guides
Tip 0 ....... 0
1... 1.68 ...... 1.36
2... 3.70 ....... 3.00
3... 6.11 ....... 4.96
4... 9.00 ....... 7.32
5... 12.50 ......... 10.15
6... 16.68 .......... 13.55
7... 21.70 .......... 17.62
8... 27.71 ........ 22.51
9... 34.93 ........ 28.38
10... 43.60 ....... .. 35.42
11 ...54.00 ........... 43.86
12 ------ ............. 54.00

Try this for a first attempt, tape the guides on and give it a whirl and adjust from there.

Have fun
John



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2020 09:30PM by John DeMartini.

Those Fuji blanks have a large butt and a small tip. I believe 11 guides should work fine with the sizes you are using. Set your 1st guide from the tip top at 3.25" and keep the stripper where you got it. With a real flexy tip you just need to move the 1st guide a little closer to the tip top. I would do something like this (INCHES):
TT
3.25
6.75
10.5625
14.6875
19.125
23.875
29
34.5
40.375
46.6875
53.5

Jason, I have found that the action of some POINT Blanks works best when you static load with no regard for progressive spacing. The top sections are very fast and I will often have the 3rd, 4th or 5th guides back from the tip closer together than 1st and 2nd guide back. Sometimes as close as 3.5 - 4 inches apart. Let the blank tell you. Load it to about 90-degrees and work from there. It won't take as many guides as you think. 9, maybe 10 plus top.

Jason,
It is simple.

If you don't want line to touch the blank you add more guides in that area, or you use taller guides.

It' o.k if the line touches, as long as it doesn't go below. That being said I don't like when it touches either. If I was springing that much for a rod, I'd use as many guides as I thought it took.

Simple, spiral wrap it with 9 guides and enjoy.

I'm with Jim, the blank tells me where the guides go on all rods.

Thank you Jim, and everyone else.

I have finally got it pretty much where I want it to be. I figured it all out by static load testing after wrapping the stripper guide and the first guide behind the tiptop to the blank.

I put the choke guides closer to the stripper guide and the first couple of running guides closer to the tiptop. The middle guides are about 4"-5" from each other. The stripper guide 20" from the reel face, the first guide behind the tiptop at 3.25".

I also bent the KB and KT guide rings to a 90 deg. bend from the guide foot. I don't know if this is acceptable practice but it worked well. The guide foot is flat to the blank and the ring is almost straight up and down. More the KT guides than the KB. The KB's rings are almost at a 90 deg and the KT's look like they're at a 60 deg from the factory?

can't wait to epoxy everything and fish it this weekend!

Thank you all.



Jim Ising Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jason, I have found that the action of some POINT
> Blanks works best when you static load with no
> regard for progressive spacing. The top sections
> are very fast and I will often have the 3rd, 4th
> or 5th guides back from the tip closer together
> than 1st and 2nd guide back. Sometimes as close as
> 3.5 - 4 inches apart. Let the blank tell you. Load
> it to about 90-degrees and work from there. It
> won't take as many guides as you think. 9, maybe
> 10 plus top.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2020 05:14PM by Jason Yu.

The only chance of a problem from bending is most likely a compromise to the tangle shedding of the guides. Likely not a big deal.

How many guides did you use Jason?

Jason,
I have to ask why you straightened the guides from their optimum tangle shedding factory bend?

If it was because you wanted more height, a better choice would have been to add one or two more guides.

I used 11+1 number of guides.

I didn't have to bend the guides to keep the line off the blank, but it helped a little more. Like I said, it's probably not very practical to do so, but I haven't had much issues in doing so. I should mention, I didn't use a tool to bend the guides, just my fingers, it doesn't take much effort on the Titanium guides, and they bend back no problem at all.

I don't find myself having line tangle much because the runners are so small. If I do I just wiggle my rod a little and the line comes off. My 10+ year old rods with the much bigger running guides are a pain in the rear for line tangle lol.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/2020 12:02PM by Jason Yu.

It's interesting because I am doing a light spinning rod now and when I was looking for some guidance on set up I could not really find the info I wanted.
I then did some testing and ended up with 10 guides on a 7'3" blank which seemed like a lot but I guess its right on.
Also first time I used up to 4 micro guides so that was a first.

Isn't it better to let the blank tell you how many guides it needs, rather than telling the blank how many guides you're going to use on it?

I checked my rod built from this blank a couple years ago and it appears I did it much like Jim Ising recommends. 9 guides, I believe. Very nice rod.

Hello Jason have you watched the the video ( a revolution in rod component layout and design ) on youtube by Fuji? Good video btw, I think your first three guides are to small should be able to kit that rod with 9 guides plus tip, I would try 12,10, 8, then 6x6 running to 6 tip or 10, 8, 6, 6x4 running to 4 tip that my 2 bobs worth hope this helps ????

Sorry the question marks was supposed to be a thumbs up new here lol

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