Hey everybody-I have been lurking for a few days and have been learning a lot. I am recently retired with a few hobbies and love building stuff. I want to learn how to build rods as I love to fish and this seem like a great hobby. Some great advice that I read earlier was to strip an old rod down and rebuild it in order to learn and not have a great deal invested. Super advice. I stripped an old Kunaan rod that I used to use many years ago. It is so old that the finish has peeled off, reel seat split and rotted EVA handle. It was a good rod and has been around for about 40 years. I spent a few hours today and got it totally stripped and looking pretty good. I think I have all of the old epoxy removed and am ready for the next step. I believe I will paint it white, put on a standard cork handle, ringless SS guides, and play with the thread wrapping a bit. I can't wait see what I do right and wrong and how the final product looks. Thanks for all of the great information.

Best resource on the net! Welcome!

Hi guys im after building two tuna rods i was using two Shimano beastmaster 50lbs class Ax trolling rod last August when out B F T fishing in Penzance in England these rods are fitted with Pac Bay Short Bent Butts fist day we Blanked on the Second day i had a take one hour into the fight and the fish pinwheeling at the side of the boat the Bent Butt Snapped flush with the reel seat we managed to gaff the fish and unhook it then blow me on third day the self Same thing Happened on the next day while my mate was using my second rod this time ive the moment caught on video is there a known weakness in the permaline Alloy Butts ill be using a Alps Bent Butt and Roller Guides on my build tight lines Alain

Great site with a wealth of knowledge, and a very enjoyable hobby.

Welcome Danny!

I did something similar when I first started with 4 inshore rods that I owned and were totally beat finish wise. You learn a lot just from the strip down of the old rods! I eventually rewrapped all 4 rods and they came out great. One thing I still have a tendency to do is buy old rods at garage sales just to try different wraps and patterns and I am totally not ashamed to pull an old rod out of someone's garbage! Your rod will come out just fine and you have to remember, there comes a time when you just have to be "finished" because sometimes, a rod design can go on and on and on! As the old saying goes, "its time to shoot the Engineer and get on with production" !!!

Good lock and we look forward to your final product!

Tony Boschi
Banana River Rods
Merritt Island, Florida
321~525~1063

* Rapid Prototyping Services
* Custom Beach Rods
* Custom Inshore Rods

[bananariverrods.com]

Welcome to the site and a great hobby that will become addictive really quick. there is so much great info on this site, and great people that are always willing to help out.

I have now finished stripping and painting and am about to put on the gloss coat. I ended up going with pistachio on the rod and plan to wrap the guides in a royal blue. I though I would make it pretty since it is my first effort. I have been replacing guides on some old rods to get some practice. How many coats of epoxy do you typically put on the guides? Do you file or sand them between coats to get the correct shape and fit? I can easily see how one can become addicted to building rods. It seems to always be on my mind.