[www.mudhole.com]

Would someone recommend some low-price components I can outfit this ice rod blank with? It's a $16 blank and I don't want to spend $50 for the components.
I haven't built any ice rods in 10 years. maybe.

Thanks

Hey Bruce, I just did a couple ice rods. One a noodle and the other graphite. I. will never do a noodle again! Too hard to work with. I'm sure you guys that are more experienced can do them easily. I came real close to busting it in a bunch of pieces. Mudhole has a lot of ice guide sets and handle kits. I just buy a stripping guide then use fly running guides and a fly tip top. I had some cork I hadn't used so cut it down to make a short handle and used a 16 spinning seat. It didn't cost much at all. Other than the enjoyment of building and the pride of the work...a person can't build much cheaper ice rods for the price you can buy one. Good luck with the noodle!

Copy Todd's comments.
A premade eva or cork grip to use as a tennessee style grip. i.e. simply tape the small reel to the grip.

Depending on the length of the rod, 3-4 guides at 50 cents each.

Note: Here is a little accessory that one can use to assist when working with the tip section of a noodle tipped rod:

Just make one of these:

[www.rodbuilding.org]

The rod rest is simply a piece of ice rod blank. I use a dremel tool with an abrasive cut off wheel to cut a notch into the end of the blank that is as wide as the width of the rod blank that you wish to support.
The base is just a piece of cutting board, but you can use anything. Drill a correctly sized hole in the material and poke the notched blank into the hole. Trim the length of the blank so that the rod, when it is resting in the notch - sit level with the rest of the rod blank.
Because there is not a down wheel on top of the rod, you will need to do your wrapping from below the rod, to avoid pulling the rod out of the rest.

But, by using a rod rest like this, you can eliminate all of the bend that goes on with a very thin noodle ice rod tip when wrapping the tip section of the rod.

If you like, you can make a rest for a pair of notched rod rests to allow you to have close supports on each side of the guide that you are wrapping like this:
[www.rodbuilding.org]

Same base, just one more notched blank in an additional hole drilled in the base. When, I built this, I drilled about a dozen holes spaced an inch apart so one can easily adjust the distance between the rod blank supports.

I like that set up Roger. I would have liked that when I was doing mine.

Maybe glue the guide in place and use a fly tying bobbin to wrap them on..

Did a few ice rods over the years. Nothing as light as a noodle, but still light enough that it was pain to wrap due to all the flex. I stiffened the blank up with some thin aluminum rod. I used two pieces. Cut them to whatever length I needed to run the length of the blank. Taped them fore and aft of the guide I was wrapping. Leaving a gap just wide enough for the area that i was going to wrap. It turned a little funky but was way easier than dealing with all the flex.

Hi Ben, The bobbin is a good idea. On my smaller blanks or closer to the tip of the blanks I have used small elastics that girls use on their hair. I think that's what the elastics are for because they are that Goody brand. Some of the elastics are only 1/4" ID. I overlap the elastic multiple times at one end of the blank and then as It is rolled down to the desired spot, the elastic actually tightens. I can place the guide foot under the elastic and then I get a very small amt. of head cement, tip the guide ring back bringing the foot up and place a small dab of cement on the under side of the foot. Let it dry and the wrap goes very easily with no movement. That still doesn't fish the softness of the blank...especially on a noodle. Roger showed a cool set up to help with that issue.

roger wilson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Copy Todd's comments.
> A premade eva or cork grip to use as a tennessee
> style grip. i.e. simply tape the small reel to
> the grip.
>
> Depending on the length of the rod, 3-4 guides at
> 50 cents each.
>
> Note: Here is a little accessory that one can use
> to assist when working with the tip section of a
> noodle tipped rod:
>
> Just make one of these:
>
> [www.rodbuilding.org]
> p/photo/8278/title/ice-rod-drying-7-double-pole-st
> and/cat/500
>
> The rod rest is simply a piece of ice rod blank.
> I use a dremel tool with an abrasive cut off wheel
> to cut a notch into the end of the blank that is
> as wide as the width of the rod blank that you
> wish to support.
> The base is just a piece of cutting board, but you
> can use anything. Drill a correctly sized hole in
> the material and poke the notched blank into the
> hole. Trim the length of the blank so that the
> rod, when it is resting in the notch - sit level
> with the rest of the rod blank.
> Because there is not a down wheel on top of the
> rod, you will need to do your wrapping from below
> the rod, to avoid pulling the rod out of the rest.
>
>
> But, by using a rod rest like this, you can
> eliminate all of the bend that goes on with a very
> thin noodle ice rod tip when wrapping the tip
> section of the rod.
>
> If you like, you can make a rest for a pair of
> notched rod rests to allow you to have close
> supports on each side of the guide that you are
> wrapping like this:
> [www.rodbuilding.org]
> p/photo/8277/title/ice-rod-drying-6-double-pole-st
> and/cat/500
>
> Same base, just one more notched blank in an
> additional hole drilled in the base. When, I
> built this, I drilled about a dozen holes spaced
> an inch apart so one can easily adjust the
> distance between the rod blank supports.

That's a great idea, Roger, thanks.

I was going to offer similar thoughts. Buy some cork handles off the @#$%& site. Mudhole, Jann's Netcraft, and a few others sell components or buy a cheap rod on sale and salvage the guides. Tape the reel on rather than using a reel seat. Wrapping is easy but putting the epoxy finish can be a little tricky. Watch a few videos on youtube. Good luck.