Building on the straightest axis doesn't take the spine of the blank into consideration at all. And as Aaron pointed out, there is really no reason to find out where the spine of the blank is. It's not going to affect casting performance or fish landing performance.

As others have said, the Fuji KR concept guide software for spinning rods is about as good and as easy as it gets when it comes to setting up a spinning rod guide train. The only glitch in it is that it recommends to few running guides. Follow Norman's suggestions to a tee and you will have a rod that casts better than any NRX or Destroyer could ever hope to.

As far as the length of the fore grip goes. If you're really concerned about it, you don't really need to use a fore grip. Personally I install all of my spinning reel seat as down locking. I then use a small .... I call it a nub, made out of EVA to cap the end of the thread barrel. I turn it down so that it matches the OD of the thread barrel. Doing so lets me trim the length of the thread barrel down so that when I put on or take off the reel, the reel seat nut will pass over the nub. I linked a picture to the set up I use in case it's something you think you might want to consider.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Got it! Thanks a lot for all the help.

as it stands: fuji vss with hidden thread hood, all in carbon fiber, possibly cut down cork foregrip, KL16H, KL8H, KL5.5M + 5 or 6 runners (fuji T2 black titanium)

anyone have an idea of possible rod weight with 1.1oz blank?

Ones again THANK YOU ALL!

Here is the NFC Soft Touch IPS 1K Grip with the KSKSS Hidden Hood and an AT G2 Uni-Lock ForeGrip
[imgur.com]

order is in NFCG644C0, NFCB001C01, NFCG602C01
will order cork vss grip from mudhole as well.
Thanks.

The titanium guide set will weigh about 4 grams or so. The VSS16 seat, arbors, and soft touch CF handle set similar to that shown above by Stan will weigh about 44 grams. So guides and grip will be about 50 grams or about 1.75 oz. This does not include the weight of thread or epoxy. The total weight of the completed rod will probably be a little over 3 oz, but less than 4 oz.
Norm

looks like I am going to use cork foregrip and trim it down to reel seat after all or use "nub" David came up with. somehow I am stuck on below 3oz build.

Good luck, I'm taking the over, but you might make it with care.

When making decisions regarding weight vs ergonomics I always go with ergonomics. It's easy to get a good ergonomic rod built at blank weight + 2 ounces, and for most rods that's going to work just fine. You get a lot of conflicting opinions on forums. One person you can trust is Norman Miller.

Regarding reel seat shims, rigid polyurethane shims are about as light as it gets and work perfectly. Don't skimp on epoxy. Most factory rod failures that I've seen are loose reel seats caused by skimping on epoxy.

Most beginners agonize over reel seat placement. Since seats vary in geometry, it's reel position that you are really talking about. Use the same reel position relative to the butt on your build as you have on a rod you have fished a lot with and like. If that dimension gets too long the rod butt can hang up on your elbow crook when going from low to high and vice versa.

Use the library on this forum for a lot of good info. Start here: [www.rodbuilding.org] Don't forget the ID of the reel seat. Easy to do with a piece of shotgun cleaning rod with a piece of ScotchBrite in the patch slot.

Dee,

I will be surprised if your rod ends up at more than 3.5oz without reel.

The regular NFC carbon fiber grips you are getting are lighter than the NFC soft touch CF grips. The total weight of your handle/reel seat setup will be about 34 grams. Therefore, guides plus grip plus arbor will be about 38 - 40 gm, or about 1.4 oz. Thread and finish will be somewhere between 1 to 2 gm. So you should be close to being at 3 oz to maybe slightly below for the completed rod. For your information, the IPS reel seat is about 3 gm lighter than the VSS16 reel seat.
Norm



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2022 09:47AM by Norman Miller.

A MB736 x-ray cut to 6'10" with soft touch splits, VSS16 with hidden thread and the aluminum trim CF nut assembly (for looks), same guide train but in CC Alconite guides weighed at 3.9oz The blank at full size is listed as 2oz.

This is what my estimate is based from with the lighter rod and lighter guides.

Norman,
I need to start being more precise and measuring everything. I think that is the next step in my rod building evolution. Thank you for your data. There is never a doubt when you share your inputs.

I am ordering cork vss foregrip as well. Will trim it down up to curves on reel seat and see if I can save weight vs NFC carbon fiber foregrip. Maybe trim down seat thread a bit as well. also decided to go with fuji torzite guides.
or may change set up to IPS all together. worst case scenario skeleton seat.

Aaron - I only weigh components when someone wants to know the weight and I have the components in question on hand. For the most part I don’t worry or even care much about weight, I just build to suit my preferences. I find that the rods I build are all sufficiently light enough and perform very well. A few grams here and there is not a big deal to me. If I hadn’t been asked I wouldn’t have known the soft touch grips are heavier than the regular CF grips, or the VSS16 seat is heavier than the IPS seat. These are things I don’t even think about until asked.

Norm

Dee - You will never be able to tell the difference in weight or performance of the rod by subtracting a few extra grams from your grip. The only thing you might do is to make the rod less comfortable to fish with. In my opinion, the weight of the grip is not as important to performance as is the weight in front of the grip.
Norm

agree... I also believe lighter rod will make it more sensitive. Most sensitivity is my priority follow by comfortability. I am hoping it'l be my go to Sheepshead rod... can't hook them up no matter what I do, I can't sleep well at this point. :)

As long as neither the handle nor the tip-top is loose a rod with the same input will cast to the same spot - any rod.

Dee,
Are you referring to saltwater, bottom fishing for Sheepshead?

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

yes.., shore, pass, bridge, jetty.

Dee,
While the Sheepshead on the East coast are visually different from those out here on the left coast, I do not know if their feeding habits are different as well. In SoCal, simply put a frozen shrimp on a 2 - 2.0 hook with enough weight to hold bottom, wait for a tug, and then simply reel them up. For a rod of this sort, I do not understand the obsession with the lightest weight. I often use an old FG Conolon built as a Calico / Yellowtail rod which weighs 11oz; my dedicated bottom rods are heavier than that.
There are those who consider SH fine cuisine but I find it rather mushy and flavorless. But the black and bright red males out here do look rather stunning compared to the striped versions elsewhere.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

I was referring to Gulf Coast Sheepshead. I find it difficult to catch.