What do you do to inspect/ stress test your blank to discover any defects before building? I’ll do static deflection tests for my guides but don’t usually go too much past the “enough weight to deflect 1/3 of rod length”.

Inspect, I just look it over really well. Of late, I have started to check the dimensions of the blank I received versus the published dimensions the blank is said to be. Other than that, not much on the inspection side.

As far as stress test of the blank is concerned, I put far more of a bend in it than CCS standards for a loaded rod. I'll do that several times and bounce it while it's bent as well. I figure if it doesn't break when I do my stress tests, then if it breaks sometime down the road, that it broke because of something I did.

David Baylor Wrote:
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> Inspect, I just look it over really well. Of late,
> I have started to check the dimensions of the
> blank I received versus the published dimensions
> the blank is said to be. Other than that, not much
> on the inspection side.
>
> As far as stress test of the blank is concerned, I
> put far more of a bend in it than CCS standards
> for a loaded rod. I'll do that several times and
> bounce it while it's bent as well. I figure if it
> doesn't break when I do my stress tests, then if
> it breaks sometime down the road, that it broke
> because of something I did.

Same

Darwin,
Although I had been fishing for more than 50 years, it wasn’t until starting to build rods that I learned, on this site, that “BASICALLY” no blank should be bent more than 90* OVER ITS ENTIRE LENGTH = held at the butt and the tip deflected 90*, NOT held midpoint and the tip deflected. It makes good sense and I have practiced and preached it since.
It is certainly a good idea for any rod builder to stress test a blank before starting the build process for at least two reasons; 1.) defects will be detected before wasting the time, money and components to build it, and 2.) If a customer returns the rod broken, an honest defense can be made that the blank had been stress tested = user error.
I simply put the butt of the blank in the corner of a wall and floor, the tip in the palm of my hand, and then deflect the tip approximately 100*, a bit more than 90*. I will do this at numerous points around the blank, at least 10 times.
I am curious as to what others do.

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

I just give the blank a visual once over and a couple 90 degree bends. Then, once I get the grip and reel seat on, it’ll get another 90 degree bend or two for static tests.

Thanks for the input everyone! Sounds like most at least start with 90 degree but not necessarily ccs standard load.


I’ll try the same on my deflection board jig

I’m starting to buy more blanks than I can build for the year and want to at least test them when I receive them.

I set up a 7 foot light spin rod with 7 guides by eye (took a guess) and the butt guide positioned a third the distance of the middle of the reel seat to the tip

& just put it under a workable load (half way from a static test to hooking a big fish you could say) with the bail arm line roller out the furthest to see how it looks, Then turned the rod around to see how it looks (in a reverse arc overhead style)
No line touching the blank


All looked good untill I took it for a test cast and found I could move the butt guide up about an Inch coz it's a med/fast action blank, had to eliminated one guide, and repositioned them all

Continued test casting, no line slap anywhere, and got excellent casting distance, took it home for another stress distribution test and found 6 guides was perfectly adequate after making some adjustments so the line was about the same distance apart from the blank between the smallest guides

That's what I do with every spin rod really, except I start with 6 guides, I guessed with this rod it might need more, I guessed wrong.

The least amount guides fitted as possible (just to meet a stress distribution test) means less friction and with no line slap means you'll get maximum casting distance.
& With the correct amount of guides for a given blank, it'll be sensitive enough and have good fish fighting ability.


(hmm, can't post pics?!)

As I only build fly rods, most of my builds are 4piece.

I assemble the pieces, checking the ferrule fits, then bend the blank 90 degrees and while bent turn it so that it is stressed on all axis.

Most of my builds are for salt water. I like to fish relativity light tackle for the size of the fish. Therefore it is important for me to know when my line, knots, and rods will break. For offshore and bottom fishing rods, I want my knots/line to be the weak link. Once that value is determined I know what pound my blank will be tested to. And to make it harder on the blank, I'll have the blank in a rod hold about 30 degrees above horizontal (so more like a 120 degree total bend). I'll attach a rope to tip and tie a 5 gallon bucket to and gradually add water until I get to that value. I'll stop if I hear any undue signs of stress. I have never had a name brand salt water blank fail to dead lift the line class I would choose to use it for.

For inshore/finesse/fresh water I'll typically test to about 1/2 of the line/knots actual breaking point. Just to be clear, I'm not the type to put 50# braid on a fresh water bass rod rated 10-15#. I also spend time lifting known weights with a rod so I have developed a feel for just how hard I can push the line/knot/blank system. It pays dividends.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Manufacturers go to great lengths stress testing their blanks before they ship them out

I think one would be more concerned about buying a factory build rod, Who knows where it's been since the blank left the factory
Mass production process, transportation, it might got hit somewhere along the line, buying a factory produced rod one would stress test it at the shop before buying.


As for custom building a blank, you would build it accordingly within the manufacturers limits, line classes and casting weights

I see far too many fishos use much heavier line classes than what the rod's rated at.

Recipe for disaster



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2023 02:22AM by Josh Bryan.