Ok, I am just going to go for it. I have an 8-1/2’ blank that should be about a 6wt. I have reel seats, I have piles of cork, I have guides.

What do I need to not do wrong first?

Fitting the reel seat, should I use masking tape, cork, foam? What works, what’s necessary, and what do the cool kids use?

Without seeing what you got, hard to tell. If you use tape arbors it is important that it be a good quality light tan tape, NOT the blue stuff that has the wrong adhesive for our needs. You than have to completely encapsulate the tape in epoxy to make it waterproof, massive amounts of epoxy not necessary, just seal it up good. you than have to pick your favorite style grip, not what you see in catalogs, what you like, there are no rules here, your choice. Not sure, going to a fly shop and handling and swinging a few rods can help, worry about the shape not what it's on.

“What do I need to not do wrong first?“

Don’t overlook the importance of understanding the functionality of each component. Reel seat - weight, uplocking or downlocking. Grip - length and comfort. Guides - sizing, number and importance of placement. No individual here can rattle off answers for this particular build. But as you develop understanding of the impacts of your components, the answers will come to you.

Jason,
IMO - it's important that you get the seat concentric with the blank so your grip fits properly.
Using masking tape will accomplish that - however, it does not make for the best build.
Best to use hard foam arbors to fit the reel seat you have chosen.

The secret to reaming foam arbors is simple Integral Calculus.

My system entails first epoxying the arbor to the blank - then the seat to the arbor already cured on the blank. NOT the other way around.
If you want me to walk you through th procedure - email me at hladen@hotmail.com
Herb



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/2023 05:18PM by Herb Ladenheim.

Going by the blanks I'd say a new blank might be first on the list. Otherwise keep it cheap on parts and consider it just practice for the real deal.

Sorry if that sounded snarky. It is just that your labor/parts/etc.are the same cost on a good blank as a poor blank........and blanks have come a long ways.....so why not get your money's worth on the finished rod?

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Some years ago there was an antique tackle dealer at the Expo. He had a 1972 Browning Silaflex 7'6" 5-wt fly rod, new. As a kid I coveted a Silaflex but as a kid, I didn't have the money for much and certainly not one of the premium rods of the day. So I bought the one at the Expo. Last year I strung it up and took it for a spin. I expected it to be very poor compared to the fly rods I've bought, built and owned over the past 50 years. But it was actually pretty good. I could take it fishing and not feel at all handicapped. Some of these old, good, blanks may surprise you.

......................

Russell Brunt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Going by the blanks I'd say a new blank might be
> first on the list. Otherwise keep it cheap on
> parts and consider it just practice for the real
> deal.
>
> Sorry if that sounded snarky. It is just that
> your labor/parts/etc.are the same cost on a good
> blank as a poor blank........and blanks have come
> a long ways.....so why not get your money's worth
> on the finished rod?

YES!!!
Herb

All the parts I have are free and I consider my time free as well. I don’t expect my first attempt to really come out ok so why spend any money on it?

Herb I appreciate the offer but I have a hard time spelling calculus. Of course you bring up an excellent point about how to make a cylinder around a cone with a common axis….

For fitting the reel seat everything you mentioned works. If your reel seat fits close to the blank, not a lot of space, then masking tape if it is only once or twice around. If it is larger than a few wraps of masking tape then go with drywall fiberglass tape cut into 1/2" strips, make 4 or 3 arbors with space in between them and not flush with the ends. You will be putting your 15 minute epoxy over and in between them and at the ends (do the same with masking tape and always be sure to seal both ends). If it is a large gap, use foam arbors. The cool kids like foam or graphite arbors. Dry fit everything before you apply the epoxy. I would not use cork for an arbor.

First, look at some of the many fine videos on rod making on YouTube and follow them step by step. MudHole and many videos. And while not s sponsor of this forum, Proof Fly Fishing has really good step by step videos. There are a ton out there:
:
Questions:

Do you know the brand or model of blank you have?
Is it 2 piece or 4 piece?
If you know the brand or model, you can look up the recommended guide placements. If not you can go off a sheet recommending guides for 8.5 ft. rods?
Are you sure it is a 6 wt? You could use the Common Cents method to determine the rods true weight if you like?
Do you have a stripper guide? You will need one in size 12.
What type or size are the guides you have?
Do you have a tip top?
You will need regular epoxy to glue on cork grip and the reel seat; rod thread epoxy to finish the threads; thread to wrap and hold down the guides; masking tape to place and hold down the guides until wrapped; numerous sharp razor blades; sever low cost small paint brushes for the thread epoxy; color preserver if you do not use thread with it already applied; a box with v notches cut into it to hold and rotate the blank sections; several large books to stack to run the thread through for tension
You will first need to form (if not pre formed) your grip and it should be 6.5 or 7 inches in length
You will need to ream out the inner part of the grip to slide down the blank to fit in the proper location which you will determine by the size of the reel seat
If you use an uplocking reel seat you will need to hollow out an inlet area in the bottom of the cork grip, which requires great care
You will then prefit (dry fit) the grip and reel seat on the rod so that the end of the reel seat overlaps the the rod butt just enough to put on the end cap
You will first epoxy on the reel seat. Hopefully you ream it so the fit is pretty snug. If there are loose areas put a few wraps of 1/8 or 1/4 inch masking tape in those areas to keep the fit solid. Due to the taper of the rod you best need a reamer or rat tail file so that the front end of the grip hole is smaller in diameter than the rear end. It is best to have the front end fit as snug as possible.
After that is dry you will glue on the reel seat
If it has a wood spacer you need to ream out the inner hollow area to be able to fit on the blank
If it is a metal reel seat and there is a large gap between the metal and the blank you will need to fill the spot in 2 or 3 areas with 1/4" wraps of masking tape or sand down a foam arbor
Once the real seat slides on snugly, but not too tight, you epoxy it to the blank. If uplocking you will need to ensure the uplocking section fits perfectly in tot the grip inlet, and put a small amount of epoxy in the inlet. After the reel seat dries, then epoxy on the end cap. Before putting on the end cap you will need to ensure you put on and have oriented in the proper direction the reel seat locking nut(s) and rear rod foot holder.

See videos on above and especially on guides and wrapping and thread epoxy, which is a very different than the normal epoxy used to affix grip and reel seat.

Thanks David! That’s a lot of questions, I’ll answer the easy ones and take the rest as awesome suggestions. It’s a one piece blank. No idea what it way so I did do the common cent’s measurements and it’s a 6-ish. I’m less worried about it because I’m not sure it will ever get used but it’s perfect to practice building. I ordered a set of guides that started with a 12.

I’ve watched/watching a lot of you tube.

I 3d printed a roller stand :-).

I have lots of old rod building supplies. I have enough epoxy to build a boat (which I am doing also).

I started on the handle. I’m sure nobody else has ever gotten confused and sanded the contours on the wrong end of the grip…. :-|

Thanks.

Use whatever vintage of components you desire, but absolutely expect your first build to come out well. There is no reason a first time builder can’t succeed in building an attractive and well functioning rod. I’ve only seen one first time build be problematic, and that was because of silicone fish eyes.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/10/2023 03:34AM by Kendall Cikanek.

Don't be surprised that the 1st is better than you think and becomes one of your favorites. I have built a bunch of salmon and steelhead fly rods for Ontario and Erie. My 1st rod was a st. croix 6wt impala that I now use for throwing top water poppers for pond bass from the yak. Grips could be better and as a whole I surprised myself!

For first build, make it a good one by:

Taking your time
Measure everything two or three times
Grind your guide feet to ensure a smooth thread transition
If the thread wrap doesn't come out well, take the time redo it
Don's overapply either bonding epoxy or, even more important, thread epoxy

Dry-fit everything first and test it out before applying any glue. Tape works great.

Herb Ladenheim Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jason,
> IMO - it's important that you get the seat
> concentric with the blank so your grip fits
> properly.
> Using masking tape will accomplish that - however,
> it does not make for the best build.
> Best to use hard foam arbors to fit the reel seat
> you have chosen.
>
> The secret to reaming foam arbors is simple
> Integral Calculus.
>
> My system entails first epoxying the arbor to the
> blank - then the seat to the arbor already cured
> on the blank. NOT the other way around.
> If you want me to walk you through th procedure -
> email me at hladen@hotmail.com
> Herb

I agree, I haven't been building very long but I didn't like the sound of using masking tape for arbors. I used foam since the first rod.