Fascinating by the idea of the NFC XO Skeleton. I build rather basic rods just as a hobby and keep things relatively practical. Has anyone built with it and what were your thoughts?

-Is there an arbor inside the reel seat? I know that's the only area that contacts the blank, and I'm guessing there is a foam arbor in there to ream out to match your blank.

-Has anyone installed the blank through the reel seat and made a tape arbor near the butt cap, just as another point of contact, to keep the blank length accurate, or is it best to cut a few inches off the end of the blank? My thought is that you'd turn a 7' blank into a 7'6"-7'10" rod if you seat the butt of the blank into that reel seat, leaving the rest of the grip completely hollow.

I'm sure there are multiple ways to install, just wondering what I may get into if I drop $100 on the set-up.

Jason,

There is no arbor - they are hollow.

We recommend at least 3 inches as the length of blank to go into the grip. You can always go longer, but it’s not needed.

You can also use a graphite arbor, but tape works.

There’s a pretty lengthy discussion on a build - just use the search function of the forum.

Aleks

I completed a build not long ago, using the spinning version of the XO skeleton, and am in the process of building on the casting version of the XO skeleton. I love them, but ........ I am the one that has the pretty lengthy discussion on a build that Aleks is referencing. The discussion deals with my build using the spinning version of the XO skeleton, but after receiving the casting version, it applies to that version as well.

I'm going to link two different threads discussing the XO skeleton grip. I have some pictures linked in the threads as well, that show some things you'll want to be aware of. Despite what opinion you may form from reading the threads, I want to say that these grips are IMO, so sweet, that any extra things you may feel you need to do to use one, is well worth the effort. They really are that nice.

As far as the build I have going with the casting version of the XO skeleton, the blank I'm using will pass completely through the grip. In fact it is a perfect fit for passing through the grip. The way I handled anchoring the blank in the butt of the grip, is the same way I added a butt cap to the rear of the spinning version of the XO skeleton. I made a foam arbor to anchor the blank into. If the blank you use will pass completely through the grip, the install is a piece of cake.

Anyhow..... take a look at the threads I'm linking. And decide for yourself about how you'll use one. There is discussion from both sides of the fence.

But I will say again ........the XO skeletons are really sweet. And IMO any extra effort you may feel you need to put into using them, is well worth the effort.


[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/29/2024 07:43PM by David Baylor.

I am holding back 2 of those builds due to my thoughts on the need for a different type of shim. IMHO the tape will deaden the sensitivity.

Always looking for more.....

I'm building a casting rod using the XO skeleton casting grip, so I figured I'd post a picture of what kind of pieces I made and will be using to put the rod together with the grip.

The blank I'm using is an NFC MB 725 C6O2 X ray blank. That particular blank will pass all the way through the grip so it makes installation super easy, Here's the picture I took, with a description to follow, [www.rodbuilding.org]

The OD of the butt section of the blank is what I would consider perfect as it passes through the slender portion of the grip. It's snugish, but not too snug, and will allow me to put epoxy on that portion of the rod blank, before passing it through the grip. You can see in the picture the foam insert / arbor that I made to insert into the butt of the grip. It's a piece of the CFX foam cores that Mud Hole sells. Its' total length, including the tenon, is 2". The tenon itself is .75" and has an OD that matches the ID of the trim ring and butt cap visible in the picture.

The trim ring is an Alps TRB from Get Bit, in the dark titanium smoke color. I outlined what I need to do to the grip to get the TRB to match up with the grip, in a thread I did on using the spinning version of the XO skeleton. The butt cap is an ECC-22 that Mud Hole sells. The insert/ arbor is reamed to accept the butt of the blank, and will be epoxied to the blank and into the grip after I pass the blank through the grip.

I've already built a spinning rod using an XO skeleton grip, and on that build I built up masking tape arbors for where the blank passes through the thread barrel portion of the grip. I don't really like the idea of using masking tape for that kind of thing, but the clearance between the blank and inside of the thread barrel was such that I felt using anything other than masking tape, would have been a lot more difficult. The thickest tape arbor was only .030" thick. I didn't have that kind of small clearance problem with this casting rod build, so I decided to use a section of foam arbor for where the blank passes through the thread barrel. The arbor is an RSA-16 that Mud Hole sells. I had to sand the OD down a bit to get it to fit in the grip and to allow a little space for a good epoxy bond.

I used a 3/8" Flex Coat pilot bit, turning it by hand, to bore out the ID of the arbor. I tell ya, those pilot bits and reverse pilot bits that Flex Coat offers are IMO, indispensable. Using them can allow you to get the IDs of your grips and various components very close to the OD of the blank you may be using, and makes keeping things centered while reaming, extremely easy. They're definitely worth their cost.

I'll epoxy the small arbor into the thread barrel, and then ream it to allow the blank to pass through it. Coat the inside with epoxy and the outside of the blank with epoxy before passing the blank through. Once I have the blank in the grip I'll slide it into position and then coat the inside of the butt of the grip, the last 2" of the butt of the blank, and the outside of the insert / arbor, and slide it over the butt of the blank and into the grip. I'll let that all dry before I epoxy on the trim ring, butt cap, and the little EVA nub that will close off the end of the thread barrel. The nut / hood combination in the picture is a size 16 Forecast item. The separate lock ring is strictly an added bling kind of thing, and is an Alps item size 16, in the titanium chrome color. Both items are from Get Bit.

Last week I went out and fished the spinning rod I built using the XO skeleton grip. I loved it !!! The day started out chilly, and never got above 51 degrees. Even with kind of cold hands, the grip felt extremely sensitive, and didn't feel cold at all. And based on a top coated smooth carbon skinned grip I have on one of rods, it's not going to be overly hot in the summer. I like these grips so much, that I have another MB 725 C6O2 blank and I will be using an XO skeleton casting grip on that one as well.

So anyhow ...... that's what I got. Hopefully it helps those that may be considering one of these grips. They are insanely light when you consider it's a reel seat and full length rear grip. Total weight of everything in the picture, is 1.50 oz. For comparison, I substituted a split rear grip foam cored carbon fiber set up from CFX, and an Alps 13.5 mm MVT casting reel seat, in place of the actual XO skeleton grip. 1.40 oz. Only .1 oz difference in weight.

The XO skeleton grips are definitely sweet.

David, any chance you get the handle wet and it's slippery?

Dan,

Not answering for David, however, in my experience the Soft Touch finish on NFC grips is amazing - smooth and grippy like fine cork. Not slippery at all, wet or dry.

Dan, based on my experience with the carbon sleeved grip that I top coated so it is smooth, if you're talking about your hands just being wet with water, then it will not be slippery at all. Fish slime or any other oily type substance on your hands will of course make them slippery. But as long as you wipe that kind of thing off your hands and the rod grip before going back to fishing, you'll have no problems.

I don't have experience with the soft touch grips from NFC that Les mentions, so the XO skeleton grips may have the same finish. I will say this though, it is not a soft finish in that it doesn't feel at all like cork. It's smooth and hard ..... like a rod blank.

the XO Skeleton grips don't have the soft touch finish.