You can take photos of the components and offer them for sale as a vintage lot. OR Donate them to some newbies for practice, OR If they don't take up much room keep them, some one may want a old rod repaired or restored and you may have what he needs. OR you can hoard them because they are neat and let your heirs deal with them after you go to the "BIG POND" in the sky. Hav
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Mark B Thanks for the link, many years ago I was given a small block of that stuff and I used it on a lot of tips, it works great had no issues with it. I think it is one step above the average hot melt. It has been a while since I have used it because I now prefer to use epoxy, it is an easier process for me. Have fun John
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If there are no splits or signs of rot (soft spots) I would use it. May be a ring test would work on wood. Hang the handle from a string and tap it with a metal rod or small hammer, if it sounds solid it is fine. Or try holding one end and tapping the other end on a hard surface to see if it feels solid. Last thought, if it lasted this long without issues I would not hesitate to use it.
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The early ceramic guide rings got a bad reputation for easily cracking or chipping with normal handling A plastic ring was developed to be a insulator (buffer) between the ceramic ring and the guide frame to minimize damage from rough handling or bumping. At that time the marketeers took advantage of this and called it a "shock" ring and promoted it as a new innovated feature. To
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Ah....... the winding check, they add nothing to the structural integrity of the rod, BUT cosmetically they can add to the beauty of the rod also, hide blemishes, gaps or other mistakes. I prefer winding checks over epoxy ramps. Have fun
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With a minimum amount of care the cork will last many generations. Use them with pride. Have fun
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Michael The difference between the weight of tape and foam or graphite arbors doesn't concern me because I really can't tell the difference. I use a full length Fuji graphite arbor. I get the next size up and machine the arbor so it's a snug fit in the reel seat. This result is 100% contact and a minimum bond line. I have no issues with tape arbors they work well and do not discourag
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I am not a fan of any type of clamp to hold the blank, there is a possibility that the blank can be crushed or cracked by over tightening (my fear). I wrap masking tape where I will make my cut. I lay the blank on my bench, grasp the blank with my left hand, with my right hand I have a Dremel with a cut off wheel. I carefully make small light cuts along the tape line while slowly turning th
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My opinion is to use the rod as is, from your description the line rubs when you are "dead lifting". When dead lifting the relative movement or "rubbing" of the line on the blank is insignificant. I doubt if it would even dull the finish. How long have you been using the rod, does it show any signs of abrasion. My guess you will get tired or lose interest in the rod long b
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I vote for do over, After 4 days and still sticky sends a grim message. Adding more finish just adds more bulk to the wrap and is a band aid fix. The added work to re-do it will be well rewarded. Have fun
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Check out McMaster-Carr, they have all sizes of O-rings (round and square) including metric sizes. Have fun
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Once the guide spacing is determined regardless of what method is used, I to a test casting. Before the final wrap, the guides and tip are attached using tape. I mount the reel with line and lure and I take it to the water and fish with it. If I am not satisfied how it casts or handles I make a few adjustments of the guides until satisfied with the way it feels. I record the final position of
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My impression is WOW great job! The finish will take the shape of the form and sleeve. Unless the form and the sleeve are perfectly round and symmetrical the light refraction through the finish will vary. Even if you sand the OD of the grip totally smooth the finish thickness will change because of variance of the form and sleeve, causing the light reflection to inconsistent. Some tim
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Patrick IMO there is no standard way for assembling fishing rod components. Lots of time things get assembled by "The mother of necessity" way. In short, do whatever will work. Depending on the ID of the blank a tape arbor will work if the gap is not too large, or make an arbor from some scrap rod pieces, if you are lucky you will find one with a close taper. Also, if you ca
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IMO, the only reason for a winding check other than eye appeal would be to cover up a blemish, defect or gap. Have fun
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When the manufacturers reveal the next generation item, what do you expect them to say. "Here it is gang!. It may look the same but it's better, trust me !" It's just a matter of how gullible they think we are. I adapt to the rod I using and enjoy my time on the water. Have fun
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Some vendors call them burl cork.
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Each manufacturer has their formulation, I would stick to the brands that are endorsed by the rod manufacturer and crafters. I use epoxy and never worry about the integrity of the bond.
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Did the tape only pull off the PG or did the tape pull off the PG and part of the original blank finish. If part of the finish came off with the PG, the bond suffered a substrate failure. The fix would be to inspect and remove any questionable finish as part of the surface prep process and follow the directions of the manufacturer. Have fun
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If you have a lathe or drill, think about this; Before you start make sure you fit the reel you plan to use before deciding on the final length. Cut the seat with a fine blade hobby saw close to the final length. Make an arbor from a wood dowel, slip the arbor in the reel seat with the end of the arbor recessed from the end the seat. Chuck the arbor assembly in the drill or lathe.;
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Kelly Once the guides are wrapped they should stay intact unless disturbed by rough handling. If you store the rods in a dry, dust free place and keep handling to a minimum, you will have no problem. I would consider placing the rods in a tube or plastic sleeve to protect them from contamination or occasional handling. Before you get ready to apply the finish, inspect the wraps for d
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Bass wood and white pine are among the lightest woods and should make into durable grips. If you ask about a finish consider Boiled linseed oil, Tongue oil.or even Spar varnish, however, there are many more finishes available. Have fun John
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RIGHT ON, ROGER! Josh, chop away! BECAUSE....... 1) It works out and you have a rod you are happy with. 2) It does not work out But now you know what to do (experience) for the next build. 3) AND MOST IMPORTANT! You get to go fishing. Have fun
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If you are in doubt about the tunnels being filled you can use the Alcohol Torch Bottle to the wrap, if there is any air or voids under the tunnel the heat will blow a bubble or pop the finish and show a void. To poke finish into the void I take a wood Q-tip bend it in half until it snaps, If I get lucky it breaks into a sharp splinter and makes it easy to fill the tunnel. Have fun
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I think a guess of .020" thickness of epoxy is way too conservative, if that much adhesive is needed I suspect that the arbor will have a very sloppy fit in the reel seat. I size the arbor to a snug fit in the reel seat which my guess would result in a glue line less than .002 inches which makes the weight of the adhesive minuscule. That being said. Hairs are being split. Have fun
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Here is how it worked out for me. When my grand daughter was 7, I made a 4.5 ft spinning rod from a 6 ft light action blank. She was proficient in a few weeks. She is now 12 and since then has graduated to a 7 ft medium action for largemouth bass. You are wasting time, cut the blanks, make the rods and get them into the hands of the kids. The kids that want to pursue the sport over tim
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Do all the guides have this issue or only the guide in the photo? The guide in the photo looks very long and may be the problem. Consider the guide to be a fixed end cantilever beam. When a force is applied to the free end, the maximum stress is concentrated at the fixed end of the beam. The stress at the bend of a long guide may be high enough to distort the adhesive and crack it. Herb'
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Two thoughts... 1) make sure the rod is centered in the chuck, If for any reason (cleaning)you removed the chuck jaws and did not put them back in the right chuck grooves which can make the rod run off center.. 2). You may be running the wrapper too fast and the butt guide may cause a unbalance and severe wobble. When I am turning fast I tape a equivalent spare guide 180 degrees to balance
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Cut it, the children will have a ball, they are oblivious to things like action, stiffness, resonant frequency, Titanium, carbon fiber and all the other things that give the serious builder, stress, heart burn and nightmares. All they are interested is in fishing and having fun. If you dress it up with their name and some other personal touch you will be a rock star. Have fun .
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For me heat is not an option, it's easy for me to apply too much heat and damage the blank. I use a Dremel with a cutoff wheel, I make two parallel cuts along the tube 180 degrees apart. I make short shallow passes along the tube until I think I am going to break thru to the blank, then I use a screwdriver to pry the tube apart. Have fun
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