Hello all. I am about to re-wrap a Kencor Magnaglas 13-3 surf rod, and would like some advice on what might be a good way to do this (number of guides, types of guides, maybe some thoughts from people who may know this blank) This is for a conventional reel, maybe a Penn 4/0, maybe some lighter reels like a Diawa Millionaire , not sure yet. I am thinking that I need to go cast this th
Forum: rodboard

WIll definitely be aware of the i.d of the tip top. Any burrs will be removed. Thank you.
Forum: rodboard

If it needs any further gloss, try a disc of 1000 grit 3M Trizact.
Forum: rodboard

Composite envisions has decent prices on braided sleeve, also. Thanks for the link. I am not really bothered by the price of the foam core sold by CFX, it is the fact that they do not have a small diameter core for fly rods, nor do they have 1.5" diameter for bigger rods. 1.15" is kinda 'limp'. For the fly rod grips, I do not like the larger 3/8" i.d. for small
Forum: rodboard

Anglers Envy sells individual sheets of the Flex Pearl. (the other version made by Aqua Blue)
Forum: rodboard

Turns out that the size 16 'K' guide is too short for this layout. I think the LC 16M surf guide will do the trick. I went back and forth about the reel seat, and opted for the Alps. This rod will be great in Florida, also, and the Alps seat gives a little added height, as neither of the reels that are going on this are particularly tall. I had not thought about the cold factor of the A
Forum: rodboard

Turns out that the size 16 'K' guide is too short for this layout. I think the LC 16M surf guide will do the trick. I went back and forth about the reel seat, and opted for the Alps. This rod will be great in Florida, also, and the Alps seat gives a little added height, as neither of the reels that are going on this are particularly tall. I had not thought about the cold factor of the A
Forum: rodboard

Not sure how it is with shell laminates, yet... but, when bending hard woods like Cocobolo, other Rosewoods, highly figured Koa, Mahogany, etc, at 1.8mm thick, a lot of heat is required. The bend is from the inside of the radius compressing, not the outside of the radius stretching. I wonder how it is with the laminate? When I started bending wood, I used a heat gun, and heated from the o
Forum: rodboard

What length are you looking for?
Forum: rodboard

I want to incorporate a shell laminate in a project, and am wondering what the best laminate product is? I have done inlay work on instruments with real shell, and 'processed' products. Some of it does not look natural. I am looking for a good natural look, and something that is bendable. I am very familiar with bending wood on a bending iron, so I might pick up bending laminate wit
Forum: rodboard

Thank you Grant. I visited a friend today who makes grips, he is making some 1.5" blanks for me. Cheers!
Forum: rodboard

Yep, the foam is important. Cork is a good damping material. And it is heavier.
Forum: rodboard

Perfect. Thank you.
Forum: rodboard

Cork is entirely different than foam. I do not want a cork core. I have shaped cork, and foam, and fish both.
Forum: rodboard

1.1" and 1.20", respectively.
Forum: rodboard

An older thread, but for the people who are cursed to fish in kayaks, I will share my biased opinions. I like the rods to be 7' or shorter. 7' is the length where I can not have to let go or re-position the reel hand, and with the other hand clear any line or what not that tangles at the tip. When landing big fish, long rods make it difficult to bring the fish to the net, as someone
Forum: rodboard

An older thread, but for the people who are cursed to fish in kayaks, I will share my biased opinions. I like the rods to be 7' or shorter. 7' is the length where I can not have to let go or re-position the reel hand, and with the other hand clear any line or what not that tangles at the tip. When landing big fish, long rods make it difficult to bring the fish to the net, as someone
Forum: rodboard

An older thread, but for the people who are cursed to fish in kayaks, I will share my biased opinions. I like the rods to be 7' or shorter. 7' is the length where I can not have to let go or re-position the reel hand, and with the other hand clear any line or what not that tangles at the tip. When landing big fish, long rods make it difficult to bring the fish to the net, as someone
Forum: rodboard

Thinking of using an Alps Centra Lock reel seat on a current rod build. Does anyone know the o.d. of this reel seat at the widest part? This is a size 22 Centra Lock I am thinking about. I do not yet have the seat, and the measurements are not on the Alps website, or anywhere else I looked. I am concerned about the seat being too bulky. Thanks, in advance.
Forum: rodboard

That sounds like a cool rod. I was thinking of a taller frame 16, but I do not see any available in Titanium. I built a Super Seeker pier rod, do not recall exactly which blank, but it is rated at 20-50, it has a 16 stripper guide and 10's for the rest. It is spiral wrapped, using the American Tackle 'heavy 'Virtus' guides. I think the stripper is about 26" from the reel. Tha
Forum: rodboard

I have seen PVC pipe used to house the RTV silicone mold, and PVC caps on each end, to center the mandrels. I would think that a sanded dowel covered in mold release would work for making the mold inside this system.. With care, the mandrel hole could be centered pretty well. There a lot of details I am missing, but could be figured out without too much difficulty, I think. What is a goo
Forum: rodboard

I need a foam core for a grip which will be covered in a CF tubular weave. Needs to be 1.5" o.d. i.d. not as important, but will be over .5" when finished. Needs to be 10" - 12" long. Any sources? Anyone here want to sell one to me? Lightweight but strong for the foam. Cheers!
Forum: rodboard

Another possible solution is to make a small extension for the tip. Right now, the size 8 tip top will slide onto the blank about .3". I could carefully make a 'splint' that epoxies into the hole in the blank at the tip, and extend the tip of the blank somehow.
Forum: rodboard

Hey all.. I am building a rod now, for myself, for kayak fishing. I have grown fond of the 7' length, or less, for kayak fishing, and for trolling off the yak, and especially fond of the old S-glass blanks, like Sabre and Kencor. I like being able to clear the tip without having to put the rod down, and the S-glass blanks feel great, almost indestructible, not too noodly. (Is that a wor
Forum: rodboard

None of these are made with a 1/4" bore, that I can see. I was hoping for a nice fit with the blank. Should I just shim it and use the larger bore foam? And for this rod, I want a light grip. Is there no one here making cores like this?
Forum: rodboard

Hi All. I am looking for a source for foam cores for fly rod grips, to be covered in a carbon fiber mesh. I need them for a 1/4" mandrel. I have made a couple of these grips and really like them. One of them finished in an automotive urethane, and the other finished in an automotive 'soft touch' clear. This is for my own personal building, not for commercial use.
Forum: rodboard

This is all good... thank you.. This is a weird blank. At first I thought that I did not like it, that it was a mistake. I wanted a longer rod for lightweight flies. As I mentioned, this blank feels like an 8wt, except for it's action. It is massive 0.390" at the butt, and maybe it is lightweight for it's size. I was told by someone at Winston, that this rod likes a he
Forum: rodboard

Absolutely yes on the full wells. I am making one from foam and carbon fiber. It is on the spinner, wet with epoxy right now. After is is all dead flat, it will be finished in a clear, velvet feeling industrial finish that feels like cork, but lays out like a fine 'hot rod' flat, only it is tough as nails. It does not even scuff with abrasion from metal. After fishing the c
Forum: rodboard

One of my casting rods has a much greater than usual number of guides, and they are all micro sized. It casts like a rocket.
Forum: rodboard

It was recently suggested to me, to build this next rod with 14 guides, rather than 11, for a 10' 4wt rod. I was told that the line will move more freely in and out of the guides. (better casting) I trust the source. Any thoughts on this? Another consideration is weight, as I mentioned in a different thread, this rod is big, and will be somewhat tip heavy.
Forum: rodboard