I just replaced axles, springs and brakes with the help of www.championtrailers.com They are very knowledgable and their web site has easy to understand instructions for fixing or replacing amost every trailer problem. One word of caution with bearing buddies-you only insert enough grease to have the spring plate rock slightly. Force fill it and the back seal will blow out. Joe Milligan Se
Forum: rodboard

He could sign it in chaulk or pencil and according to the can of Fixatiff, it will be protected. Joe Milligan Seattle
Forum: rodboard

Previous posts over the years have suggested applying the epoxy and on the areas that do not turn out as smooth as desired, wet a coffee filter with alcohol and hold it as a straight edge up against the uneven area. Turn the rod and the edge will clean up straight. It has worked for me and I hand turn. Joe Milligan
Forum: rodboard

I bought a can at Joanne's. It works great for protecting gel lettering. It is Krylon Workable Fixatiff 1306 Joe Milligan Seattle
Forum: rodboard

I built a 7" one piece Halibut rod on a blank that was very fast. The butt was very stiff and my 1st 2 guides ended up 14" apart. I put the bumper at 7" and the rod works great. Joe Milligan Seattle
Forum: rodboard

I know Tom K answered this before but I can not find it with a search. What brand of polish do you put on a rod after it is finished?
Forum: rodboard

If I chose not to underwrap the guides on a halibut rod and prepared the guide feet properly, would there be some benefit to adding a thin coat of epoxy on the blank where the underwrap would normally go and then wrapping the guide on top of that epoxy barrier? The guys are tough on equipment on my boat and I would like a durable product without the underwrap. Joe Milligan Seattle
Forum: rodboard

I do a lot of Salmon downrigger fishing in the Straights off Sooke, Port Renfrew, Nitinat, Port Angeles and have built several rods off various length blanks and my favorite above all is the Rainshadow DR1147. It is durable yet responsive. It is also not so long as to be a problem on the boat with several fishermen. Several sponsers sell it at less than the listed price. DR1147F Olv.Grn. /
Forum: rodboard

Shows the book in stock at $34 delivered. I did not check to verify but it did add to the cart when clicked. Joe Milligan
Forum: rodboard

I have built a few Halibut rods for use off British Columbia and the guides say that the spiral wrapped rods are the only ones the customer wants to use after one fish. Our fish are typically less than 100#. Some of the charters also have a welded rod holder and use slick butt rear grips and allow the customer to leave the rod in the holder to reel the fish up. One charter has asked me to bui
Forum: rodboard

Ken, you are correct it is the sleeve. He doesn't want a gimbel so I will just try to find a smaller straight butt cap. I was hoping someone had figured a way to plug the end of the sleeve flush with the sleeve. Thanks for replying. Joe
Forum: rodboard

A friend wants me to build a Halibut rod for him with a Slick Butt grip but without a Butt Cap. He wants to be able to quickly pull the rod out of a rod holder without having a rubber cap hang up. Has anyone made a flush plug and just inserted it with rod bond, or does a vendor have a flush solution? Joe Milligan Seattle
Forum: rodboard

I recently built a spiral wrapped rod for a guide in British Columbia as a gift. It was a Forecast SWB70H. I used Ralph's method. The guide thanked me and said it was really nice but that he wished that all guides were on top. I asked him to try it and he said sometime he would. He ended up breaking a rod on a charter trip and decided to use mine. They were fishing in 250' of water for Hali
Forum: rodboard

Here is the Post. You can follow the entire discussion by searching for Andy Dear and going to this date. Joe Milligan Posted by: Andy Dear (---.dsl.snantx.swbell.net) Date: December 23, 2004 02:03PM Hey guys, Last week I was finishing two rods for christmas orders, and without even thinking I found myself doing something I had never done before to help get a PERFECT straight edg
Forum: rodboard

When using aluminum reel seats, such as Pacific Bay Channel Lock, in salt water, do you lubricate the threads to keep them from seizing? If so what with? Joe Milligan Seattle
Forum: rodboard

I typically attach my grips and reel seat with rod bond and then the tip top with 5 minute epoxy. What are you guys using to attach the tip top so that you can do the static distribution test, set the guide locations, and then rotate the tip top and all other guides but the butt guide? Joe Milligan
Forum: rodboard

You should call Andy Snedden at Rodbuilders Supply - a sponsor to the left. He helped me with similar rods using the MR2 Islander Mooching reel. He fishes Vancouver Island and mooches and uses a downrigger. His prices are competitive and he is always there to answer your questions including guide choice and spacing recommendations. Joe Milligan Seattle
Forum: rodboard

From the man who knows the most about this product: Ralph O'Quinn in Rodmaker 5 #5 "One of the reasons that paste epoxies give many people trouble is that they mix them wrong. We never stir the paste epoxies in an open cup as we do with other liquids. Paste epoxies are ALWAYS measured out onto a flat surface. A small piece or cardboard works fine. ....take the spatula and sweep both po
Forum: rodboard

You or your customer will be much happier vertical jigging with a spiral wrapped rod. I consider it the only way to go with a convertional level wind reel. Joe Milligan Seattle
Forum: rodboard

Is there an easy way to color Rod Bond during mixing without affecting it's properties? If so what proportion of color works best? Joe Milligan
Forum: rodboard