I paint under wraps all the time particularly with gold or silver paint. It really makes the colors pop. Using the same theory, you could either paint the bottom half of the rod white and then paint under where the other guides go up the blank, so they are all wrapped over white. The easier way would be to tape the area under the butt wrap and the first guide before you paint the blank, then a
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I also use "A" thread on 12 wts. I've had no issues.
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My questions would be what type of rod are you building and why are you using "D" thread? Colorfast thread is harder to wrap with than plain nylon and using "D" thread is making it worse. Starting out, I would use plain nylon "A" thread. That is adequate for most applications and is a lot easier to work with. You can always coat with color preserver if you want t
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I agree with Phil, your supports are too far apart. If you can't move them, I would add an intermediate support of some kind to reduce the sag. I personally would not reduce thread tension unless there are no other options.
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Another suggestion on the fine line between the checkerboard and cork. I get the same effect between burl and cork by using rubber/cork gasket material I buy from the auto parts store.
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I clean my brushes in denatured alcohol, which I assume is what you are using. I clean them, dry them with a paper towel and then clean them again. Even doing the best job I can, I can only get about 3 to 4 uses out of them. That is why I use cheap brushes.
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This is why I use Prowrap, particularly on College or Pro team themed rods. I can look up the Pantone numbers on the team website and them match them to the Prowrap colors. Not always a perfect match, but close enough and a lot better than guessing.
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I don't use minis that often, but the ones I've used have slight bumps on the side that would hold the guide in place after it is wrapped and keep it from pulling out. I also run 3 to 4 wraps past the the post to aid in blocking a pull out. I personally don't think Forhan locks are necessary on minis. I do use them on regular A frame spinning guides which take a lot more stress. You also have
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Does anyone know what stainless steel is used in PacBay fly guides. The catalogue just says "stainless steel". My application is for saltwater and I typically use SS316 guides. The material is typically stated in all other guides, but not on PacBay. Are they SS304 or SS316?
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Thanks
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I tried to download the chart, but the link appears to be broken. Does anyone know where I can download the chart?
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Actually, I was being a little facetious. I realize that the solid titanium would have to have an alloys in order to be workable. I just wanted to call attention to the fact that there are "solid titanium" alloy guides available and not just the Ti coated guides.
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Phil Ewanicki Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I am not sure if there are any solid titanium > guide frames. I think they would be brutally > expensive. I have never had or even heard of a REC > nickel-titanium (ni-ti) guides corroding at all, > but fly rod ni-ti stripping guides are squeaky. > Most advertised "titanium" guides ar
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I only build 2 and 3 piece spinning rods and 4 piece fly rods. I don't think single piece rods are any better as far as action is concerned. Any difference is far outweighed by the ease of storage and travel.
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I use only titanium frame stripping guides for saltwater rods. Most recently I have been using Amtac Ringlock with titanium frames, but I have also used Batson Alps XN titanium guides. They are more expensive, but you are only using 1 or 2. They are also lighter and corrosion resistant.
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I remember a while back there was a big discussion of Fox Statler's argument that fly rods did not have enough guides. He advocated having as many as 17 guides on a 9 ft rod. Basically he indicated that the further the guides were apart, the more belly developed between the guides which caused the line to have more friction though guides. I tried it and it didn't really increase my distance th
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I use Birchwood-Casey Tru Oil gun stock finish on grips that include cork and burl, basically to bring out the grain and contrast. I see no reason to use it on an all cork grip. Cork has a soft, warm feel to it. Coating it with a finish just makes it hard and cold.
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I use dental floss threaders in fly tying and rod building. They work great, are cheap and easy to find.
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I don't ream out the rubberized section. I ream out the cork section to fit the butt of the blank down to the rubberized section then insert the butt section so that it goes into the cork section but butts up against the rubberized section. If you ream all the way through, you end up with a big hole to fill at the end.
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The Batson site has a forum for "rod recipes" for most of their blanks. Even if you are using a blank from another supplier, if you know how it compares to one of theirs, you can still use them as a guide.
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I use Speedball ink. It comes in a variety of colors plus gold and silver. It works better than paint and you can wash it off with water (before it dries). That way, if you make a mistake you can just wipe it off and start over. I've never had a problem using it with Speedball nibs.
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As long as you use a reel seat with a round insert you can butt it up against the grip and do a wrap on the exposed hood to match the guide wraps. I've done it a number of times and it looks great.
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My take on this is that in the past rod blanks were heavier and the reel was placed as far back as possible to balance the rod. With modern, very light graphite blanks, rods balance better with an uplocking reel seat, which puts the reel closer to the center of balance, I. e. the grip.
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I have built a number of rods for inshore fishing in the Tampa Bay area. My preference is either MHX or Rainshadow popping blank rated either 6-12 # or 8-15#. Most of the rods I build are 7'0", 2 piece rods. In the MHX models I like the P843--2 and the P844-2. In the Rainshadow line, I like the RX7 IP842 or IP843, which are 1 piece blanks. I like the fast action and sensitive tips of p
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I often paint under the wraps, usually with either silver or gold, however, there is no reason you can't paint black. I use a good quality spray paint and mask off everything but the area directly under the blank. You have to be careful with the tape you use to avoid bleed under the edge.
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I built several 3/4 wt 7' fly rods on Tiger Eye blanks for the small streams of the Smokey Mountains and North Georgia. Of course, Tiger Eyes are no longer available, but the rods work great and everyone loves them. If you are on a small stream, you don't normally need to roll cast very far, so the 7' rods work fine. If it really gets tight you can always use a bow and arrow cast if you can av
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One option I have used with good results is just using gold or silver paint under the threadwork. It really makes the colors pop.
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I usually use some mixed burl rings in the grip along with the cork. I may mix about 1/3 burl and 2/3 cork in some type of alternating pattern. This way, I can use mid to lower priced cork rings because the flaws do not stand out as much.
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To me matte graphite is like a blank canvas, you can do just about anything with it. I started out using garnet on them, but know I use about anything. Most of my school themed rods are on this blank, so I've used red/white, blue/orange, green/gold and blue/silver. All of them look good.
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I like the St. Croix blanks, but for the money, the Rainshadow blanks are a better value.
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