This is what a bored, addicted hobby builder does when I’m stuck on a long conference call. First you start playing with a paper clip. By hand I managed to bend a snake guide. Call still going…so then look at my pen in my hand. It’s kinda like a small rod, but what to wrap it with? Digging in my drawer (call still going), I find some fairly long skinny rubber bands. Cut them to make two lon
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Just a reminder that when you work with sharpe tools, you may get a case of Angry Thumb!!! Be careful!!
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I'm I good to go?
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Another shot.
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Here is the cut I was talking about. Is it really that bad?
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Thanks guys!!! You’re the best! I personally prefer multi piece rods. They are just so much easier to store. It would be kinda hard to stow a 9' fly rod behind the seat of my truck! I also agree that with a securely snug ferrule, I bet if you blind folded someone and gave them two identical rods (one being one piece and the other being multi pieces) they would not be able to tell the differe
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Hey All, I know this dead horse has been beaten way too many times...but I wanted to bring it back to the surface. (And yes I did a search, but there is just too much that comes up to filter through). I still see people that are reluctant to buy two piece rods. They feel that the ferrule leads to some kind of "weakness" or reduces sensitivity. Now I know that may hold true for the
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Thanks so much Tom!! I should correct myself on the 20 years +...I meant 10 years +. He told me he got it new in the early 90's, (if I remember right). So you are right on it's age...it makes sense. He got and used it briefly and has not touched it since. He has now got back into fishing and when I saw this thing I knew he had a rod that was a little special. The thing would bend with jus
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Hey All, It has been forever since I have posted, but once a rod builder always a rod builder!!! Just runs in the blood. I do have a question on a really neat rod I saw tonight. I know there are always these “Please Help Identify This Rod” post and yes, I’m posting another one. But…This one hit a cord because it was built some 20 years ago +, but it has factory micro guides on i
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Hey Brian, It's been a long time since I have posted on this site. In fact I can't believe I remembered my login credentials!! It has been a couple of years since I built my last rod, but I am in the San Antonio area. I live in Schertz (the N.E. area). I think I have my email available...shoot me a email and I will see what I can help with. Actually the email address in my profile is an old on
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I tried dating mine, but they don't seem to like much in the way of a dinner or movie. Actually, since mine do not speak or do anything else for that matter, I found that they make for a pretty lame date...LOL. I know someone else already went there, but I couldn't resist.
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That is funny Gary. I remember some time ago a poster (sorry don't remember the name) pointed out that a thread was about buying butt plugs from Mudhole. I thought that was also quite funny.
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That's how I do mine. That digital caliper is probably one of the best and most useful rod building tools I have bought yet.
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Tony Politi, that is funny. I think I could be the co-presenter with you. "Now that you have seen a pro doing a thread wrap with ease, let me show you my way...dammit, were did I put that thread?!!"....as the rod falls off the wrapper on to the ground taking half the things on the table with it! LOL
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I had a similar situation. I did just as Tom describes and it worked great. Though I used a an "insert" vs. a sleeve (That is I found a scrap that fit inside the butt rather than one that fit the outside). Not sure which is better, but since it was right at the butt end, I was not too worried about the flexing-of-the-rod part. To cut it...a simple hack saw also works just fine. Just mak
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Yes, you can sand them. I have done it many times. As already stated, don't sand too much. I then paint mine, but that is up to you.
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Mike, It only gets worst. You build your first rod. You may have many questions and frustrations at the time (hopefully not). At a certain point you start questioning if you are going to finish the rod and even have it fishable. A factory rod is so much easier. Then you finish. It is the best looking rod you have ever built (because it was the only one at this point) and your pride will glow w
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Thanks guys, I did mess around with it some last night, and I agree Mr. Kirkman, one inch was a bit ambitious. ½“ is pretty much perfect, but I think I may push it a bit and cut off 5/8”. It’s my rod, and if the reel I is a bit long (when I pick it out!), I can always trim the foot on it to fit. Duane, I will be using a rear grip. Though I love the picture of the one you built. You g
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Hey fellow builders, I have built several rods (or should I say “assembled”), and now I’m building one for myself. This one is going to be my closest to a true “custom” rod as I have gotten. I painted the blank and made my own split grip (it’s a spinning rod). I made the grip from the article on how to make grips from craft foam in RMM. Sorry don’t have the issue in front of me,
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Cody...that is FUNNY!!! Hardest I have laughed in a while.
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Hey Bill, I did get that email. Who the heck is Chris Karp? How did he get my email? It did come across as from someone that did not have anything better to do with his time.
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Yea...I like it too. Looks just like the one I proudly display on the back of my small pickup truck. Please honk if you see it!
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I have sanded down many of rods. Either old ones to remove the finish (down to the raw blank). Or unfinished Mud Hole blanks and such (to remove the ridges from non-finishing). It can easily be done by hand you just need to be patient. It may take me 2-4 hours to sand one down but the results are worth it. My only advise…I agree with Mr. Kirkman, work from butt to tip (lengthwise) of the rod.
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Michael, I totally agree with the above advice. I too got into fly tying before I decided to build a rod. I bought a cheap fly tying kit with all supplies I needed to get me started. After several months, I just decided that tying maybe was not my thing. My flies always looked like crap and it was just easier and cheaper for me to buy them. Seemed like every time I wanted to try a new pattern, ba
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Tom, I paint all of my blanks. I get old cheap rods to rebuild or the unfinished $4.95 blanks from Mud Hole. Since both of my choices require me to change or update the finish, my solution...paint them. I also like the idea of making them even more "custom" by letting the person the rod will be built for choose the colors or theme they want. I have done quite a few with different pai
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Mr. Kirkman, You have done an amazing thing. You have uniformed this craft over the years more than anyone else has thus far. And anyone that claims they did…is just riding on your coat tails! I do appreciate the Q&A on this subject…though knowing your professionalism; I get the feeling that you are trying to justify it against some of the na-sayers without being rude (too many stu
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It reminds me of an old lollypop commercial…One, Two, Three…The World may never know.
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Yea…this is a tough one. I am on my seventh and eighth rod build in less than a year. I have already built for my immediate family and friends “out-of-pocket” to support this new hobby of mine. I’m finding it harder to justify building a bunch more rods for myself or friends when I do have a young family to think about. My wife and I do make a decent living, but I personally only need abo
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Let me think...CRB tee shirt...red, white and blue logo...the company selling it does not have their name on it....BIG announcement coming up in the next RM...just pondering.
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