I
nternet gathering place for custom rod builders
  • Custom Rod Builders - This message board is provided for your use by the sponsors listed on the left side of the page. Feel free to post any question, answers or topics related in any way to custom building. When purchasing products please remember those who sponsor this board.

  • Manufacturers and Vendors - Only board sponsors are permitted and encouraged to promote and advertise products on the board. You may become a sponsor for a nominal fee. It is the sponsor fees that pay for this message board.

  • Rules - Rod building is a decent and rewarding craft. Those who participate in it are assumed to be civilized individuals who are kind and considerate in their dealings with others. Please respond to others in the same fashion in which you would like to be responded to. Registration IS NOW required in order to post. You must include your actual First and Last name and a correct email address when registering or posting. Posts which are inflammatory, insulting, or that fail to include a proper name and email address will be removed and the persons responsible will be barred from further participation.

    Registration is now required in order to post. You must include your actual First and Last name and a correct email address when registering or posting.
SPONSORS

2025 ICRBE
Custom Rod Symbol
Common Cents System
American Grips Piscari
American Tackle
Anglers Rsrc - Fuji
BackCreek Custom Rods
BatsonRainshadowALPS
CRB
Cork4Us
HNL Rod Blanks–CTS
Century Rods
Custom Fly Grips LLC
Decal Connection
EPSON Decal Printers
Flex Coat Co.
Get Bit Outdoors
HFF Custom Rods
HYDRA
Janns Netcraft
Mudhole Custom Tackle
MHX Rod Blanks
North Fork Composites
Palmarius Rods
REC Components
RodBuilders Warehouse
RodHouse France
RodMaker Magazine
Schneiders Rod Shop
SeaGuide Corp.
Stryker Rods & Blanks
TackleZoom
The Rod Room
The FlySpoke Shop
USAmadefactory.com
Utmost Enterprises
VooDoo Rods


Pages: 123Next
Current Page: 1 of 3
Results 1 - 30 of 64
6 months ago
Thomas Bell
Hey folks, need an idea for turning the reel seat grip when using Fuji ECSM seats. The back end of these seats are not round. The vertical is 3 hundredth greater than the horizontal. I like very smooth fitting when transitioning from seat to grip and I turn my own cork (burl in this case). Does anyone have an idea how I can turn my grips to get more of an oval shape? I was thinking pieces of
Forum: rodboard
6 months ago
Thomas Bell
Alex, are you talking about the epoxy that wicks up behind the guide? If so I have this happen with all my spinning guides. I can hear an audible click if I flex the guide after the epoxy hardens. I figured this was the epoxy losing its grip on the blank. I solved this problem by wrapping behind the guide, like you would with a locking wrap. In my case I wrap with 12 turns of thread (AA from
Forum: rodboard
10 months ago
Thomas Bell
Thanks
Forum: rodboard
10 months ago
Thomas Bell
Posted on the buy sell page for some thread. Didn't get a response so sent myself a response but it got bounced back. Had a friend do the same with similar results. Any chance I can get an answer to what I did wrong? Thanks
Forum: rodboard
11 months ago
Thomas Bell
Any word on Hitena? Out of business? I loved the STWrap!
Forum: rodboard
1 year ago
Thomas Bell
A question about CPXtra. Upon using multiple coats, does it have a smooth finish?. As I recall Permagloss would get an eggshell finish with like 4 coats to build up an epoxy like finish. I used it a couple times but could never get it to last very long in the bottle. Switched to Lumaseal and loved this product but no longer available. Also used lumaseal as a coating on my jigs and saltwater
Forum: rodboard
1 year ago
Thomas Bell
Dale, I also used to struggle with this. I'm opposite of Michael with labeling. I use the scotch tape method, using the tape to align and apply the decal. I align the label and lightly apply in the middle. I then burnish from the middle out to the top then bottom. I use a smooth metal dental pick to do this. I remove the scotch tape and roll the tool on the edges to smooth them down. The edges
Forum: rodboard
1 year ago
Thomas Bell
Thanks for the tip, nice website. A lathe is costly but I couldn't build without it now. Pays for itself over the long run. Fit and finish will improve as well. Just in winding checks alone I save close to a hundred bucks a year!
Forum: rodboard
1 year ago
Thomas Bell
I've been turning a round called Obsidian 2.0 for my last 20 rods or so. Seams impossible to find now. One reason I liked it was the 22mm (0.85 inch) diameter. Anyone have a source of these larger diameter acrylic blanks? All black would be an acceptable. Thanks for looking!
Forum: rodboard
1 year ago
Thomas Bell
Al, glue up cork on desired mandrel ( diameter as close to rod diameter as you can). Shape grip. Get some nylon spacers from Ace Hardware to match this diameter. I usually use 3/8 mandrel. Get a wood bit that matches the reel seat insert. Tape it to set drill depth. Place the spacer on the pointy end of the bit. Insert spacer into grip, then slowly drill out. Works great.
Forum: rodboard
1 year ago
Thomas Bell
David, reran the ccs with 665 g @ 75 degrees. Also got a SJ 725 which ccs'd at 690, 685 - both times at 68 degrees. Both rods will fit my needs and I'm looking forward to the build. It would be interesting to see the variance between batches, or even in the same batches. I bet it my be higher than we would like, BUT as they are all hand made and I've only watched them being made, I'
Forum: rodboard
1 year ago
Thomas Bell
David, butt diameter is 0.61 inches and tip is around 5/64. It's also 1/2 inch short! ( I CCS's on it being 87 inches so I'm going to be off by a little but not 100g!!!) That seems pretty close to published specks. There is a red label of 881 which i believe is their SKU.
Forum: rodboard
1 year ago
Thomas Bell
David, just got a SJ 736. My IP measured 670 @ 75 degrees. But will measure again.
Forum: rodboard
1 year ago
Thomas Bell
Roger, why would you wrap so tight that you remove all stretch?
Forum: rodboard
1 year ago
Thomas Bell
Are you taking about the regular ST wrap tread from Hitena? If so I don't think there is any problem. I use it for every rod I do and really like it. There is a little stretch that comes in handy at times. I'm using a Pac Bay spring loaded thread carriage with no issues. It's the best thread I've used.
Forum: rodboard
1 year ago
Thomas Bell
Yes on the blanks being all the same model and manufacturers. I use the same setup to measure so being off by more than several grams is unlikely but possible as we all make errors from time to time. The sample size is small as well, one mislabeled blank would through a wrench into the works. Really just wanted to see how much variance in IP we can expect.
Forum: rodboard
1 year ago
Thomas Bell
I measure IP on all my blanks. If you build a number of the same rods, how much deviation would you expect between blanks? I haven't established the variance due to my technique so these are just some data points. (I do have limited data on this but not enough, and plan to in the future). Rod 1. IP ave. 443 stdev of 31. 5 rods. Range 415 to 479 Rod 2. IP ave 537 Stdev of 29. 7 rods
Forum: rodboard
2 years ago
Thomas Bell
I've built at least 30 of their seconds. Never had a problem, although I hand picked those! Some of the best rods I've fished.
Forum: rodboard
3 years ago
Thomas Bell
John, I too have had this problem. I use one coat Flex Coat High Build. The problem is greater with larger thread. The bubbles are very very small, and most people never notice them. But I do!! I've found that the bubbles are from air trapped in the surface grooves of the thread. Not air trapped in or under the thread but on the surface in between threads. Don't know if I can explain it
Forum: rodboard
3 years ago
Thomas Bell
Hello Mike, sorry for the late response. For one thing the 7 wt was really a nine wt (thru CCS measurements - 178 g, and actual casting a wf floater). I just don't like how it loads when I cast, even with the 9 wt line. It seems to me that the butt section is too thin. The bottom of the 2nd section (one next to the butt) is thicker than 1/2 of the butt section. Now I know you have to take int
Forum: rodboard
3 years ago
Thomas Bell
No experience with the Native. The 904-4 paired with a DT 5 wt is one of the best trout rods I've ever built. The 6 wt switch, I've got really dialed in and love it. The 7 wt I built for Bones I wish I'd never bought. All the MHX's that I've built I have to upline at least one line to get it to cast in a way that is comfortable to me. I do CCS all my blanks but I use that as a starting poin
Forum: rodboard
3 years ago
Thomas Bell
Jason, any chance the rod tips are entering a forward compartment when placed in the locker? I know in some boats the rod locker has an opening at the front that the rods can extend into. An anchor or other 'heavy' item can move around and possibly hit your tips.
Forum: rodboard
4 years ago
Thomas Bell
Bud, I turn winding checks all the time using acrylic pen blanks. I always buy the blanks that are round and have a diameter of 22mm and length of 5 inches.. (These are difficult to find sometimes as most are 3/4 in). To turn the piece you're describing I chuck the blank in a 4 jaw barracuda chuck, center as best as I can (usually have to round it out a little), drill blank diameter hole wit
Forum: rodboard
4 years ago
Thomas Bell
Pete, just had a similar experience with 2 recent builds. Measuring IP (in grams) and AA I found a 46 g (about 8%) difference between the two blanks (AA was within 3 degrees). Same model and manufacturer. Measured on blanks with tip on, no hardware. I was a little surprised but figure this may be due to variances in batches. Who knows if they came from the same lot? Now to open another can
Forum: rodboard
5 years ago
Thomas Bell
Thanks for the replies. Gives me a couple of ideas to try out!
Forum: rodboard
5 years ago
Thomas Bell
Hello all, I've been making my own acrylic checks and caps for a little while. New problem is that I need a drill bit kit that is larger than 1/2 inch. The < 1/2 kits are great with a lot of sizes, but I'm searching for such a kit above 1/2 inch dia. I would like to avoid buying individual sizes if possible. Thanks!
Forum: rodboard
5 years ago
Thomas Bell
PS, I just pry the old bottle inserts out and place in new bottles. Or you can just drill a hole in the cap to fit the syringe.
Forum: rodboard
5 years ago
Thomas Bell
Be careful with the syringes with the black seals on the plunger. Some manufacturers use silicon lubricant on these seals. I use the all plastic 5 ml syringes and they are cheap. Don't know if the link will work but Granger sells them: Plastic syringe, Luer Slip, 5 ml product # 19G339
Forum: rodboard
6 years ago
Thomas Bell
When aligning guides I do a couple things. I like to point the rod towards a window to use as a backlight. For me it somehow makes it easier to get them straight. I also take the rod outside with the sun behind me to get another view (when it's not 8° outside!). Setting the rod down and coming back to it (even the next day) seems to help. Also always use a reel to make sure they are lined up c
Forum: rodboard
6 years ago
Thomas Bell
I've just finished two rods using the STWrap A and AA free sample. Have to say I really like it. No fuzzies, pull throughs are smooth and stay put. Burnishes and packs well. No problems with the one coat of PermaGloss. Also seems to clean up easy when using tape to remove dust, doesn't hold those pesky particles that always seem ruin my 'perfect' finish! Just for fun I wrapped a third rod us
Forum: rodboard
Pages: 123Next
Current Page: 1 of 3

Webmaster