i build freshwater rods for mainly steelhead/salmon and fly rods. I like streamlined rods that are light but high performing. I recently tried to use the High Build and did not have satisfactory results. (basically, take $250 of labor and if the finish gets messed up, either your customer wont have it or you will settle for a $75 labor bill) I have always used the light build but was pressed
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i use the drill like mike to get the major epoxy out and then use the rat tail file by hand like Gerry to finish the job. With a little persuasion and force, one can make a hole with precision that does not need the winding check to cover up a bigger than blank size hole. Thank you for winding checks when one makes a mistake and wants to hide the error, but i would prefer not to put them on (si
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i have use the weldwood plastic resin epoxy on all my cork handles, and i have not had any problems with any of them. It is a water based mix, but once dry, i have had a hard time breaking the connection between any of the rings and it resists a lot of other solvents. I don't beleive that there is any adverse effects that it has on cork as it is ment to glue woods together. I have also used it
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Weldwood Plastic Resin Epoxy
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i like my cork to be shaped off the blank. This way i can shape it without the thought of damaging a blank by doing something stupid or by accident. I think it would be nice to be able to put the cork on the rod and shape it there, but with some of my shapes, i have brought the cork right down to where it meets the blank, (as in a cigar shaped handle), and i would have scratched the blank to @#
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yes, humidity is a problem if you have any dust in the air. I found that out the hard way. When i finished my first rod, i was rolling in on my rack 6 inches off of the carpet. Not a speck of dust or particles in the wrap. (also a higher humidity environment with a humidifier) Then when i finished a rod in the winter (in michigan cold and dry outside) in a place where i have no control over
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i have put the double toward the butt, however i do have a reason. the triangle formed by the guide, i feel gives it a stramlined look as the bulk of the hardware faces the butt, and if torque is applied on the rod due to the orientation, i would prefer to have the frame that extends toward the guide from the blank to be attached to the thicher part of the blank, or facing the butt section. The
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i have used these guides with super lines, braided and the firewire/spiderwire. I use them on my king salmon rod for river fishing. These rings held up very well to the abuse these fish can dish out. I love them. I have not had a problem with any of them bending or getting any type of scratches in them. I also like them because they are extremely light due to the insert not being as heavy.
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For question #1 I use orthodontic rubber bands, sometimes I have to wrap them 3 to 4 times when I get toward the top. It allows me to adjust the guides before I start wrapping and I start from the bottom and work to the top as George mentioned. With this I only have to spend a couple of seconds moving the blank to start the next guide. I check to make sure I did not bump it and start wrapping
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yeah, i know that they don't use acetone (2-propanone) in the remover anymore, but you can buy it in most stores by the nail polish remover. I thank you for you insight in using the stuff. I will try the denatured alcohol on a scrap blank to make sure it does what i need. I have had some problems in the past with the denatured alcohol when using a gel pen. It did not work very well and it to
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Is there anyone who uses acetone (aka: fingernail pollish remover) this to fix errors on their blanks when using paints or markers. Has anyone encountered problems with this chemical? Does it have any impact of the blank itself? Since acetone is an organic solvent, i think it has the ability to mess up the finished coat on a blank, however if it is a matte black/grey blank (no finish on it), w
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bill, if you make a mistake with a sharpie, what do you use to remove the mistake? Acetone?
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Harvey, From my experience, i have stained a burl cork grip, and the stain seemed to hold pretty well in the cork. I topped it off with a urethane spray. I am not sure if it made a difference. I guess it can act as a protectant for the stain from leeching out, or other materials leeching into the cork. It also makes cleaning the handle easier as i have found out with king salmon spawn as i
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are the metalic pens from sharpie available in silver? I have not seen this selection.
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Joe, I am using a matte blank, so use the satin gloss, 1coat or 2? Then top with the flex coat? (thin and brush up the rod as opposed to around the rod, and staying off of where the paint is so the flex coat can level itself) Just want to make sure i get this right the first time as i dont have the time to finish another one by thursday. Thanks, James
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So using a gloss enaml (clear coat) over the painted area will protect it from the flexcoat. What about discoloring in the light? Any problems with the clear coat changing color or reacting with the flex coat?
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Is there any special coating you have to put over the model paint before using the rod sealer. I am using Flex coat finish and wanted to make sure that the epoxy did not cause the paint to run or smear. Any and all tips for this type of application are welcome. Also, if there is a specific paint that you may have used that you find works the best, please explain. Thanks
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i use the elmers wood filler. I have use walnut to fill the voids in a natural cork handle. First i used a dremel with a fine tip to remove the loose sections that would not provide a large enough gap to hold the wood filler. After application and sanding to smooth out the handle, i use minwax polyurethane spray to finish the cork. It waterproofs the cork and i have had wonderful results. It
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I agree with Kenny. I use a minimum of 1.5 times the ID of the female connector but 2 times the ID is sufficient. If I have a guide close enough to it, I will continue the wrap all the way up to the guide. By going a longer distance, you add weight to the rod. So i will use the smallest amount of wrap at the connection point to make sure that is strong enough. If you want extra security when
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I agree with steve, i have use the RX7's and have been very satisified with the blanks. WIth increasing the modulus you do increase the sensivity, and decrease the overall weight by a small portion, however there are some drawbacks. Using a higher modulus graphite does make the blank more brittle, and with an impact, will cause the blank to break. IF you are fly fishing and hit a high modulus
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MIchigan stocked quite a few of their blanks, but due to the lack of merchandise flow, they reduced what they have on hand. HOwever, if you want a cabela's blank, order it through the store and you will not have to pay for any shipping. (their blanks are pretty decent) It takes a week of two for the blank to come in but it is a money saver! They will cary many of their supplies that are as pa
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yeah, thanks for the tip, i have a handle section from a broken rod and was wondering if there was a better way to remove the components without using a drill and rat-tail file. I will try that. Thanks
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i have superimposed a script on an excel file using squares 0.1in by 0.1 in and it seems quite complicated. How do you keep your thread (when using 40 threads) seperate. Do you number them so you know which ones should be on top and which ones need to be under the wraps? Also, do you use a method of holding them on the rod so they don't get tangled. I have been looking at my design, and it l
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A
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Help, Going to try and put a name and rod information on a blank using only thread. What size thread would work best and how many strands to use to get a decent size letering? I dont want a block type letter, as i would like some smoother lines for my letters and numbers. I was thinking size C for the wrap and size A for the lettering. ALso, how many wraps should one use between the leters
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