There is a tremendous amount of demand in my area (northwest Arkansas) for all things wiggle wart related. I saw a custom build not too long ago with a really nice wiggle wart decal on it. It was a very minimal gold outline. Perhaps it was home-made, because I sure haven't been able to find one anywhere. Any ideas?
Forum: rodboard

Wow, I'm an idiot. Haven't used it on everything, but I thought it was working and looking great. I'm embarassed to have even asked the question. I was thinking why do people use all these different adhesives for bonding rod seats, cork, etc when the stuff I use on guide wraps works on everything! Dadgum. Well, it works great for tiger wraps..builds up nice and thick.
Forum: rodboard

When I first started building rods two years ago, I happened to be at Academy Sports and they were clearing out their stock of Flex Coat - the two bottle quick set epoxy. I bought all they had thinking it was the right stuff. I used it for a number of rods with no issues, and later found out that lots of folks liked longer setting epoxy and this stuff was more for handles than thread wraps. We
Forum: rodboard

I would echo the spiral wrap suggestions. I have no idea whether line touching the blank under stress is that bad of a thing or not for bass rods. I just know it's been said over and over again not to let it happen and you can do a spiral with micros and not need any additional guides to make that happen. Every bass rod I make for myself is spiral wrapped with micros. It has zero negative eff
Forum: rodboard

I've figured out that the speed of a blank refers ONLY to where the blank flexes. I always thought that the "faster" a rod was, the "stiffer" it would feel. While that may be true to some degree, it's perfectly possible to have an extra fast rod with a very limber tip - so while the rod flexes primarily in the top, it still won't feel "stiff." I like a really
Forum: rodboard

A close friend of mine's grandfather wrapped rods for many many years in Little Rock, Arkansas. His rods were (are) beautiful and he had quite a following. One of the men he built some rods for passed away, and he wanted the builder to have them back. He sold them all through various means and the proceeds went to the deceased gentleman's grandchildren. A few years ago, I happened to be in
Forum: rodboard

Perhaps it's what's in the library article. I should look as I recently encountered just this problem. Here's the solution that worked for me. This is a 7' SCV spinning rod built for shakey head fishing. First, I located the choke point using the 27x method. Measured the lip of the spool with callipers and located the choke point twenty seven times that number up the rod from the top of the
Forum: rodboard

That's awesome of Don. I've only been at this for a little over a year, and I do all of my rods on a homemade stand with v-notched 1"x4"'s. I mounted those to a plate from the same board, then I screw those into the long part of the board that was left over so I can change their width if I want, but it's a very sturdy stand. I tension my threads with the Arkansas Court Rules. Genera
Forum: rodboard

I've had the same stick of tip glue for quite a while. It's getting some black to the edges of it. On my last few tips, I've noticed that it melted on fine, intalled fine, but later I could twist the tip with a moderate amount of torque? Bad glue or bad installation process? The way I do it is I hold a lighter to the glue until it is nearly dripping, then smear it all over the tip. Then
Forum: rodboard

My last few builds I've paid a lot more attention to the balance point of the rod. In order to really get one to balance (we're talking about split grips here), I'd have to put the reel so high up on the rod that it would not suit me well at all. My solution has been to either ignore it and use a slightly off-balance rod (we're talking about a few inches once the reel is on), or to put lead eit
Forum: rodboard

I threw away all of my Berkley floro. I have no problem saying it. I HATE their floro. I still like their 8lb XT mono for my spinning rods though. I absolutely love Segaur Red Label. There may be a better one on the market, but I'm extremely happy with it and I've had reels spooled up with it for a long time without having ill effects. I feel like the 15lb floro has less stretch and more
Forum: rodboard

Thanks so much guys. Most all of the rods I do have a butt larger than 3/8, just couldn't figure out what reamer to get in there other than trying to home brew one out of sand and a very skinny piece of scrap blank. When I first started a year ago I cheaped out and bought a set of the razor wands. I've found that re-loading cutting grit onto them is not a great solution...just seems messy, non
Forum: rodboard

Thanks Brandon, will do.
Forum: rodboard

That's what I assumed but didn't want to screw this one up. Thanks so much for your quick response Tom!
Forum: rodboard

Another question. Of the dozen or so rods I've done, I've built arbors out of masking tape each time. I notice that a lot of the reel seats in handle kits I buy come with a graphite arbor that is pre-fitted to the reel seat. How the heck do you ream those things when the hole is so small. Any downsides to using the prefab graphite arbors? I'd just as soon make them out of tape, but if it alr
Forum: rodboard

I didn't know what you meant by flosser...figured it was aussie slang or something until I saw you were from Florida and thought about it some more. I assume you're talking about the little disposable dental floss things. That's a great idea!
Forum: rodboard

Working on my first tiger wrap on the split of a split grip. I wrap my rods on a homemade stand with v-notch blocks, and use a book for thread tension (Arkansas Court Rules to be exact). Guide wrapping will normally be somewhere around page 600 - pretty far down on the book, and that puts pretty good tension on the thread. For the tiger wrap, I backed off to page 100 or so and it was definitel
Forum: rodboard

what about those of us who turn the rods by hand? With lots of practice I'm finally starting to get smooth epoxy without valleys or ridges, and it looks nice, but I can't seem to find a good way to have a straight edge where the epoxy ends. I've tried spinning it by hand with a paper towel against the epoxy border, but that doesn't work out as well as I'd like. Is taping an option, as in, can
Forum: rodboard

Looking for blank recommendations for my step father. The only fishing he does anymore is trout fishing out of a canoe. He uses 4lb line exclusively, and he only fishes two baits. Both rods should be 6' long I think, though I could probably get by with 6.5'. The first rod will be for maribou jigs between 3/32oz and 1/16oz. I called and talked to the folks at mudhole and they recommended
Forum: rodboard

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Lance and Jim, are you talking about the zip tie things you use to bundle electronic cables together (or miniature versions of the things the police use when they run out of handcuffs)? Jim, with the blue goo stuff, are you putting it between the guide foot and the blank to hold it down while you tape it? How do you get it out from under there once you'
Forum: rodboard

How the heck do you test cast with micro guides? I hold them on while wrapping with very thin masking tape, but it seems like it would be hard to get them to hold very well with those tiny feet for test casting 3/8oz lures. Do I just put four or five wraps of masking tape on them as tight as I can get it and let 'er rip? In the past I've just wrapped them, tested, adjusted, rewrapped, tested
Forum: rodboard

Thanks guys, that's what I figured. Might as well do it right the first time. As far as removing, any other tips besides an exacto knife, sandpaper, and solvent to clean up? How about reaming? There has to be an easier way than sand epoxied to old blanks and doing this by hand. Seems like someone would have figured out something to chuck in a drill by now.
Forum: rodboard

Ugh, this is the second time I've done this and it makes me sick. While installing a new cork grip, It got snug too fast and I was afraid I hadn't reamed it enough (which was obviously the case high on the cork). It stuck and I had a couple of inches to go, so I got nasty with it and gave it 110%. Instead of putting all my weight at the top, I put my hands wide and tore the grip in half. Last
Forum: rodboard

Thanks for all the help guys. It's a goofy grip system for sure.
Forum: rodboard

I'm working on a rod for an acquaintance and it has an end cap I'm not familiar with. It's a handle kit that came with a St. Croix blank he bought for a baitcast rod. The rear grip has the normal through hole for reaming of course, but there's no change in the size of it where a normal end cap would epoxy on. Instead, it just has the hole, and it came with what I can best describe as a small t
Forum: rodboard

Thanks Lou. I was already looking at an MHX blank for a crankbait rod. Don't know much about them, but guess I'll just have to order two.
Forum: rodboard

well, a gaff, gig, or bow all work well, but I'm looking for a spinning set up. I use an 8'9 7wt to fly fish for them, but, once again, looking for a spinning setup in the 7' range.
Forum: rodboard

Not far from me is a widely known creek for big smallmouth, and I do a lot of floating there in the summer. It's also packed full of carp in the 10-30lb range, and I've seen some bigger than that. I'm looking to build a rod suitable for handling these brutes, but it has to be able to throw maribou jigs as light as 3/32 oz. Obviously it needs lots of backbone, and needs to be sensitive enough t
Forum: rodboard

I saw those calipers on harbor freight's website for $10 yesterday. I brought the CC to the office today, so I'm about to grab a set. Thanks guys.
Forum: rodboard

Guys: I tried searching the archives and couldn't come up with anything on this topic. Maybe it's too elementary. On the original lew's pistol grips, the orifice for the blank butt comes in a 1/2 inch diameter, and 5/8ths. My question of the day is how do you fit a blank that's not exactly 1/2 inch or 5/8ths inch in diameter into that grip? Do you ream the grip somehow? Tape the blank for
Forum: rodboard