Bill no offense but I disagree. I don't think "nicer" is the word. It is just different. One is translucent on is not. It depends on what the affect is you are looking for. Goran, The best color preserver I have ever found is not made any more and has not been around for years. I think it was like 901 or something like that from 10 15 years ago. It was the greatest stuff. Now I use ch
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Michael, I have used color preserver on the most demanding rods you could imagine and never had an issue with the durability of guide feet. I strongly disagree with what you call the "consensus" .It is not the finish that is holding the guide to the blank it's the thread. A proper guide wrap will hold any guide to the blank. Beyond that the finish epoxy is just to protect the thread. Go
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Eliseu I am with herb treat two threads as one. It's much faster and not as much spaghetti. its always good to see how others do it. tape scares me a little as the adhesive left is a pain. I used to use surgical tubing as a bumper for a straight line and put tape over it. Now I just use thread.. Packing is always away from the end toward the middle.
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Jim Ising is the man!!
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Bill I haven't had a request for a Sabiki in some time. Fuji had tips for the internal line but I don't see them on there web site anymore. You might want to ask
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Ray that is what I was trying to explain exactly in the second post. much better explained.
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I have also done another method. Have not done in years but works like this. Say add the tie off 15 wraps in. Now pull the tag end thru say 5 wraps deep. Now cut the end that you want to end with and discard the rest. then pull the rest of the way and the tag is under the wrap with no tag showing ever. Again hard to explain but works.
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Mat I teach pulling on the tag end hard in one horizontal direction. Then using a single edge razor blade pull the tag into the blade. The trick to this technique is to not cut with the razor but rather pull the tag into the razor. If you do it right the end snaps back under the wraps and leaves no tag exposed. Don't know if that makes sense in writing? Practice will make it a lot easier and you
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I use 20,16,12 running guides. Get 4 running guides but you will probably have extra one or two. Check out the American Tackle Vertus heavy guides. :You will also need a low frame transition guide if you do spiral like me. For the tip top I prefer a roller tip. Make sure you have a good gimble knock for the but cap and get a cover for it when fighting chicken's. You want to make that handle just
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btw Bill I used calstar blanks. Strong cheap and they have what you want.
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Bill I captained in homer and Seward for 6 years. I built countless halibut rods. My personal record was 319 pound 6 ounce giant. They are fished in 250 foot plus water and with the current strong where they live Heavy jigs are used like one pound plus usually with a giant rubber grub or the like. Needless to say a broom stick rod is used. First suggestion would be a spiral wrap. The tourque on t
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I agree with herb just not a good idea. However you could try one guide for the transition guide. It needs to be a low frame guide and perhaps a snake guide would work. I have never tried it but?
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Steve this is a loaded question. As a rule of thumb we usually start with one per foot plus one. So in your case we would have a 6foot 6inch blank so rounding up we would have 7 plus 1 for a total of 8. Now we revert to size of guides and guide height along with many other factors. The best method of number of guides and there placement would be to learn the "static line test". It along
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I never had one too tight. Too loose yes but never too tight. I have wrestled with a few before I learned years ago to lube with epoxy. The tighter the better jay. Only exception is if inlayed careful not to split the seam or glue line.
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I agree with Eric. If that's not enough order the one that fits. Not worth the problems. I always order sizes up and down when ordering a particular job tip for a blank a customer wants. If it says 4.5 for the manufacturer tip size I order a 4,4.5,and 5. tube. I always need tip tops though for repairs etc. so they never seem to go to waste. I also leave them in the packages so as to id later. Th
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The best way to get rid of bubbles........Not to have them in the first place! Mix SLOW or use a power mixer. Then apply with spatula or wet brush in separated epoxy before dipping in main batch which is warm and on aluminum foil. No bubbles to start no bubbles to heat or worry about.
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Sounds to me like no water break free surface was applied. Its most definite "pilot error". That learning curve we all experience.
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Alistair look down the list to 8/21 and see the method I explained or atleast tried. It's from rod maker magazine and works great.
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Steve, Its something I have wanted to do for 15 years or so and never got around to trying. I have also wondered how a urethane would be. seems also like it would be a great way to paint a blank. Just add color to either product and spray. I nice light coat to minimize weight and evenly distribute product. How could it be bad? I have had a auto body guy paint a few blanks for customers once and t
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wow thanks Tom I wasn't sure if that made any sense at all to anyone but me.
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Nate really hard to explain in words but I will try....the trim band is laid length wise on the blank and wrapped over with the main thread. when you want a trim band you move the main color to the side and wrap as many turns as you want the trim band over the main thread. Then you tuck the trim thread under the main thread move the main thread back into place and continue to wrap over the trim.
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There is a rule of thumb in the business world that keeps business honest. If your not able to keep up with your customers and do not provide the quality of service expected you open yourself to competition. I would believe that Riley Rods does not hold a patent on the product. It should just be a matter of time before someone else brings carbon fiber and foam core customs to the market. Just say
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Adam there as many ways to add thread trim bands as there are threads. I have seen a host of different ways. My favorite is from RM and tom calls it treating two threads as one. Perhaps he will chime in and explain.
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I was agreeing with you 100%. There are so many situations that just saying one weight or length is not enough information. I agree with both your posts very much.
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Phil is right. A Kenai alaska king can go over 80 pounds and in fact the world records were caught on the river at over 100 pounds. That said all kings up there are caught from a boat and most don't cast to them. We mostly back bounce or drift. Now for that fishing a 9ft ll or 12 weight is not unheard of. Take that same scenario and put a king on the east coast salmon river and you could use a 9
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Again Cameron I agree with mike totally. I would add that the frame material is as important as anything. If you are fishing in salt water as he said titanium or similar that does not corrode is a major factor. If fresh water rod you want to reduce weight as much as possible. To truly answer your question we need more information on what you are building. Best of luck and welcome to the addiction
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Mark one suggestion I would have is to use a gel epoxy instead of liquid. That has been the easiest I have found to clean up and with ample time to do the same. It shows up better than liquid as well. The only draw back is its time constraints.
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I have been using lumiseal for years as a finish for a striped rod. I use it mostly when I strip a rod to refinish. I apply it with a brush and for the most part it comes out pretty good. It doesn't go on real smooth though like a rack rod finish. Short of a professional spray booth or a dip tank is there a way too get a nice smooth finish? What are you guys doing? I know it helps to sand between
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Zack, After years doing private custom and repair work for myself as well as guiding I began work for a sporting outfitter 5 years ago. I am a full time employee and manager for two stores as the fishing department manager. Sales occupy about half of my working day. The other half is spent building custom rods for customers and repairs. It is for me the best of both worlds as I am able to guarant
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Kevin I have guided up there. You could get into some big halibut. my personal biggest was 319 #. be ready with a broom stick and you wont regret it. I have never had a halibut on that there was a question of feeling the bite.
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