Steel wool: 0000 = finest would probably dull the finish.
Forum: rodboard

I have used both the foam and masking tape arbors with no failures for many years (decades). I have built mostly freshwater rods that range from crappie to muskie rods. I don't scuff the tape arbors placed about a quarter inch from either the reel seat or grip tenon ends. Both the sides and top surfaces of the arbors get coated with the rod building epoxy (encapsulating).
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Perhaps the inner diameter of the handle could be reamed to fit the blank rather than cutting the blank to fit the handle.
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"I would hate to damage a very nice blank." Cutting the blank will likely void its warranty.
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RodMaker article on painting grips. -
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I often use 3 coats of thread finish when painting foam or cork grips. The first is to seal and smooth the surface, the second is to seal the base color so that a glaze applied to it can be manipulated without removing the underlying base, and the third is to preserve the final product. A solid color would require 2 coats. Keeping each layer as thin as necessary cuts down on the weight. Thread fi
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I have painted the foam cores to create grips frequently. The process is time-consuming but not complicated. In brief I shape, epoxy, prime, epoxy, paint, and topcoat with epoxy thread finish. I use acrylic craft paints. Here are some examples -
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Score the circumference of the unwanted epoxy areas on the blank with a razor knife being careful not to penetrate as deep as the blank itself. Use just enough heat from a flame, embossing gun, or heat gun to soften the epoxy allowing you to scrape or pop it off the blank with a craft stick or knife edge held vertical to the blank. If the area to be removed is small it could also be filed or sand
Forum: rodboard

The guides are aligned after they are thread wrapped and wouldn't be adjustable if epoxied prior to wrapping.
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The guides and tip top could be removed and realigned with the reel seat to straighten the look of the rod.
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Testing on a scrap piece is a good idea to reveal if your marker color will bleed with finish over it. Water-based markers don't bleed after drying when finish is applied but some "permanent" markers do bleed with finish applied. Testing will provide the answer for you.
Forum: rodboard

Your 3rd "too easy" choice is what I have done in the past and you don't need to coat the sleeve further if the marker is permanent.
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Another technique that works is wrapping the stuck ferrule area with crushed ice in a plastic bag which will shrink the materials allowing separation of the sections.
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On another do-over try some gentle warming of the applied finish to see if it will yield a more uniform thread penetration and resulting color.
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Mitchell Karmel Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Is there a link? > Thanks, > Mitch
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Epoxy cure rates are temperature related (faster cures at higher temps). Put the rod in the warmest place in your house (in front of the heat vent for example) and see if the finish hardens more.
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The roller tip was probably attached with epoxy which will require more heat to break its bond. Heat the tube moving the flame over the length of the tube while pulling it straight away from the rod tip with a pliers.
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In the case of long spinning rods (9 '+ steelhead rods). putting the reel seat closer to the butt moves the balance point towards the butt as well. This makes for a less tip heavy feel to the rod when held at the fore grip near the balance point. With practice, casting distance isn't compromised if the rear grip doesn't get shorter than 6.5" with a down-locking reel seat. After the cast your
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In the case of straight line drift fishing in current, the anglers that I have built rods for prefer rods that recover quickly from the weights or baits ticking the bottom. Steelhead rods much longer than 9 ft. have slower speeds making them feel sloppy for the drift application. It is easier for the anglers to detect true bites when the rod tip is not wiggling in recovering from bottom contact.
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Extremely fine (0000) steel wool.
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A lever arm force calculator applied to the different rod lengths of similar rods could show the relative forces involved. (However, I flunked both physics and dancing with the prettiest girls). Physicist's responses?
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I would be more inclined to trim 6 inches from both the butt and the tip. I think doing that would preserve the power of the blank better.
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"The way I work topwaters with the spinning rod makes the butt end of the rod hit me on the underside of my arm, mid-forearm, which I don't like. I was thinking about building or modifying a spinning rod so I can have a super short butt behind the reel - so it won't hit my arm as much." If you can fight the fish (small fish) with just your hand and wrist, bracing the rear grip o
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I don't have experience with this process, but perhaps a color preserver could be applied prior to a final finish with thread finish? Testing a sample before doing it on the rod is in order.
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Michael Tarr Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Has anyone tried the Diawa Air Guide System? I > haven’t so I’m not sure if they flex, just > another option for guides. My personal repair experience has had a number of these guides that broke at the foot/leg bend. Online quotes also cite breakage problems.
Forum: rodboard

The rod could be cut at the bend and have a new tip top put on. Or - the pieces could possibly be sleeved to preserve the length.
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A thin coat of thread finish on the winding check should restore the glossy finish.
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Thanks for the correction and clarification, Tom. I should have followed the rule that even a fish stays out of trouble if it keeps its mouth shut.
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A typical action rating comes from where the bend starts when the tip is deflected 1/3 of the blank length. Power is typically described by how much weight it takes to create that deflection. Companies vary in their action and power ratings. This might help
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I think (could be wrong) that blanks are "rated" by their pre-build characteristics.
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