Cabela's has some very cheap Pac Bay rod kits right now. They include everything, blank, cork, guides, thread, epoxy and finish. IMHO you might as well make something useful while you practice.
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I had trouble keeping the reel in place after the electrician took way my tape!
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Being almost as old as dirt, I am no longer concerned with earning a living. Therefore I choose to live in an area where there are few people and lots of fishing. As I said before, when building for myself I use Fuji Alconite. However, when I build for my kids, who like to fish but have real lives and only spend a few weekends a year on the water, I use Hardloy. These guides are durable and w
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Thanks for the info! Garry2R's
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I built a six foot SJ720 - MHX Spin Jig rod that is rated: Four to eight pound line, 1/32 - 1/4 baits, Ultra-light / Extra Fast. I epoxied a piece from another blank inside of my rod and placed the joint and extension inside the handle / reel seat. The finished rod is six and a half feet long and throws 1/16th jigs and 1/8 oz. Panther Martin's very well. I had previously tried several UL 6.5 a
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It's the mixing that introduces the air, that form the bubbles. I tip the mixing cup on it's side and rotate it, so the two liquids flow together. As the two parts unit they become foggy, but as you continue turning the cup, they clear. My last step is to pour the clear finish into a shallow foil dish as suggested above. I found that a very small stainless steel spatula works better for me th
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I don't want to highjack this thread, but I have not rod building stores within a 3 hour drive so what about 100% cotton thread from quilting stores? Is there an easy conversion for A-B-C-D thread size to something that sewing shops recognize?
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My dryer has a piece on the back of the chuck that looks like wings. This is a lock nut that you can tighten to keep the jaws tight. Also my dryer has three hooks, one on each jaw. If you hook on a rubber band on each and wrap them around the handle, the rod will be quite secure. I make spare bands by cutting the wide rubber band from broccoli in half.
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Regarding cost, here is an axiom I believe is true...There is nothing that someone can't make a little worse and sell a little cheaper. On the subject of marketing, here is a precept that I know to be true...If you want to sell more double burgers put a triple burger on the menu. Some folks want the lowest price, regardless of quality, some want the most expensive, regardless of price. Bet
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That, I suppose, depends on where you fish and what you catch. I have read post by saltwater anglers where they talk about guides getting hot enough to melt fishing line! That friends, sounds like justification for the finest guides money can buy. On the other hand, living in the north east and fishing for Bass I could get by with any type of guides. That said, I'm using the Fuji Concept A
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When I was a Musky fanatic I used handles that came an inch or two short of my elbow. I wanted to brace the handle against my forearm, for leverage, and like you found longer grips tended to foal on cloths. The worst problems were with Split-Grips and straight handles that had knob type butt caps. Garry2R's
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I have large hands and a bit of arthritis to boot. Recently I built 4 light spinning rods using Fuji IPSM-size 16 reel seats and handles. I like how the cork wraps around, giving a large diameter to grip. The down lock configuration also keeps my fingers away from the threads. One caution... You need a handle that is two inches longer than what you would normally order for a given rod length
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Fluorocarbon line does not break down from ultra violet rays like mono does. If your line was breaking after three trips, you have a different problem. I would start by checking the tip guide for nicks or cracks. I do a little guiding and most of the time, for myself and clients, I tie my 3/0 EWG hooks directly to 10 pound braid on spinning gear for Senko's etc. . For solid body frogs and
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I'm from the Peterborough area. I am currently in Arizona for the winter. E-mail me for some ideas. grry2rs@gmail.com Garry
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Back in the day ( 197?)...I heard Lorne Green, who eventually ran the G.Loomis plant in Canada, speak at my fishing club. He was extolling the virtues of , the then brand new, Graphite fishing rods. Everything when well and all were excited about these new rods, until he told us the price! I don't recall what that price was but it was over $150.00 at a time when most of us thought $50.00 w
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I am new to rod building, but as a rod user with 50+ years of experience, I prefer a full grip. Practically, in the boat that knob on the end of the grip wants to find shirt-tails or other loose clothing to snag. It seems to me that custom builders are always looking for some new bit of fluff to distance themselves from the factory rods. But on the usefulness scale, I see split grips as one do
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