I
nternet gathering place for custom rod builders
  • Custom Rod Builders - This message board is provided for your use by the sponsors listed on the left side of the page. Feel free to post any question, answers or topics related in any way to custom building. When purchasing products please remember those who sponsor this board.

  • Manufacturers and Vendors - Only board sponsors are permitted and encouraged to promote and advertise products on the board. You may become a sponsor for a nominal fee. It is the sponsor fees that pay for this message board.

  • Rules - Rod building is a decent and rewarding craft. Those who participate in it are assumed to be civilized individuals who are kind and considerate in their dealings with others. Please respond to others in the same fashion in which you would like to be responded to. Registration IS NOW required in order to post. You must include your actual First and Last name and a correct email address when registering or posting. Posts which are inflammatory, insulting, or that fail to include a proper name and email address will be removed and the persons responsible will be barred from further participation.

    Registration is now required in order to post. You must include your actual First and Last name and a correct email address when registering or posting.
SPONSORS

2024 ICRBE EXPO
CCS Database
Custom Rod Symbol
Common Cents Info
American Grips Piscari
American Tackle
Anglers Rsrc - Fuji
BackCreek Custom Rods
BatsonRainshadowALPS
CRB
Cork4Us
HNL Rod Blanks–CTS
Custom Fly Grips LLC
Decal Connection
Flex Coat Co.
Get Bit Outdoors
HFF Custom Rods
HYDRA
Janns Netcraft
Mudhole Custom Tackle
MHX Rod Blanks
North Fork Composites
Palmarius Rods
REC Components
RodBuilders Warehouse
RodHouse France
RodMaker Magazine
Schneiders Rod Shop
SeaGuide Corp.
Stryker Rods & Blanks
TackleZoom
The Rod Room
The FlySpoke Shop
USAmadefactory.com
Utmost Enterprises
VooDoo Rods


Current Page: 2 of 12
Results 31 - 60 of 346
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
In my opinion, you only weaken the effect by using three threads on the bottom. I much prefer the look of two threads. If you want the wrap to be yellow, use black and yellow on the bottom and yellow on the top. Frankly, unless the wrap is quite short, that sounds very bright to me...I would use black and yellow on the bottom with black and a sacrificial thread on top to give a darker more sub
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
When I was starting out I built a lot of rods from kits. You get a better price that way than buying individual components. Beyond what came in the kit, I needed a couple of reamers, some spools of thread, tape, epoxy and finish. After gaining some experience, I started modifying the cork that came in the kit, to create split grips, and shortening the threads on the reel seats, to fit spec
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
As Smoky Robinson once said..."My mama told me, 'you better shop around'" The MHX blanks are great. However, there are often sales elsewhere if you check our other sponsors. Personally, I always look at Get Bit. They often have discontinued name brand blanks on sale, plus great prices on cork.. Many of my personal blanks come from Karen at Bingham Enterprises. She has high qualit
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
I have read that not using CP causes bubbles, several times on this board. I do not find this to be so. Perhaps the authors are mistaken because they get bubbles in their nylon thread without CP. I also do not find the NCP thread color to be dull, once the finish is applied.. Perhaps those who use nylon and CP are mistaken because they don't use actually use NCP thread.
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
Excuse me...The question was " Do I need CP with Color Fast thread?" The answer is NO. What don't you understand about that?
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
You don't need color preserver on Color Fast thread...That's what the name means.
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
Studies have shown the the optimum diameter for our hands to grip is about 40mm or 1.5 inches. As I understand it, this give the maximum amount of contact between flesh and handle, and so the strongest grip... The problem with this information is that I doubt you will want to apply a death grip to an UL spinning rod. Personally I like #17 fuji VSS and #16 Areo reel seats on my Crappie, Bass, a
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
If you use hollow core braid you can insert the leader into the braid. This is called a top-shot. You can also make a knotless loop at the end of the braid, and join a top-shot leader loop-to-loop. Tackle shops in San Diego can help you.
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
Back in the day I worked with leather... Lemon juice was commonly used to remove mildew. Safe, organic, mild, pure, natural, not bio-engineered by Monsanto, etc. etc. etc.
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
I would buy a used Window's PC at the Goodwill or Thrift store and run the weave program on it. There are millions of older machines and monitors out there for a few dollars. Laptops with dead batteries are almost free, if you don't need a large screen.
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
If you have an old scrap rod, cut off the butt section. Make a few tape arbors on the tip of your new rod and insert it into the scrap butt section. Now you can put the scrap, butt in the winder's chuck and turn your butt cork.
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
I cut my threads using a hacksaw and a miter box, then finish the cut edge with fine sand paper. The open end is finished with an epoxy ramp. Removing the reel is no problem on rods that don't have a fore grip.
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
I also have both of these blanks. They are fine. I like them and I use them for Crappie in my area. We catch many out of season Bass when Crappie fishing and these blanks handle the bigger fish just fine. However, I find them both somewhat soft and slow...Both have power in the butt and the ability to land big fish, but if you want a little more snap in your casts, the SJ 720 MHX is the ticke
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
I fish for LM and SM Bass in gin clear water up here in Canada. For many years my favourite weightless worm rod was the Batson SJ782. I used the 842 too, but my old Ranger has a short rod locker and rods under seven feet fit better. I have landed several 5 pound bass with the 782, using baits from 3 to 6 inches on a 3/0 EWG hook on 10 pound Power Pro with no leader. I don't think fish are lin
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
I have several that will cast that weight, but they tend to be slow, live bait style actions. When I wanted something with some "snap" to throw tiny Mepp's type spinners someone here suggested the Mudhole SJ720MHX. It's just what I was looking for.
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
46. Re: 20X
Thanks for this. For us light weight braid only guys, this is Brilliant!
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
I am a Karen fan too.
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
I would agree with Joe right up to the reel seat. I like both the 16 Aero and the 17 VSS reel seats. The 16 VSS is too small for my big hands. Both seats are very comfortable to use. Mine are always positioned to be down locking so my hand is cushioned and never on the threads. The Fugi VSS needs a special grip, you can order either cork or EVA. It's a little more fiddly to fit to the rod,
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
I built the MU96H MHX last year. It is rated for crankbaits 2 - 6 oz. It lied...It's a good med.heavy 2 -3 oz. bucktail, spinnerbait rod, but nowhere near heavy enough for Sledges or 5 or 6 ounce body baits. It has been said before that many Asian rod blanks are rated about one strength higher than the North American standard, so it is with these blanks.
Forum: rodboard
8 years ago
Garry Thornton
In my opinion NCP thread has an undeserved reputation for looking dull. Yes on the spool it has a flatter look, but that disappears once finish is applied. I use it for everything except black and even when using white or yellow I don't need to paint regular grey blanks. Guide feet showing through, I can't swear to. I only use light colors for Tigers and trim wraps.
Forum: rodboard
9 years ago
Garry Thornton
When you go to the craft shop, ask for low-temperature glue sticks. High temp sticks are more like tip cement. I normally use Flex Coat guide sticks, but in a pinch I can always get nice small diameter sticks in a craft shop. I use a Bic lighter as a heat source, but if you have a glue gun tally-ho and stick-on!
Forum: rodboard
9 years ago
Garry Thornton
Glue on a tip. Using tape and some imagination attach your reel of choice. Try a few casts with a range of baits. A couple of minutes should sort out what's too light and what's too heavy. Don't tell anyone the truth about how you did it. Write a highly technical report using lots of scientific words, claiming to have used Krugerrand 1/10 ounce gold coins. Book yourself on a speaking tour t
Forum: rodboard
9 years ago
Garry Thornton
Six hundred and ninety-four millimeters is about twenty-seven and a third inches. I have never measured from the reel stem. However something about 20 - 23 inches from the reel spool face might be about right. Taping the guides on and making a few test casts might answer more questions than a gallon of theoretical ink.
Forum: rodboard
9 years ago
Garry Thornton
My latest Rainshadow came with the decal instructions on a yellow card wrapped around the rod. If you don't have the card, I would contact Batson . I'm sure they will help you out.
Forum: rodboard
9 years ago
Garry Thornton
Thanks, Jim. Someone must have read my mind because this morning I received an e-flyer from Jann's with prices and a list of the new blanks. I read your description of these new blanks with great interest, now I sure would like to read some reviews from builders.
Forum: rodboard
9 years ago
Garry Thornton
I understood that the new Fuji blanks would debut at the annual rod building show back in February. Sometime later I read here that the blanks were shipping to dealers. Since then there has been a thundering silence. What happened? Where are the rave reviews and sales pitches? Where did these blank disappear to?
Forum: rodboard
9 years ago
Garry Thornton
If you are saving money by using less cork, you might want to give yourself a raise. It takes much longer to mount and finish a split grip.
Forum: rodboard
9 years ago
Garry Thornton
A few years ago, I made a couple of split grips out of the short handles that came in kits. The resulting split handles looked like what I thought I was seeing in tackle shops However, I also found that, for my liking, the rear grip needed more dimension to it.. Those early attempts have been stripped off and larger diameter butts attached.
Forum: rodboard
9 years ago
Garry Thornton
In the beginning we often over-complicate things. If you received a guide layout from Mud-Hole, it's doubtful you will improve on it by playing around. On the other hand, you are free to try. To hold guides for wrapping I use Flex Coat's guide glue. If you need it now and are not close to a rod building store, ask for Low-Temperature hot melt glue in any craft store. You have to heat bot
Forum: rodboard
9 years ago
Garry Thornton
Some split grips can be a pain in colder weather. The fighting butt, especially ones made of EVA, have a way fo grabbing loose or bulky clothes. Very thin rods can look a bit anorexic with a split grip, but that's more of an aesthetic opinion than a problem.
Forum: rodboard
Current Page: 2 of 12

Webmaster