A butt grip of 10" or less works best for me. I prefer multi-piece rods whenever possible for safer transportation. When I am out on the water it is usually for a couple of hours and I don't store the rod during that time. A rod leash is vital and a Scotty rod mount makes life very pleasant. For fly fishing I go with 8'6" or 9 footers. Casting or spinning are fine with 7' lengths. You c
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A butt grip of 10" or less works best for me. I prefer multi-piece rods whenever possible for safer transportation. When I am out on the water it is usually for a couple of hours and I don't store the rod during that time. A rod leash is vital and a Scotty rod mount makes life very pleasant. For fly fishing I go with 8'6" or 9 footers. Casting or spinning are fine with 7' lengths. You c
Forum: rodboard

I'm with Mike on this one. The starting point for measuring guide placement is the place where the line comes off the face of the reel. I don't know of Steve Volkers but his rods will be better if he uses the method outlined in the Library article; and so will yours. There is no place in custom rod building for generalities other than as "guestimates". Every set up is unique although ma
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This is one very cool project. If price is not an issue it seems fitting for a rod of this caliber to be equipped with top shelf components. Fuji Titanium or Cermet Guides, an exotic burl wood reel seat with Nickel Silver hardware ( such as any of the smaller offerings from REC, Bellinger or Venneri), a nice custom turned grip and then topped off with some tasteful feather work and tidy register
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When you back cast a rod with snake guides the line will be rubbing on the finish covering the thread wraps. I use mostly single footed size 6 fly guides. After the feet are ground; wrapped in size A Nylon and finished with one coat of ThreadMaster regular the height of the finish does not cross reach the height of the inner ring diameter. Is it possible you are applying more finish than is actu
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I have been filling my head with info about the craft while performing so little actual rod building as to make me not much more than a fly on the wall. I do plan to turn that around so I feel I can add my perspective on the topic of Art or Function. I strive to make the best performing rod I can accomplish for the purpose it is intended. That, to me, is my first responsibility to the work; w
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I will also encourage you to choose among the Jet, Delta, Rikon and TC Pro. Next get the best 4 jaw chuck you can afford. The Barracuda is a good basic unit but the better ones permit one hand locking. This is a very nice feature but the Nova 2 and my preference, the Titan, will cost a bunch more. Good turning tools and sharpening system are also vital. I will be the first to mention dust man
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You might consider painting it with using the marbling effect. That's one way of turning lemons into lemonade. Dave
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Be sure to unbraid the cord before tucking it under to eliminate the bulk. Shrink wrap is one way to cover the edge. You can also build a ramp with an epoxy glue. Top that off with a thread wrap or marble finish. Dave
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St. Croix 5C68MXF for Casting or 5S68MXF for Spinning are the Legend Elite blanks their top models for this application. You can also save some money by looking into the SCIV and SCIII models but they are not the same 6'8" length. CTS probably has some good blanks for this purpose as well. Dave
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I save the Bounce Fabric Softener sheets after laundry use. They are great for wiping down the TV and computer monitor to reduce dust clinging from static electricity. I have used them as a final finishing step for regular and burled cork on the lathe. The resulting finish is nice ... but not my overall favorite. I like how they finish wood better. Dave
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The fortunate few who subscribe to RodMaker Magazine and frequent this Forum are rewarded in many ways; not least of which is freedom from hype. We are presented factual information and provided clear instruction on many of the latest innovations in the craft of rod building. Credit is rewarded as accurately as possible and the free sharing of these ideas is remarkable. This immunizes us against
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