Tom Kirkman's "Guide to Rod-Building" is the most recommended instructional book you will find mentioned on this Forum; and for good reason. It is written in easy to understand language and the many photos take you through all the key steps. You can order it from most of the rod building suppliers on the Sponsor list to the left. Also, this site is bursting with much needed informat
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A while back I got a "great deal" on a box of wooden spooled Gudebrod NCP White in size D on @#$%&. All seemed great until I was wrapping under power and the thread started to fray. Turned out that it would fray every few feet. Now I only use it for building up narrow arbors for fitting reel seats, etc. If you cannot inspect the thread before buying be prepared for the possibility of so
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CTS superior technology puts them ahead in all weight classes but expecially where brute strength is required. The Revo blanks up to 16/18 are state of the art today. Pick your color and come out fighting!
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I apply one or two coats of Permagloss; letting each coat dry completely before proceeding. ThreadMaster is then applied to fill the Tunnels and finish the wraps. If only using Permagloss I use multiple coats; at least 4 on light fly blanks and 6-9 on heavier blanks.
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Permagloss provides Peace of Mind Permagloss provides a great protective first coat for wraps. Super strong and flexible; goes on fast and dries to the touch very quickly. I read that it is very important to allow time for all the vapors to evaporate before coating PG with any other finish, so I prefer to wait at least 4 hours. I feel safer waiting a day if possible. Once this first coat has d
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The best thing about this Forum are the many fine folks who are not only willing to offer well intended advice but are actually eager to do so. I have yet to find another web site focused upon any topic that can even approach the level of cooperation as is found here on a daily basis. Raymond Adams has been an increasingly active member of the Forum. His tireless sharing of tutorials has bene
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A good way to keep colors as brilliant as possible is to paint the blank white where each wrap will go. Trim with Metallic or NCP. Another way is to use NCP thread for the wrap and pack tightly.
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Tim, The C3J4 is the one Andy Dear suggested to me. It is almost identical to the chuck on the Clemens and Renzetti Rod Lathes. The locking bars on my Clemens Lathe are slightly hollowed on the flat end; whereas the same area of the C3J4 is flat. I think I had to reverse the locking bars on the C3J4 when I got one for my Jet 1014. The flat end works best for round objects. It closes down t
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I had the same problem with two florescent paints that were not Krylon. I washed the first coat off and repainted. After waiting 48 hours I sprayed a single coat of Krylon Crystal Clear on the blanks. This provides a very thin barrier to keep the Permagloss from toiuching the paint beneath. The Krypon is very quick drying.. but I chose to wait a day before applying a thin coat of Permagloss. The
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Fuji Alconite guides ( I prefer them to be black ) are the best reasonably priced guides for all but the lightest weight rods. Their rings are very slick and, with a washing and drying after every trip, will last a very long time. These are my first choice unless it is for a super light rod or a high end project. For those I go up to the Fuji Titanium guides with the Sic rings. Fuji aluminum oxid
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Joe Kassuba gave walked me through the process of applying finish epoxy with the spatula he sells. His spatula is a great little tool. I upgraded mine with a short piece of narrow surgical tubing to beef up the handle section. It makes it much easier to use and very comfortable. This is my routine based upon what I learned from Joe at the Rod Building Show. (just one more great reason to att
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Jay, I made a wrong assumption that you were asking about fly blanks for Steelhead and Salmon. Casting and Spinning blanks are a separate topic. Dave Orr has done a great job of covering all the bases. Dave
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Sanford, I had a classmate in college by the same name. Did you happen to attend The Cooper Union in 1961? Dave customrodbuilder@hotmail.com
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I'll be there. Went to the first two and had to miss last year's show. I wait all year for this event and 2007 is gonna be the best yet. ***I HAVE A ROOM AT THE RADISSON RESERVED FROM THURSDAY - MONDAY. LOOKING FOR A ROOMMATE TO SHARE. EMAIL ME IF INTERESTED EVEN FOR JUST FRIDAY - MONDAY. **** Roger, I went to the first show after stumbling upon Rodbuilding.org a few months earlier. I
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Jay, I think you have a misconception about rods for Steelhead and Salmon. It is not that they are different than others of the same line weight and length; but that certain lengths and line weights are better for fishing these prey than others. So, depending upon the size of the fish and the environment you plan to catch them, you will select rods that are optimum for these circumstances. Fish
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I got bought the Jet when it was on sale at Amazon too. Then I got a 3 jaw scroll chuck and a Jacob's chuck from Penn State Industries. I added a mandrel from Andy Dear and was all set to turn cork and EVA. Like you, I started on a small budget and will be adding things as I go. Next will be a couple of good wood turning tools. Andy suggested I only need a 1/8" Parting Tool and a 3/8" F
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Why not spool a 60 yard base of 30# mono and top it with 300 yards of 30# Power Pro? It's always best to use the appropriate line that matches the rod's capabilities.
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Jim, The butt cap is the last step in my assembly process. This allows me to use the rod lathe for applying finish. I slip a short extension piece into the blank and grip the exposed end in my lathe chuck. The actual steps I take to attach a butt cap are as follows: - Plug the butt of the blank with Rod Bond. - I like the blank to touch the back wall of the butt cap. - Attach the rear grip
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Joe, I congratulate you on having such a productive year. RBI is a great idea and you seem to be doing a fine job in making it a reality. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to meeting you at the Expo. Dave
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Dave, I have a room reserved and it looks like my intended share is not going to make it to the show. Shoot me an email if you're interested. I would have emailed you but your address is hidden. Dave Gilberg customrodbuilder@hotmail.com
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Mo, I use a Van Staal VS 200 that is about 5 years old. Van Staal spinning reels are among the very finest made. Waterproof and built of aircraft grade billet aluminum alloy with some titanium parts. These are expensive reels. My VS200 weighs only 18 oz which is extremely light for a reel in this class. The new ones weight 21oz. It holds much more line than most reels and is rated for 8 - 17#
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Mo, I use braid on surf spinning and casting rods of all weights with a shock leader of 50# Mono. I forgot to note that the common rule of thumb is to have the shock leader long enough to wrap five times around the reel and up to the tip and back to the reel. This will provide enough leader to allow you to trim any worn area at the front quite a few times and still have enough to work with. For
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I assume this is a spinning rod you're planning. The TATSG sits too high for most casting applications. I am confident it is strong enough to handle the pressure of casting and fighting a fish. Still, I prefer to use double foot guides at the butt end for added protection from general abuse. Saltwater use is particularly harsh on rods so my suggestion is to go with double foot guides. Although yo
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I have had good success with Flourescent spray paint from Ace Hardware. The colors really pop on a white blank. Two thin coats of Permagloss sealed the deal with a very durable finish. Make sure the paint is thoroughly dry before applying the PG. It's hot stuff. Some paints need a spray coat of Krylon Clear Fixatif before the Permagloss. You can also tint Permagloss to color a blank. Dark bla
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You guys have trained the Steelhead to arrive on October 24th? Cool!!! Happy New Year Dave
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What's in B.C. on October 24th?
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Is there an economical 10" blade for a compound saw that will produce clean cuts? I was considering investing in a Forrest blade for composite materials even though it costs almost as much as I paid for the saw. The Arrow cut off tool costs less than the Forrest blade alone. If this keeps up I'll have more saws than blanks!!! Oh well, any excuse to get a new tool makes sense to me. No wife =
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Surf fishing is my absolute favorite pastime. Standing on the sand and gazing out into the vast expanse of ocean is always a thrill. Over the years I have tried some very fine rods for this type of fishing. There are others which I would very much like to try. The premiere blanks with prices to match are the Zziplex, Conoflex and also CTS. Personally I look forward to building a CTS Surf Spinner
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Allen, Run a search of the Forum using ALL DATES for the words BUMPER WRAP. Basically, you lay out your guides on the top, or 0 axis of the blank as you would for a regular casting rod. Then you move all the guides (except the Butt Guide) to the bottom, or 180 axis of the blank. The Bumper Guide is a small guide placed at 90 to 100 degrees on the side of the blank precisely half way between th
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The Jeans Patch seems a home grown remedy which is a poor alternative to a sound underwrap with or without a coat of finish before wrapping the guide over it. These are definitely heavy duty surf rods. You do not say what blanks you are using but since you are looking to reduce weight I assume you've chosen Graphite or a Composite. There are some who would not use underwraps even on such heavy du
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