John, I have 2 of your chucks and use them for both dying and hand wrapping. But because it is a slip chuck I find it doesn't work very well if I'm power wrapping. i liked the one in Bill's photo because it looks like it would keep the blank from walking when the lathe is turning at faster speeds.
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Bill, I've never seen a chuck like that, where did it come from?
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Just posted pics of the finished rods. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I decided to go with 4 guides on one and 3 guides on the other after playing around with them during the static test. These configurations just looked right to me. I'll have to get the final evaluation from my brother when he tries them out in Minnesota as there is no ice on my lake in southeast Texas.
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Buzz, These are for my brother who lives in Grand Rapids MN. Plenty of hard water up there. Where are you in Wisc? He has a cabin near Exeland.
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Thanks for the replys and suggestions. I built two ice rods this weekend and gained a huge respect for you guys that do this on a regular basis. These blanks are so tiny I don't know how you do it. The tube size on one of tips is 2.5, it's like trying to wrap an A size thread around a D size thread. They are on the dryer now and I'll post pictures in a day or two.
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Is there any wisdom out there about guide spacing on ice rods? The rod I'm building is 26" long with a 6." handle. It will only have 2 guides and a tip top. I can't really do a static test like I would on a longer rod. I've just spaced them out to where they look right and have a reasonable conformance between the reel and the bend of the rod. Any comments are appreciated. Thanks
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Did you file or sand the point of the guide to make it thinner at the transition point?
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Joe, I looked at your Facebook page, are the bark grips you have there finished with the 50/50 mixture you mentioned. They've got a very shiny appearance which I like but I didn't think you could get that with oil.
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Randy, I've got a brother that lives in northern Minnesota and he sent me a large box of sheets of birch bark for which he gets two ice fishing rods. You can also find them on the big @#$%& site. I've never used the ones from Custom Fly grips but I have ordered some of Joe's cork products and find them to be some of the best I've used. I especially like the vertical wave cork rings. The ba
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Thanks for the suggestions. I thought about the Tru oil but will it make it water proof for the long haul? I'll do some tests on small segments I've put together.
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I'm in the process of doing my first set of Birch Bark grips. What is the best way to finish them? Should I use an epoxy thread finish or a wood finish like a marine grade polyurethane, or something else? They are going on an ice fishing rod.
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Phil, Do you have some brand names you can recommend for the UV sensitive epoxy?
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I agree concerning the logo. I've built one rod with the Winn grips. It was for my dad who is an avid golfer and an avid fisherman. I do like the the feel of them, very comfortable to cast, but I don't care for the logo.
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I agree with the rubber band idea. I've got the ALPS chuck but it is from before they had set screws. If I don't put the rubber band on it will walk out of the chuck in a matter of minutes regardless of any taper on the butt. I'm thinking of finding someone to drill and tap the proper sized hole for a set screw.
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I found when I first went to the site I didn't see much. I logged off and then logged back on, almost everything was there. I then refreshed the page and everything was there including the Most Recent selection. It looks good.
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Jerry, What is high tack clear app tape? Can you be more specific?
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This is a grip I did a while back that uses automotive gasket material between the rings that is readily available in Auto Parts stores. It's a thin line and comes in different colors. I like the look. I'm guessing that if you put a color or tint into the epoxy or glue, by the time the handle has been turned down and sanded you may not see enough of it to get the affect you're looking f
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Here is a picture of a rod I recently built. The thin black spacers between the cork rings are made from gasket material which can be purchased at any auto parts store. I use a 1 1/4" paper punch I got at Hobby Lobby to cut the rings and a regular sized paper punch to cut the center hole. Then just glue one in between the cork rings and turn down on the lathe as usual.
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Thanks Tom, a lot great great stuff there.
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Tom, I perceive you to be a master rod builder. You are the heart of this forum, Rodmaker Magazine, and the mastermind of the ICRBE; but if I search on your name in the photo page I don't see any examples of your work. Am I missing something in the search? I, for one, would like to see some pics of your builds, I'm sure it is fine. Hope I'm not stepping out of bounds here.
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I also leave the butt cap til last and wrap a rubber band several times around the end of the blank. I find the rubber band lets the chuck jaws make a good grip on the blank without having to put a lot of force on it.
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I can't find the Tiger Trout anywhere on your site. What am I missing? I saw it when you asked for suggestions on what to call it.
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Thanks for the info David, I'll try one.
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David, What are buffs? Couldn't find them on the Pellagic website. They have something called a Sunshield, is that the same thing?
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Thanks for all the good suggestions.
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I tried quite a few before I found this one. I really like the light provided by the LED's.
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Randolph, Got it thanks. I've not been real good at keeping records, but have all of the parts invoices I've bought. I pretty much have it in my head but since I only build one rod at a time I can figure each one out. I'm planning on going back and compiling the details that I should have been more diligent about keeping track of. Thanks for the diagram, good stuff.
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General Question....this is mainly for hobby builders and not those who build rods for a living. Do you hobby builders keep detailed records for all the parts used on the rods you build? If so, how do you do it (spreadsheet, receipts in a book, hand ledger, memory like a steel trap)?
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SCRB had their first meeting on Saturday May 31st and it was an overwellming success. We had 26 builders in attendence ranging in experience from one day to over 24 years. It was held at the Fishing Tackle Unlimited store on the Katy Freeway in Houston. Many thanks go out to the people and companies that contributed door prize raffle items and to FTU who allowed us to take over the upper floor
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Jim, The setup looks great but I have to question having carpet in the room. I think it will generate a lot of dust that could contaminate your finishes and be hard to keep clean. Just my 2 cents worth.
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