Perhaps you really just are going loony? :-)
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great - thanks Lance!
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Thanks guys - Ibbotson it is :-) Fred - I'll do a search there - I think I know the site that Tom's filter screened out on your post. I kind of figured it was a low-end rod, it's short on fancy and long on 'production' :-) Neat rod though - I'm going to work with it. Thanks again! Rich
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Lance - can you give more details on the Castaway blanks - blank weights, construction, etc? Your site looks nice and I would really like to order a couple of these - but I'd like a few more details on the blanks first. Thanks!!
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A co-worker brought in a bamboo rod to show me today. It's labeled H-I, which I'm assuming stands for Horrocks-Ibotson (did I spell that right??) It's a President model, no line weight rating, but a sticker noting that it's Tonkin cane. Neat old rod, the handle assembly looks more like a spinning setup - picture no foregrip, a cap/ring seat, and about a 6-7" long cork rear handle. It has
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1pc vs 2 piece. Thank God we live in America where we are free to choose! :-) Marc, I agree with you - two piece rods carry no extra burden except the perception of reduced performance. The best thing you can do is attempt to educate the angler as to the lack of difference. Ultimately, it's their decision. That being said - I'm also a HUGE believer in the psychological aspect of the equ
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The options listed above are good, but you pay a premium at Arizona Silhouette. Check out: He has - far and away - the best prices on CA glue I've found. Good fresh glue, fast shipping. I've been very happy with him.
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I believe WD40 USED to have an extract of some sort of fish oil in it. I don't believe this is the case any longer - it contains petroleum distillates, and I would think we wouldn't want to be adding it to our waterways - it's a hazardous material. That being said - for many years it's been pretty well accepted here in Wisconsin that WD40 used to make a good fish attractant....
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Only problem I had upon receiving the newest Rodmaker and a Mudhole catalog in the same package was I didn't know which one to drool over first! I darn near dehydrated myself!!!!
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Hey - I did say "in general" :-) LOL!
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I think rodbuilders in general are about the finest people you will find.
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Ike - good things come to those who wait :-)
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Bryan - why the personal attack on him? I for one find it in very poor taste. Grow up.
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You have just outed the best secret in rodbuilding! :-) I have bought the same rings from them a couple times in the past and been very very happy with it. Good stuff, as long as you don't mind boring your own holes!
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I'd be worried about the Gorilla Glue oozing out between the rattan though - it expands like crazy. I've heard the new Elmers Nano Glue is supposed to be awesome - not sure how much it foams though....
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You are filling a wonderful niche here Steve - and those dyed/stabilized blanks look beautiful.
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Terry - I think you may be confusing the faceplate that comes with the lathe with the actual spindle. Any chuck you buy that has a 1"x8TPI thread on it will fit your Jet, and most other, mini/midi lathes. You have to remove the faceplate and you will see that the faceplate itself is 1x8TPI and threaded onto the headstock. If your 3 jaw chuck is 1x8TPI you will be good to go. If not, I b
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Excellent point Steve - and good job between you and Bob taking the time to think this through and post the potential possibility.
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Andrew - that haze in a CA finish is typically caused by one of two things - either moisture in the wood, or overly oily wood. Walnut is not generally considered an oily wood, but it is a possibility. I'd check to make sure that the wood in your grip is dry - was it a kiln dried piece of wood that you began working with? If not, you may have a grip that is not yet at it's equilibrium moisture
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Robert, I'm sure that will work just fine, but make sure you give them some time to dry before working them. I would think steaming them would work just as well, but it's sure to be more work than just soaking them in water.
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I'd add one more suggestion to the excellent ones already given - see if you have a local woodturning club in your area. If so - go to a meeting and maybe join. There is nothing like hands-on instruction to learn the different techniques involved. You'd be surprised, you probably have a club near you - I live in northern Wisconsin (very rural), figured there was no way there was anyone near me
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I had 3 thoughts when I read this Bill, 1) This guy has WAY too much time on his hands 2) Being an engineer - I can understand why he did it - and it is pretty cool.... 3) You should be in production ASAP - you could probably sell a bunch of them....
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Andrew - I re-read your post and noticed you said you had "clumpy, overheated superglue". The CA glue will get quite hot while it is curing - the heat and NASTY smell let you know when it is hitting it's cure point. I've literally burned my fingers on it before (stupid). I think Mark's application technique is interesting - I have no doubt it works great, I might have to try it! J
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Andrew, lots of potential problems here. First off - what type of CA glue did you use, how did you coat the grip, how many coats did you apply, and how long did you wait for it to cure? Also, sanding through 2000 grit and then flipping the paper over to burnish will not get you close to a high gloss finish. I use MicroMesh, a special sandpaper that goes through 12000 grit - although the grit
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Heck - it PALES in comparison to the neverending Holo-wrap posts!!! And how many "my NGC can't be right, the choke guide is located past the tip of the rod" threads have there been?
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I haven't found anything worth doing on my rods that wasn't more work. That typically is the only direct path to something innovative and different. If you want easy, as stated - buy preformed cork or (shudder) EVA, and be done with it. I haven't tried the foam (YET!!) - but it doesn't seem like an overly labor intensive process - and it's a good avenue to produce a lighter, higher performing
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cool.
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I'll second Mike's suggestion for the Batson RDR's. I built one up for a friend as a Great Lakes salmon/laker trolling rod and it's a very nice blank - esp. for the reasonable cost. Great actions, nice finish, definitely a winner.
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That's it - a new marketing angle - Rich's Retro Rods :-)
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I'll give them some props for the handle/reelseat - it gives me some ideas. I agree it looks very uncomfortable, but there are possibilities, and I think it's worth a look. What's scary is the alconites showing up on a sub 100 dollar factory rod. As far as marketing a "54msi" blank - don't even get me started! LOL!!!
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