I have put on quite a few Fuji guides and I don't have anything negative to say about any of them. It's just that when I tried my 1st set of SS304's, I liked the weight, performance, looks, and price of them so well that now a customer has to specifically request something else or he's gonna get SS304's.....thats just my 2 cents. Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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If you are a family of fishermen, like my family, make your first...(and maybe your 2nd, 3rd 4th LOL) customer your own self. As Tom mentioned earlier, re-do the rods you might already have around the house....That's what I did and now all my kids have split grip spiral wrapped $10.00 Zebco rods LOL Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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Buy the pre-made ones from Mudhole...They come in lengths of 9 to 11 or 12" or even longer. Cut you off 2 1/2" to 3" at a time and two or three pre-made handles can give you quite a few split grip handles. Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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I handled some of the CTS blanks at the show in Charlotte.....I have NEVER held in my hand a sweeter blank as far as light and sensitive go...Loomis aint got a thing on these blanks. Up until Andy started handling them they were cost prohibitive by the time you added the high shipping charges to the high price. They'll be more affordable now that Andy is paying to get them shipped from New Zea
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I make them all the time with heavy duty paper clips and a pair of needle nose pliers.......The only down side is that paper clips are not stainless and will eventually lose their shine. They work great tho.... Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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I'm sure glad you posted this.....I was just starting to wonder...what the heck is happening to my rod bond? Now I know.....Thanks Steve Buchanan Steve's custom Rods
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Mudhole has got them too. Probably Jan's Netcraft or some of the others as well. Good luck... Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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I already told her she could help me finish off my big bottles of flex coat so i can try some of Andy's Threadmaster...as for pigment...she went to the local paint store and got about 20 colors LOL Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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God don't tell her that....You aint never seen her with a swelled head... It aint purty.....LOL Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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Andy...as soon as you get the new paint up and running, please send me something via email or snail mail to see colors and prices...I paint several blanks and would love to get all my paints from you if the colors I need are available. Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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Krylon Fusion Paint.....and Spar Urethane Top coat Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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My wife was totally disinterested in my Rod Business until she attended Putter's marbelizing seminars at Charlotte. She came home all fired up...wanting to become a partner...Change the name of the business...I told her let's see her wrap on some guides before we go that far. She has started marbelizing all kinds of stuff. She is even teaching me in exchange for wrapping lessons...I promised P
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A while back, thanks to a lot of great advice from this board, I was able to complete the project of painting my daughter's gray rod pink.....What can I say....that's what she wanted...While I was at it I made it a split grip and added a Kistler type hook keeper. I promised to post pics so here they are....Now if I can just learn to take clear pictures with my wife's digital camera...LOL All in
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Cool.....Thanks.... I think I have got it....Will try it out tonight after work..... Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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I want to learn how to put the link to a pic in a post. I see it all the time...they always look like the exact same link, but they always go to the exact picture the writer intended. I know some of you are chuckling about now....but I don't have a clue how to do it....H...E...L...P...!!!!! Thanks in advance. Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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Andy.....Will this new paint for blanks require a clear coat of something over it or will it have sufficient gloss in itself? Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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I am a tournament bass fisherman, so when I started I had already had about a dozen or so rods that I used regularly. Before long they were all re-wrapped...spiral wrapped...split gripped....balanced...you name it..all BEFORE I ever considered doing anything for a paying customer. I even tore apart and spiral wrapped and split gripped a $230.00 Kistler LTA that didn't have a danged thing wrong
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I can't wait....... Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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Mudhole carries am AmTack palming reel seat for spinning rods that I have had good success with. It's not blank exposed, but it gives real good sensitivity because of the way you hold the rig makes it feel like you are holding the blank itself. I build them without any cork at all sometimes. I have a few pics of these in my gallery. I especially like them for drop shot set-ups. Steve Buch
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If it needs to be burnished on, it will have three layers...Peel off the bottom layer and stick to blank...then burnish...then peel off top clear layer, leaving the decal/sticker exposed. The irredescent fish that you get from Jan's Netcraft are the burnish on type. I have had pretty good success with them.. I put Color Preserver on before applying epoxy. Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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Now that's a thought....LOL Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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I'm 50 too Tom...but the difference is... I look it and you don't...I'm just jealous...LOL But really, the show was a changing event in my life. My wife and I are going to finally share in something that I have wanted her to get interested in for a long time. I can't begin to thank you and all the great people in this forum...Words just don't do it adequately. Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom
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Bill... I went and it was phenomenal. My wife even got interested in my rod business after attending the show. I sure wish you could have come. You are one of the ones that I especially look forward to meeting in person. I was a little dissappointed that some of the names that I had wanted to put faces with, couldn't make it but I did get to meet Tom and Billy Vivona, and Putter. I tell ya
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I tried the tape once and when I removed the tape after the epoxy dried, I had a sharp edge, as described above...I had to go back and free-hand with a brush and add more epoxy at the edges to round off the sharp edge. On a later rod I tried the tape again but this time as soon as I had epoxy on all the guides, I carefully removed the tape, pulling slightly toward the guide wraps...while the epo
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You can cut them off if you are very careful. I have done about a half dozen of my bass rods that I have had for several years. Since I got into rodbuilding, I no longer have ANY rods with foregrips, nor ANY rods that aren't split grip. I use a dremel with a diamond cutting wheel and very carefully...I can't stress CAREFULLY enough, I cut around the circumfrence flush with the nut with the ree
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I bust the little bubbles by blowing my hot breath through a straw on the wrap as it is turning on the dryer. I also blow in the mixing cup just before I pour the finish out into the aluminum foil, or in the puddle of finish once it is poured into the foil, and get most of the bigger ones. Haven't encountered any yet that I couldn't get with this method. Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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I like the Berkley SS304 guides, especially for light weight stuff. I do mostly bass rods and I like em so much that a customer is gonna have to specifically ask for something else in order to get them...What can I say ? I like them... Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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This will be my first time to the show so I have a question. Will everyone be wearing name tags? Sure would make looking up guys you have seen posting on here a lot easier....There are a lot of guys on here that I'd love to meet. Probably a dumb question but I was wondering and hoping... Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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Thanks guys....I think I can do it now....I love this Forum....What would we do without it?
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I got some of those irredescent fish decals from Jann's Netcraft and am about to try to put one on a rod. All I got was the decal...no instructions. How do I do it ? Is this thing a peel & stick? Doesn't look like a waterslide....looks like a cloth backing....Does it need CP? Any special tricks I need to know? Thanks in advance.. Steve Buchanan Steve's Custom Rods
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