Sorry you won't be at the ICRBE this year.
Forum: rodboard

I started much the same way, read a book while stationed in Germany and bought all the components from a mail order company. Yes, I"m that old. Like everyone here says, don't wait for them to graduate. I just took my grandson fishing yesterday and watched him catch a bunch of panfish on a rod I built for him. He's almost 5 but he loved it...and so do I. Email if you have any questions a
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I''m rebuilding an old St. Croix 11 foor surf rod for a friend. The rod has an old but effective metal ferrule. In all my tape up casting tests, it works best when the 40mm guide is mounted on the ferrule. Is there any reason I can't mount the base guide on the ferrule?
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Does anyone have an American Tackle BCUE 20?
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Some of the Mudhole kits are well worth a look. Call them and ask one of the technical assistance people, they'll put you in the right direction. Then look YouTube over pretty good and some of the tutorials on Mudhole and Get Bit are great sources of info.
Forum: rodboard

Matt, Even though you are planning to use the rod from shore, you are looking for a version of a stand-up rod. A very good article on them is in last month's rodbuilder magazine. Granted, stand-up rods are usually short but frequently use a harness in lieu of a fighting chair. It appears you intend doing the shark raslin from shore using the same technique. I think the article will give yo
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Ocala here, I often visit Tampa. Contact me via email if you want.
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I've used it twice. Once for the color. The second for a friend who shattered the wooden butt handle on his heavy rod. The first one I finished off with permagloss, it sealed perfectly and left the texture of the cord. The heavy rod handle I used many coats of Pro Kote heavy, enough to completely cover the cord. Both worked great for the intended purpose.
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You mean every rod builder doesn't do this? I think it'd be odd not to do this.
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Tony said it best; each has its place. My preference goes to the type of rod and the type of fishing the rod will be used for. If I'm building for a customer; I build what they want. I like cork for the best all around material. Foam is softer and is much more user friendly in cold conditions. I like the carbon for the light weight and the vibration qualities. A lot of my customers prefer t
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Both will work. I go from the bottom to top just for the flow.
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There are several issues you need to address before you wrap. If you are going to underwrap the butt section, then you will need less tension since the underwrap thread will provide more friction than the blank's slick surface. Second is what size thread you are using. The right tension is a matter of trial and error, with great emphasis on the error. I recommend you do a few trial runs on a s
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Consider the Rainshadow 4 pc blanks. They perform great and travel nicely. I'm making two right now and have made several in the past.
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You can spend more but I've been hooked on Batson Rainshadow products for three years. Great product at a great price. Good people to deal with. I'm building two of them right now.
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Bill, I had the same question and Norman Miller gave me the same advice he listed above. I followed his instructions and never regretted it.
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I've had my best success with schedule 40 pvc. It costs a little more but has all but eliminated the frustration with breakage.
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PermaGloss, two coats. It provides a nice sheen finish and plenty of friction for grip.
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I'm with Ray on the charge. I get $10.00 per, plus the cost of the guide. If there is a trim wrap, I charge a dollar extra. There isn't a lot of income generated by this but it does bring in a lot of people who want a rod built.
Forum: rodboard

Damon, I have two power wrappers and never use one on a fly rod, not with power anyways. When wrapping, I put the reel seat in the chuck and adapt my supports to the proper positions. Then I go to the first rod support, the one closest to the handle, and tighten the upper roller against the rod so that it provides a fair deal of tension. Then I wrap by hand. This system gives me the suppor
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Bill, I'm in the process of making two fly rods right now and am exactly where you are. My formula is rod length + 1 and then I temporarily place them on the rod. Next i do the load test and make spacing adjustments as need. Following this I do some test casting to see how things flow. Sometimes on the longer rods I have a friend do the casting and I watch for impairments and make any furt
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I've experimented with many of the poly embroidery threads. It's important to remember that they all have silicone on them for lubrication. If you are going to use them, make sure you use CP (at least two coats). I take every, and I mean every, new thread and wrap a half inch on a scrap blank. Then I CP it and let it dry completely. Then I apply epoxy just as I would on a rod. This has let
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Cardboard NO, NO, NO. PVC is the next bet, little more $$ but better protection. Schedule 40 PVC is what I use. Yes it cost much more but I haven't had anything arrive broken. Think of the three little pigs and the delivery service as the wolf. No matter which way you go, insure it properly.
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I've had great luck with the batson rainshadow products. I'm getting ready to make one for my trip to Yellowstone in the summer. They are a great product at a great price.
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I have flamed my marbling slightly, ensuring the bubbles get free. This also tends to slightly thin the entire area and it smooths out a little better. Be careful not to overdo it; one of my first experiments got a little thinner than I wanted and the whole thing blended together. Robert is right on with the second coat of epoxy. This too will smooth out a lot of the contrast.
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Same problem. I upgraded to the Pac Bay chuck and was disappointed. My answer was to buy the ALPS power wrapper and I haven't regretted it. I still use the American tackle with the Pac Bay chuck but I put a large hose clamp around the chuck jaws and finger tighten the nut. No problems then.
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Both are excellent choices.
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A would be my choice. But be willing to accept mistakes and cut it off and try again. D would be more forgiving but I think in the long run you'll be happier with A.
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It is the price we pay for being mere mortals.
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Tom put it best. 3 or 4 on the heavy rods as they bear a greater load. My first cast is about 25%, just to make sure there are no obvious problems like you experienced. My second cast is at 50% and I check the line flow and make any adjustments. Third cast is about 75%, checking for line flow and making adjustments. This normally cures most of the problems. Then I make three full casts with
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There are several methods of shipping rods or blanks. After several bad results with the thin walled PVC pipe, I now use only schedule 40. It costs more but has not failed me yet. Regardless of what method you choose, make sure you insure it for the full value and have lots of photos should you have to file a claim. My lesson was learned the hard way, hope yours is not.
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