What blank was used for your co-worker’s rod? There may be a modern version of his broken rod which might make him happy. I’ve built several rods for casting lures for inshore species including pompano, rather than for soaking a bait on the bottom. I think the hotshot blank may work just fine. It might be a little overkill, but not sure since I have not used that particular model. I’ve used MHX
Forum: rodboard

Learn how to tie an FG knot as the leader to braid connection, and you won’t need to keep the connection out of the guide train. It is the thinnest and strongest leader knot I know of, and I used most of them. It doesn’t have a tag end at the front end of the knot so it passes very smoothly through the running guides even those that are much smaller than the ones you are using. Norm
Forum: rodboard

Here are a couple of Anglers Resource publications that may help concerning KR guide groupings . A couple of suggestions for the your guide train. The first one doesn’t use a high belly guide the second does. Both should work with siz 6 runners. RV25H (55.9), KL12H (31.9), KL7M (19.4) for the reduction train followed by KT6 runners. RV 25H, KL12H, KL7M, and KL6L (12.2) as high belly/
Forum: rodboard

As I mentioned, there is a lot of flexibility in setting up a guide train. For rods over 8’, Fuji suggests using a “high belly guide” as the “choke guide” since it may help with performance. However, you can certainly replace this high belly guide with a running guide, it’s up to you. As far as butt guide position, it depends a lot on the reel size. For example, the larger the reel the further ou
Forum: rodboard

There are a number of KR guide options for your 10’ surf rod using a 4000 reel with 30 lb (PE 1.5 ygk) braid for casting lures up to 2 oz (60 gm). Since you already have the RV25H, there is no sense in not using it as your butt guide. So, The guides you listed will work fine, but probably a little overkill for what you want to do, but they will work. Fuji does recommend your guide selection as o
Forum: rodboard

Here is an article from the library by Tom Kirkman which does a good job describing the New Guide Concept (NGC). The KR concept is an off shoot of the NGC. Because I use braid, I rarely use the NGC anymore, I prefer the KR concept with its high frame small ring reduction guides designed for rapidly choking line coils. Norm
Forum: rodboard

The Aero reel seat has a large ID at the fixed hood end of the seat into which the grip fits. Hard to image this seat would look good or feel comfortable in the up locking position with no fore-grip. The palm swell becomes a finger swell. Just my opinion. Norm
Forum: rodboard

I dislike the up-locking position for a reel seat very much. One of the reasons I started building my own rods. Just a matter of personal preference. Norm
Forum: rodboard

NFC sells three VSS17 carbon fiber grips. G608 (4.25” split grip), G609 (10” grip), and G610 (12” grip). There are also a variety of CF fighting butts available for the split grip version. There are also a variety of hidden thread hood sleeves for the TVS17, KDPS17, and the KSKSS17, which will all fit the the VSS17 reel seat. So if you want a VSS17 carbon fiber handle set up you are good to go.
Forum: rodboard

AmTac has carbon fiber foregrip sleeves that fit the G2 uni lock hoods. Norm
Forum: rodboard

David - Who are you contacting at NFC? If you are using the info email you will be better off emailing a real person. If you need a name email me. Norm
Forum: rodboard

Haven’t used the XO Skeleton spin grips, but it sounds like they don’t give you a lot of overlap for glueing your blank in place. I would have thought they would have the full length of the reel seat portion of the grip with the same ID to give you at least 4” of overlap. However, I assume these grips have been successfully built and used even with this minimal amount of overlap. This short ove
Forum: rodboard

There are several different ways to go. If the reel seat is in good shape, still glued tightly in place, and he likes it, it might be easier to clean it up and leave it on the blank. You would then only need to replace the rear cork grip and fighting butt, both of which are easy to replace from the rear. A new cork or carbon fiber sleeve for the hidden thread hood can be used to replace the old s
Forum: rodboard

David - Could very well be how they trimmed the blank. Taking a little off the tip but keeping the same length, would certainly make the butt a little larger, and put the 12.5 mm point a little further up the blank. Such a trim might also account for the differences in our CCS values. Norm
Forum: rodboard

Just checked my measurements using my vernier micrometer. The diameter at 13” up is 0.495” = 12.57 mm. The butt diameter was 0.5825 and the tip fit a 4.5 tip top. Pretty darn close to the specs given by NFC. The CCS numbers I got for this blank were Ip = 463 and AA = 74. Norm
Forum: rodboard

I have not built the SB722 as a casting. However, if it has the characteristics you like, there is no reason you can’t build it as a casting rod. Norm
Forum: rodboard

I just checked my SB724 with a smooth mirror finish with 12.5 mm metal winding checks. They was about 12-13 inches from the end of the blank, depending on the winding check used. The battery for my digital calipers was dead. Norm
Forum: rodboard

The SB722 can also be used as a casting rod. Norm
Forum: rodboard

Just do it the regular way. Weaving in and out through the gap in the guide foot sounds like a waste of time without gaining anything. As Tom stated the locking wrap is very quick and easy to do, even on KR reduction and running guides. In most cases, locking wraps are not really necessary. I do them for a little extra security and because I can. Norm
Forum: rodboard

I always use a locking wrap on the Fuji KR guides Norm
Forum: rodboard

When using the syringes with the self sealing bottle caps you can accurately measure very small amounts of epoxy and not have a problem. I very rarely mix more than 1.5 ml of each epoxy component, and that’s only when I’m doing multiple rods. One ml each is more than enougth to finish a normal freshwater rod, and mix .5 ml each when finishing a guide or two. Norm
Forum: rodboard

Yes, the can be used on both spinning and casting rods. Norm
Forum: rodboard

I also wouldn’t epoxy an entire rod. Not only is it relatively heavy but also difficult to get a nice thin smooth finish over the entire rod. Painting a rod is not the easiest thing to do as a beginner. However, people have had good success using flexible spray paints made for plastics or cars. You want something flexible that doesn’t crack or chip when the rod is bent. These type of spray paints
Forum: rodboard

You can glue it to the cork, or glue it to the blank and then slide the grip into place. Either way works. Hate taking a perfectly good high quality cork ring and wasting it under a butt cap. I’ve also used pieces of turned down wine corks as tenons. Norm
Forum: rodboard

I just use a piece of a 20 mm polyurethane foam arbor as a tenon. They work great are the right size and saves a cork ring for use on a future grip. Norm
Forum: rodboard

If the paint has not chipped off anywhere and is still in good shape, you may not need to scrape the old paint off the blank. Just take a fine Scotch Brite pad (grey) or extra fine steel wool to take the shine off the finish. Then clear coat with PermaGloss. If the paint has chipped off revealing the underlying blank you may want to scrape the old paint off. I do this using a utility knife with
Forum: rodboard

Personally I don’t grind the feet on Fuji guides, or any guide for that matter. I find grinding unnecessary and it also removes the protective corrosion control finish. If you have a problem climbing the toe of the larger guides, then just roughen it up a little with diamond nail file. This will give the thread a little more bite to climb the toe without removing the finish. Just my way of doing
Forum: rodboard

After scraping off the old finish, I wet sand the blank with 500 to 1000 grit wet dry sandpaper. This will remove all traces of the old finish, and only takes a few minutes to do. Because the sand paper is so fine it more like polishing the blank rather than sanding it. I’m not a big fan for painting a blank, it can be difficult for a beginner plus it adds unnecessary weight. So, after wiping th
Forum: rodboard

As a former scientist, I was taught to be very skeptical. In order to support or dismiss a given hypothesis, experiments need to be performed in a controlled fashion where as many variables as possible are eliminated except the one being tested. This is one of the reasons that all scientific research papers and grants are peer reviewed by multiple reviewers. This is done in part to make sure the
Forum: rodboard

Aleks thanks for the methodology needed to objectively measure frequency transmission of a blank. However, there are some concerns about the experimental design. It seems that some controls are lacking. If one is trying to linkTNF/modulus in either a positive, negative or null fashion to frequency transmission, why compare two very dissimilar blanks for the initial experiment? I think it would
Forum: rodboard