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
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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
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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
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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
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Back Creek custom rods, will anodize titanium components for you. That’s what their business is all about. Norm
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What parameters did you enter into the KR GPS? Norm
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Here is a picture of my hook keeper. It’s made of titanium welding wire bent to shape. It takes a few minutes to make, costs less than 15 cents, works extremely well, and will not corrode. I have been making this hook keeper for over 20 years. If you like the traditional double ft loop hook keepers you can use the titanium wire to make then yourself. Norm
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For UL Rods with light mono these stainless ring guides will work great. I’ve never had a problem with them If you want extra security or piece of mind then use a ceramic tip top. Norm
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There are a number of enamel pin manufacturers that do custom work. I doubt very much they would do just a single piece. So, you would probably need to have multiple copies made. If it’s your business logo might not be a bad way to go. Some of the pin manufacturers do very nice work. Norm
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Casey, thank you very much for your input, it is greatly appreciated! It certainly confirms my thoughts on the product as being a moisture curing urethane. Hopefully more people will give it a try. Norm
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Mudhole bought RodDancer, so I’m not sure if LumiSeal, a RodDancer product, is still available. Norm
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All three of the finishes mentioned above are packaged in glass bottles. Norm
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I’m almost certain that CPXtra is not a water based finish. I believe it is chemically similar to PermaGloss, and cures versus dries. PermaGloss, CPXtra, and LumiSeal appear to be similar polyurethane products just sold by different companies. Maybe Casey at VooDoo Rods will chime in on what he knows about these products. Norm
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I tried some CPXtra a number of years ago, and ,as I recollect, it was very similar to PermaGloss. I used it to coat several rod blanks and it gave a very nice smooth finish that looked good and held up well. It is hot and has an organic smell to it like Permagloss, and cures very quickly. I assumed it was a humidity cured polyurethane finish like PermaGloss, but don’t know for sure. However, Cas
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Check with VooDoo Rods about CPXtra. Norm
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You can also find the Scotch Brite pads at some auto supply stores. Norm
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Try the Rod Room or Utmost Norm
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You can prep the blank by taking the shine off the blank with a fine grey Scotch brite pad or very fine steel wool. I find it easy and quick to wipe on the PermaGloss using gauze pad or a piece of coffee filter, they both work well and are lint free. When applying PermaGloss wear a pair of nitrile gloves. Basically, I pour some PermaGloss into a small container and saturate the applicator with it
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I believe the Fuji WCS checks were initially designed for the SK2 split reel seats where the threaded barrel and the fixed hood are separated from each other, and these winding checks give a nice finished look. However, they also fit other reel seats if you want no-fore-grip grips. For the most part I like these winding checks because they do give a nice clean finished look. However, on some occa
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The Fuji WCS16 winding checks are a very tight fit into the IPS reel seats. However, they do fit but need to be pushed into place, they will basically snap into place. I use the top of my bench to push against when snapping the winding check and reel seat together. Make sure the ID of the winding check fits the blank where you need it. So, I first snap the winding check into the reel seat off the
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Most, if not all, freshwater and inshore casting reels are level winds, so pushing or pulling the line with the thumb for level line lay is not an issue. In my opinion, you can spiral in either direction, doesn’t make much of difference. Some like to spiral to the handle side, to keep the guides off the boat deck, others like to spiral in the opposite direction for a more balanced look. The first
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The blood knot is a very good knot for joining braid to a leader. I have a friend that uses it all the time with great success. There are number of different knots available for joining braid to a leader, and everyone has their favorite. It is all about which knot you trust and feel comfortable tying. I like leader knots that put the hard tag at the rear of the knot, they are much less prone to h
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If I remember correctly, Fenwick did not supply decals with their blanks, they silk screened their logo and blank info onto the blank itself. SP (rod type) 81 (rod length) 2 (power designation/2=light) F (ferrule = 2 piece). Norm
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If you are planning on building rods, then I strongly agree with Kendall, get a rod dryer! They are not that expensive and well worth the money. Norm
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If you have problems with scratches after removing finish, take the shine off the blank with a scotch brite pad or very fine steel wool, clean blank and wipe on a coat of Perma Gloss. Blank will look almost brand new. Norm
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All of the modern finish epoxies are very good. High build has a higher viscosity than low build, and thus makes it easier to finish the wrap with a single coat. For a low build epoxy, it usually takes two coats to finish a wrap. In my experience the low build also has a longer working time, meaning it takes longer to fully cure. After about 2 to 3 hrs, rotation can be stopped with most epoxies.
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Not all of them are unsanded. The X-ray blanks can be purchased either unsanded (ridged) or sanded (smooth/mirror black). The HM, IM, and SM series are all sanded. If you have an unsanded blank and want it smooth, then wet sand it with 500 to 800 wet/dry sand paper. This will remove the resin ridges making the blank smooth. Doesn’t take long to do this. I personally don’t mind the unsanded blanks
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Just CCS measured the NFC travel rods I had on hand. SJ683-4 IP = 467 gm. AA = 76.5 MB683-4 IP= 518 gm. AA = 73.5 MB704-4 IP = 740 gm. AA = 74.5 They are all very nice blanks, with a nice smooth bend. The ones I’ve made up casted great within the lure weights listed listed. Since they are 4 piece blanks, you have to realize the ferrules make the blanks heavier, stiffer and more powe
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In my opinion, a 3.75 mm running guide seems extremely small for a fly rod guide. I don’t even use guides that small on a micro-guide casting/spinning rod. Are you sure you have the measurement right. Norm
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I’ve seen a couple of commercially made rods that have had some sort of clear over coat that started to flake off the rod. It did not appear to adhere to the underlying finish very well. Because of this, I was able to remove this outer coat by gently getting under it with my finger nails or a utility knife and just flake it off a little at a time. It came off pretty clean without damaging the und
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