Whatever you do, do not twist. It intuitively seems the thing to do, but it really makes things worse and increases the probability of rod damage. And the general rule is ferrules work best when clean and dry. Lubricants can make things worse for some ferrules, especially metal ferrules. Only one rod maker I know recommends a lubricant and that is not oil and is for the spigot ferrules on t
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Try building up the diameter of small sections with tape then chuck it in the clutch.
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Kenneth Yes, mix a batch, pour it onto an aluminum foil lined paper plate, and wait. Better yet, make a test wrap or two and apply the finish. Epoxy is temperature sensitive. My guess is the epoxy will initially flow well but the open or working time in the heat will be significantly shortened as will be the cure time. Maybe you can do finish work in the pre-dawn cool or bring the epox
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I'm thinking a week from the last application too. I don't use TM, but most epoxy finishes are similar, and will look and feel cured in 24 to 48 hours, but the cure is not complete for several more days.
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It's decision time. You really need epoxy over and for some decals epoxy under and over the decal / sticker. If you prefer something else, now is the time to remove what you dislike and get the something else. Decal Connection (there is a link to their site at the left) can provide simple text decals that are not so pricey and in a wide variety of fonts, some of which fonts are the next be
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Have limited experience with under wraps, but wonder if in addition to a packing issue as John P described, maybe the thread diameters made the issue worse? As i remember it, under wraps are typically made with a smaller diameter thread, such as size A, and the over wrap, i.e. the guide wrap, is made using larger diameter thread, such as size D. So, going back to John's cross sections, it would
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Phil Acetone is not so good for you. If you have silicone contamination you got to find the source and eliminate it else you might be fighting fish eye for a long time. Plain rubbing alcohol, the 90% variety, is a solvent for about all common rod contaminates. Wash hands with soap and wipe with alcohol before beginning rod work. Do not use furniture wax or polish in the work area.
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Don't know why it is that tip tops frequently fail to properly aligned. Maybe it is a bad karma thing - for the tip tops. Here is a technique to consider. First thing is to guard against over heating the tip top which can damage the tip top finish and worse yet the blank. So, as Tom wrote, just a couple seconds at a time with the alcohol burner or lighter is sufficient. Secondly, to avoid b
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Maybe I'm living a charmed life, but I've yet to find an epoxy finish crack on a fly rod. Very old (50+ years) spar varnish yes. You would think that if epoxy were going to fail it would be on the upper most guides or metal ferrule wraps on a bamboo fly rod, but so far after 20+ years it has not happened. Maybe cracking is worse for spin or cast?
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Frank I too doubt there is a consensus, yet. There does seem to be an increasing number of fly rods built with alignment dots. Personally, I don't get the alignment dot thing. Aesthecally the dots are a non-event. In terms of functionality, it seems to me that alignment dots result in no more alignment accuracy than other methods, and I wonder (fear) they might tempt some to twist an alr
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Randy They are usually very responsive. I use their labels from time to time and have always been well pleased,
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Clint Try reducing the thread tension just a bit.
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General rule is 1 guide per foot of length or portion thereof. For example, a 7' 3" blank would usually have 7 plus 1 for a total of 8. An 8' 6" blank would have 9 as would a 9' blank. There are exceptions to the general rule. For example, a fighting butt's length is usually not considered in the 1 guide per foot or portion thereof rule. Only way to know for certain the number of
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Marc I prefer full rear grips on all spinning and bait casting rods. Learned to cast spinning rods using both hands, and a split grip feels odd.
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Chris I've build fly rods up and down and truly can feel no difference casting or bring fish to hand. Sorry about the 10 ring thing. It's an old target shooting expression referring to the absolute center of a target - the center of the target's center ring, the 10 ring - or perfection. For guide locations think in terms of giving the rod what it wants / needs and not in terms of guide
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Chris Yes, most fly rods are built "up" - spine on top just like a spinning rod or bait caster. Whether the spine ought to be up or down or offset by 90 degrees is a sure way to start a fight. Nine guides, excluding the tip top is OK. Their sizes and locations is another matter. Some hold that smaller, light wire snakes perform better while others claim larger guides are the wa
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Had an odd thing occur with ProKote medium viscosity resin today. Sent PRO Products a message, and 20 minutes later received a response and fix. As they say in the beer commercial, it just does not get any better! Well done PRO Products.
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Clint Have built grips both ways, with a threaded rod and home made support for the drill, and with a mandrel and the Flex Coat cork lathe. Unless your rod will be a one and done, the Flex Coat cork lathe and a steel mandrel is the way to go. And if you go the way, I suggest you attach the lathe to a work bench or something that is heavy, straight and flat. I used a scrap length of heavy al
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Lam Great advice from John above. There is an alternative to birch bark that is less expensive and a little less demanding, a faux birch bark grip made from 1/8" cork rings glued together using a tinted (black or dark brown) wood glue or epoxy. The process is then essentially as John described, and yes the faux birch bark made from cork can be fragile but not so much as the real thing.
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Tony For bait casting and spin I really like MHX. However, MHX fly blanks are not my cup of tea. Nonetheless, as you want fast action at a competitive price, MHX has to be on the short list of better value blanks.
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Andrew Long time Snake Brand fan here for fly rods from 6' 3" 2wt to 9' 9 wt and all points in between. Mike has had his guides tested for corrosion resistance by a third party and the results are published on their web site. The Original Snake Brand snakes must have their feet ground, but I only use them for size 2/0 on lighter rods. Most everything else is the Universal light wire
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Andrew You're in an ideal position. While you're shopping for a blank, dig out the rods with busted guides, cut off the failed guides, wrap on new, and finish the windings. That will help get you well along the learning curves for removing guides without damaging the blank, making wraps, and dealing with wrap finish epoxy without the pressure of building on a new blank.
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Sheridan I've a long standing love / hate relationship with CP that tends to the hate side, so I feel your pain. Am not a Gudebrod CP user, but think it a bit odd a single application would be sufficient. The CPs I have used required 3 or more applications to get the job done on silk. When I've been successful with CP, I've religiously followed the manufacturer's recommended application
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Clint You can buy in advance of immediate need if that is a financial option for you. Secondly, suggest you register with the vendors to the left on this page who accept customer registrations account creation and most do. You will then receive e-mails announcing specials, new products and services, plus sales and promotions, which sometimes include reduced or free shipping. Yes, your e-m
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Jason With regard to your questions #4 and #5, can you quantify the value in $s for rods that suit your hand, fishing style and techniques, desired aesthetics, etc.? My guess is probably not, but that is not necessarily a reason not to build your own. There is no substitute for a rod that truly fits you. Just don't expect the cost of a custom rod, and regardless of whether you are the build
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Cory Good advice to keep it warm and give it a chance to cure, and if it does not cure then another thin coat ought to do the trick. Question is, why did the finish not cure. Are all the finished areas and the old working mix tacky or only some areas? Inconsistent curing can result from inadequate mixing. 3 to 4 minutes mixing is better than 2 - it's hard to over mix. If nothing is curi
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Dennis Current generation of Helios as described by Orvis is available in "tip flex" or "mid flex" versions. Any idea which you were able to cast? We also need to know line weight and rod length to help with suggestions. Lots of more modestly priced yet solidly performing blanks available. In addition to those mentioned above take a look at TFO. For a first build
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Randy Perhaps most importantly, a fellow really needs a willing assistant to do the load test well. Yeah, you can build a rod holder, tie off the load line, and do it solo, but is sure is easier with two people. 1. Nothing magic about an exact 45 degree angle to the ground. However you get a 90 degree bend in the rod is OK. 2. I don't get your second question. Perhaps what you are
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Martin You did not indicate if the bamboo is 'blonde' or natural, or if it has been flamed or darkened. If the bamboo is blonde or natural, the golden yellow might not darken so much with out using CP, and you might find translucent gold or yellow to be attractive. Without CP on a flamed or darkened rod the yellow might or might not be so attractive. Making and finishing test wraps with
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The article is fluff. Nothing serious, nothing quantified, no cited, authoritative sources, and no mention of resulting rod performance gains or losses. It's primary purpose is a left handed marketing attempt to make readers run out and replace their micro guide rods and thereby increase the sales of the publication's advertisers. Nothing to see here, move along.
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