Let's try a thought experiment and assume the tip top is 90 degrees right of the other guides and that the first couple feet below the tip top curves hard right ending 3" from the center line axis of the remainder of the rod. It's a ugly rod and an extreme case. My guess is, and it's a swag, the cast would be right of the target by not more than 3" or a deviation of less than 1% for
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Have not built on a NFC blank. Nonetheless, you've got to believe the blank manufacturer knows a thing or two about its blanks and its recommendation has to be seriously considered. On the other hand there is not necessarily one and only one guide location layout that will work for the blank and a reduction in the number of guides will result in a modest weight reduction. I'd try it both ways
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You could also use an ATC MicrWave 18 stripping guide, I've used them on a 6 weight and a 10 weight. They sort of look odd on a fly rod but they do work.
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You're spot on correct, Phil. The inventory costs would be prohibitive. Another way to get an idea of hand size, especially if the rod is to be a surprise gift, is ask if the gift giver knows or can get the recipient's glove size. True story: Had occasion to accompany the wife to a well known outfitter's retail store. While the wife shopped, I drifted back to the fly fishing area and to
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This is a topic that receives far to little attention as the grip is the interface between the fisherman and the rod. And somehow rod manufacturers and custom rod builders alike have a 'one-size-fits-all' attitude so long as the grip is a full or reversed half-Wells and the grip length is varied ever so slightly according to rod length. Every hand is different, sometimes significantly diffe
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I'm reading these posts during a break from wrapping silk on a bamboo blank. Makes a fellow feel out of step and a little bit - old.
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Go here , enter line weight and length, and use the results for the starting positions. Then static load test, adjust positions, load test again, etc. The initial results from the calculator will probably not be correct, but ir will get you close enough to begin load testing.
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Ferrule style / type
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Two keys to success; natural (NOT WHITE BUT NATURAL) silk and a thin as water first coat of spar or epoxy. 100 weight / 000 silk is better than 50 weight. Do not make especially tight wraps and do not over pack. Mix 3 cc each of your favorite lite epoxy finish resin and hardener for 3 minutes. Then add 3cc of acetone and mix for 2 minutes. Throughly wet all wraps and take care not to
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Robert I've used them on a 6 and a couple 10 weights. Functionally they work well as you would expect from ATC. Aesthetically they look odd to a traditionalist on a fly rod - sort of "chunky". Think they are best suited to 9 and 10 weight carbon fiber rods in lieu of 2 strippers of more traditional design, and to lighter 6 - 8 weight glass rods where the blank diameters vs the M
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Built 2 a couple months ago, but both were 8', 4 piece carbon fiber. I don't care for the short rods, even for ultra lights. Send me an email and I'll send you a link to the vendor if you are interested.
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Rick Use acetone. Mix 3 CC each of resin and hardener for 3 minutes. Add 3 cc of acetone and mix again for 2 minutes. Viscosity will be about like whole milk - almost like water. Epoxy curing (epoxy does not "dry") is a chemical process where the resin and hardener react to form cured epoxy. The acetone both reduces viscosity and keeps the resin and hardener molecules apart
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If you wrap with silk, and if the silk is natural as in not dyed, and if you want transparent / ghost wraps, then and only then mix 3 cc of ThreadMaster Lite resin with 3 cc of ThreadMaster Lite hardener for 3 minutes after which add 3 cc of acetone and mix another 2 minutes. The resulting mix will have the viscosity of skim milk, will require an extended time to cure, and will require 2 applica
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If you can push through the learning curve, which is not so bad or long, use silk on those fly rods 6 weight and under. 100 weight or 000 silk is plenty strong, it's the traditional thread for fly rods, and once you getr the hang of it you'll probably not go back to nylon or poly.
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No, no, no. Zero through about 5 weight the only option is an agate stripper - period. Anything else is completely unacceptable in polite company. For heavy 6, 7 & 8 weights for use in fresh water use what you will. For the salt the strippers must be Ti - it's not negotiable. Not that I'm opinionated.
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Ben is correct; single foot guides will work. The purist / traditionalist (and that would be me) would think in a sin to even consider anything other than snakes. But the truth is neither the bamboo nor the guides care and the last time I asked a fish it diid not care either. For guides and sizes, I'd use a Joe Arguello 8 or 10 mm agate guide, then a Snake Brand 1/0 snake followed by 2/0s to
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I'm with Herb, 1s out to the tip top for a 5 weight.
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The .640 OD Snake Brand seat is a bit smaller in diameter and would aesthetically be the preferred seat for a 4 weight carbon fiber rod. It's a 4 weight rod and you'll probably use a proportionally sized reel. Save the larger seat for your 6 weight.
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Yes, the Eco snakes are worth it. You do not need the size #3 snake so get rid of it. The size #1 is optional. Make certain the line to leader knot you use will easily pass the size #1/0 snakes. Should be OK but better safe than sorry. The Snake brand reel seats are available in aluminum and nickel silver, up and down locking, with multiple insert options.
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Jack It's different strokes for different folks. Here's another way. Mix 3 ml of TM lite resin with 3 ml of hardener for 3 minutes. Add 1 ml of acetone and mix for another 2 minutes. Apply enough to thoroughly wet the wraps and no more. Individual turns of thread will be just visible. Let cure. Then apply a mix of 3 ml each resin and hardener. Individual turns of thread ought not be
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Bob I lightly wipe blanks when received with isopropyl. Thereafter I wash my hands before entering my work area and about every two hours thereafter. I'm certain there is some oil transferred from my hands to the blank and thread during the build but it has thus far not been an issue. What has been a problem is the wife dusting furniture and using Pledge. Walked away from the work area
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–Robertson_Federal_Aid_in_Wildlife_Restoration_Act
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I've "pushed it" to about 30 hours. Don't recommend it but got away with it.
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Have not used a rat tail in a long, long time, thankfully.
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Mark There is a video created by a vendor not a sponsor of this site using super glue to make trim wraps without a pull through, clove hitch, etc. I suspect the technique could be used for the main guide wraps. I've not tried it yet, but it looks interesting.
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Tom: I'm just guessing here but assume a multiple section fly rod. Take each section in turn, mount the butt end in a power wrapper with only one support located very close to the wrapper's jaws. Rotate the section slowly and observe the tip end move in a circle or loop. The straighter the section the smaller the circle or loop. You can see the same thing happen by rolling a section with
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Hokum? You've all failed fly rod marketing 101!
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Roger W If you are still following this thread I know mixing acetone to the epoxy finish does undesirable things to the finish in terms of its hardness, time to fully cure and maybe even its ultimate strength. However the ultimate goal is to invisible wraps with inlaid turns. The thinner the epoxy finish the easier it is to thoroughly wet out the silk and replace the air in the silk with epo
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Good Evening Tom I build only fly rods and clear wraps have become my signature of sorts, so my routine might not apply to other rods or be acceptable to other builders. 1. I don't clean prior to finish work to avoid 'raising a dust'. 2. I heat the resin about 8 seconds in the microwave, .mix 3cc of resin and hardener for 3 minutes, add 3cc of acetone and mix 2 minutes. Mixing done usin
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Roger is spot on correct - one can develop an allergy over time and with what seems to be minimal to modest exposures. And once sensitized even the small amounts used to test for sensitivity can set off ugly reactions. I've been there, done that, and am still wearing the T-shirt.
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