How much of the IRBC is judged on Form (aesthetics) vs Function (performance)? While either / both could possibly be considered “innovative” or “”spectacular”, what are the judges ACTUALLY looking for as a base for their decisions?
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For those of you who were interested with my post on 02/07/2022 “UL Telescopic Blanks Availability?”, I am offering photos (albeit not very good quality) of my project to fabricate a telescoping rod with removable guides (RG). The whole purpose of the RGs was to afford PROPER guide spacing as per 2-line static load testing yet allow the telescoping sections to FULLY collapse inside one another. I
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Adam, Good post! Your observation certainly has merit and is honorable and commendable indeed; we all need to be more concerned with, and try to eliminate, our negative impact on this planet. As you, I cannot find myself simply throwing the little bags you referred to in the trash and also have a pretty good “stock” of them; unfortunately, my re-use capacity is less than new ones coming in. I c
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Phil, Bars themselves, alone, by nature are enough to keep me out! Robert, I have to give this project “heck’ to repay if for giving me so much heck.
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Lance, Maybe I’ll start.
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Jason, While I have made reference to the “line angle through the guides” while static load testing, it is more about comparing the all angles achieved on that particular blank rather than an exact number in degrees. It is meant to be a visual aid, similar to observing, rather than actually measuring, the distance the line is from the blank midpoint between guides. CONSISTENT angles or distances
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For those I have not bored yet and are still interested in following this topic, the final 2 guides are cured and trimmed so I decided to weigh them all, bare guides vs wrapped. The KR guidetrain consists of KL16-H, KL8-H, KL5.5M, and 6 KB 5s. A KB 5 was used as the tip top because the tube of a typical tip top will not work in this application. While I have a very good quality scale, the resolut
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Tom, I take exception to your comment “Nobody in California would have had the need to develop the ice rod.” The nightime temps have PLUMMETED into the 40s here in SoCal and we have ice too; I just need to drive 4 hours north to the Eastern Sierra.
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Phil, Thanks for sharing your test results. While there are numerous factors to consider when attempting to discover the best finish FOR EACH, INDIVIDUAL BUILDER, yellowing (or more precisely the lack thereof) is certainly high on the list. I purchased quite a few different thread finishes to test, but my tests were more limited to the physical / working properties rather than UV stableness. Wh
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BTW and FWIW, I have been using Flex Coat thread finish rather than structural epoxy. Although the FC is a higher viscosity, it is still penetrating through the thread and into the CF tow base. All appears to, and I am confident it will be fine. So much so that I plan on using thread finish on my next CARL as well as tapered composite slip rings for Tennessee handles.
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Norman & Tim, Norman said it very well, “I assume he Is using his CARL sleeves sized to fit the various guide locations on the blank, and then wrapping a guide on them.” That was the original idea but the sleeves ended up being too thick, ~ .025in wall = added bulk, weight and stiffness. Actually, the first removable guide (RG) was simply the guide thread wrapped directly on the (cellophane
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Aha, now we are getting somewhere. Thanks for the replies which are greatly appreciated!!! Tim, From my research so far, the Tenlara style rods may be the best candidates for my project. However, the one which was sent to me for inspection, previously mentioned, had pronounced spiral ridges (similar to a Point Blank?) the full length of the rod (pole?). Too bad because it (Tenkara USA) was beau
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Chris, Thank you for the reply. You are correct about the blank needing to be 3 or 4 piece or even more. While the 2-piece tele rod you mentioned will not work for my application, I have a question. If the tip section telescopes into the butt 2 ft, does that mean the first guide from the tip top is basically 2ft away? I can’t imagine that working. With all of the tele rods I have seen, the guide
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Aaron, Very cleanly done and looks great.
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Although posting a request to learn of an UL 1-4lb / 2-4WT, 6-8ft telescopic BLANK awhile back, I have not been able to find such an animal. A respected veteran member of this site graciously sent me his Tenkara style “fly” rod for inspection and evaluation. It was beautifully constructed with very nice, subtle painted details under a clear coat, and even came in a faux suede sock inside a very
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Jeff, With your comment “If I've learned anything over the years, it's to force myself to slow down and do as good of a job as I can, or risk being miffed at myself for rushing and suffering with the results” you obviously and already have the correct mindset = you will become a fine rod builder and maybe even quicker than others. While rod building is certainly not rocket science, practice, exp
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Kendall, There is nothing better or more expensive than a F1 rod, even if from decades ago lol.
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Jeff, Welcome!!! You may be overqualified for the position of rod builder lol. As with any new endeavor, there will be a learning curve to realize, acept, apply and achieve your goals. Nonetheless, I am anxious to learn from your portfolio; bring it on!
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Phil, Precisely how much does a coat of PG weigh on, say, a 7ft blank?
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Josh, Your question will attract varying opinions and will remain an ongoing debate. First of all, “balance” is a personal preference; what is balanced for one angler may not be for another. Secondly, as Tom alluded, some fishing techniques perform better with a tip-up balance, others tip-down. Thirdly, the longer the rod = the more difficult, if not impossible, it is to avoid a tip-heavy rod.
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If John from Flex Coat is still following this topic, what is the melting point of the FC tip top adhesive? I am guessing ~175* F. While Fred’s hot melt material may be a fine product, it’s 350* F melting point may be a bit high when concerned with possible damage to the blank when trying to remove a tip top. I am aware of methods designed to localize and minimize the heat required to remove a ti
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Ray, U40 PermaGloss is, arguably, the industry standard rod/ / blank finish; even if there are others which may work as well. PG requires no mixing, is fairly durable, is fairly easy to apply, cures quite quickly, and is relatively inexpensive. BUT, it is rather “HOT”, most noticeably when applied over SOME existing finishes = test, test, test!
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Michael, To be honest, structurally, the extension of thread epoxy onto the tube of the tip top probably amounts to diddly squat. I do it also, but only to afford a smooth transition from the tube to the wraps.
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Michael, You will find varying opinions as Tom suggested. While he added “...5-minute epoxy is a safe bet” and John offered “For heavy offshore rods epoxy will afford the best bond” may be true, I use specific tip top hot-melt glue and have had no failures. As you, I pack the inside of the tube with slivers of adhesive and additionally coat the blank tip as well. Think about it; just because it
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David, I will plead as Aaron did concerning laundry = -20* wind chill? “What are they? Where can I find them?” I live in LALA Land; people out here freak-out when night-time temps PLUMMET into the 40*s lol.
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Chris, Norman beat me to it. A hole plug is a viable option and even look good. In some fields, they are referred to as “Christmas Tree” plugs due to the cross-section resembling a Christmas tree = the branches are the barbs which hold the plug into the hole. Norman’s reference to “They overlap the hole, fit flush to the surface and look pretty good” describes the barbs going into the hole and t
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Touche', Lynn.
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Andrew, I agree (and think most will also) that size A thread is a better choice. Yes, D may be easier to wrap but only marginally so and A simply looks better on lighter rods = less definition of each wind. But I use D on my 50lb+ saltwater rods; even if not really required, it IS stronger. I use NCP (colorfast) thread because I do not care for CP (color preserver). It adds cost, requires an ex
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Thanks for the replies. Aaron, Your marital status is either rock-solid and picture-perfect or nonexistent lol. Tom, You (Ralph) are correct except that is not Killing 2 Birds With the Same Stone. In fact, it could hinder one’s marital status; I would not be allowed to build rods inside the house lol. John, I realize your lint concern; that is why I stated in the original post “After givi
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Huh? Now that I have your attention, this is intended as a Light-hearted post yet can heavily reduce the amount of time required to cure Perma Gloss (PG). Not being a volume builder like some of you where steps of multiple rod builds overlap, I am always looking for ways to save time rather than “watching epoxy go-off”. U40 PG is a great product and I use it often; it offers a quite durable fin
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