Rory, Norman answered your question of the 2-line static load test for me; thanks Norman. I agree that the revolver spiral (0, 60, 120,180*) which Norman mentioned is about the best basic method. Again, the angles are merely generic ESTIMATES. The main thing to accomplish is positioning the middle two (60, 120*) so that the line just misses (~.060in) the blank while, of course, keeping the line
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Rory, Good choice on guides; you will not be disappointed. Also, good choice on spiral wrapping the guides; again, you will not be disappointed. There are numerous spiral wrap methods to get the line to the bottom of the rod. While in the end, they all accomplish that, some are better than others. The main thing to strive for is the straightest line path through the guides, both loaded and unloa
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Rory, Good replies above, especially those suggesting Fuji guides. For a 40lb saltwater rod, you will be hard-pressed finding a better guide than KWAGs in your choice of color, CC or BC. Yes, Ti is corrosion-proof but the new corrosion control finishes are quite up to the task and are available in more reasonably priced ring choices. No need for SiC, SiN or Torzite! Size 8 runners will work rel
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Does anyone have CCS (IP / AA) data for a mid / late 1960s Fenwick FF79 fly rod? I would love to know the difference after (broken) repairs compared to that of the original rod.
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Al, Remember that you are building on the straightest axis which is only that, the straightEST axis , not necessarily straight. “After wrapping all the sections and lining up all the guides, my rod is slightly curving towards the right.” Are you referring to the line-of-sight through the guides veering off to the right or the actual blank veering to the right? This subject was mentioned a few m
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Daryal, Introducing the “wife” and “fire hazard” aspects of rod building certainly may jeopardize some standard rod building protocol and procedures. But if you purchased your curing motors here in the US, they had to conform to quite stringent laws to avoid any possible problems. I have absolutely no problem running my curing motors overnight and I sleep like a rock!
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Bob, I am not sure if this may be of help, but if length is your main concern, B&M has some pretty dang long crappie poles (16ft, maybe longer). I don’t think they sell blanks but the “poles” have no guides, just some type of clip on the tip. While these are low-budget poles and rods, they have been in business for a long time, so they must be doing something right.
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Kevin, My “ideal” workbench would involve a larger shop lol! If you have the available space, Michael has some nice ideas (and fabrication skills as well). Just remember that one cannot have too much light or too many power outlets. Michael, Very clean, efficient and well executed workstation = good job. With your apparent fabrication abilities, allow me to suggest that you build a dust-proo
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Marty, Anything is possible but whether it is practical or not is another story. Detailed photos will be required for any suggestions or opinions (hopefully not condolences).
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Rob, I have followed your post and read all the replies; not a bad one in the bunch!!! = consider all of them. First and foremost, it appears that backing-off your thread tension will correct, if not solve, the majority of your issues (we don’t have problems, only issues). While I am quite certain that I wrap with more tension than most, I pack each rotation as the thread is fed onto the blank t
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Charlie, While it may be well accepted and understood that the non-torque / stability benefit of a spiral wrapped bait casting rod is more noticeable and appreciated as the size and power of the fish rises, there isn’t really any reason it wouldn’t work on an UL baitcaster, except for possibly one. Unless you are extremely good with a baitcasting reel, it may be difficult to cast very small (<
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Darwin, Although I had been fishing for more than 50 years, it wasn’t until starting to build rods that I learned, on this site, that “BASICALLY” no blank should be bent more than 90* OVER ITS ENTIRE LENGTH = held at the butt and the tip deflected 90*, NOT held midpoint and the tip deflected. It makes good sense and I have practiced and preached it since. It is certainly a good idea for any rod
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John, Don’t forget to factor-in the additional weight of thread and epoxy required for a “lightweight” double-foot snake guide. Incredible or infantesimal = you tell me?!?!
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El, Excuse me for interjecting my thoughts to your question. Simply due to the guides being on the bottom of the rod, substantively fewer guides will be required compared to a guides-on-top affair. But that is merely breaking the surface of the benefits of a proper spiral wrapped rod.
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Sam, If you consider yourself a true custom rod builder, acknowledge, investigate and ingest all of the plethora of spiral wrap methods and then apply that knowledge to producing your own method. All the different types have their own unique pros and cons. In the end, they all work, yet some are better-suited for certain circumstances. Of course, I believe mine is the best; but then so does ever
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Daryl, If there is a better, more precise procedure for determining guide positions / spacing than the 2-line static load test method, I and most others have not heard of it. It has worked perfectly for me every single time without fail, so well in fact that I do not bother test casting anymore. Just make sure to not load the line running through the guides; it WILL give you erroneous, incorrect
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Mike, In that case, everything will be fine. With CTS CC, patience is a virtue.
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Mike, Raising the temp to 80*F is your best line of defense, no, make that offense in this case. It will eventually go-off (cure). How did you mix the initial batch; by volume or weight and using which ratio?
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Sam, Indeed, the rod you saw was spiral wrapped. While the concept is over 100 years old, I’m confident that the “look” keeps many from employing its benefits. Although there are many different methods / styles to get the guides to the bottom, I agree with Ronald that the method you saw may not be the best. As you, I was intrigued with the concept to eliminate rod torque and built one for myself
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Mike, Of all the thread finish epoxies which I have used, all are basically variations on the same theme and are quite similar EXCEPT ONE = CTS Crystal Coat. Be very careful of the mix ratio! Not only is the numerical ratio different from virtually all of the others (4R : 3H vs 1R : 1H), CTS’s ratio is by WEIGHT while all the others are by VOLUME!!! If you used the printed CTS ratio but measured
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So where has all of this gotten us??? With over 6000 (!!!) views and more than 200 (!!!) replies, it should be obvious that this is truly a “sensitive” topic in more ways than one for a multitude of inquisitive individuals, mostly rod builders. But it seems as though we are all dressed-up yet cannot unify on where to go, consequently we are all staying at home; indeed unfortunate. So close yet so
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Build as light as possible / feasible and let the “balance” (an open-ended, subjective term) fall where it may.
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As I was unable to attend, thanks to those replying with updates and information of this year's expo. Apparently, it was yet another success. I am a tad jealous and have wanted to attend, but it is difficult for me to justify the cost coming from the other side of the continent. I’m giving you all fair warning though; possibly next year.
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Thanks for the update Michael.
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So, no merchandise or displays from Batson and PacBay as well? What a shame if the expo was missing such heavy-hitters and reputable businesses.
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So, no merchandise or displays from Batson and PacBay as well? What a shame if the expo was missing such heavy-hitters and reputable businesses.
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I hope that all able to attend this year's ICRBE had an enjoyable and enlightening time and safe travels. Being one unable to attend, I’m certain to not be alone in anxiously wanting to learn how the NFC “sensometer” demonstration / display / seminar went. Is it the newest thing since sliced bread? The suspense is killing me!!! Pray tell!!!
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Joshua, I’ve always wanted to fish Pyramid Lake due to it being native waters for the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout, possibly even more rare than Californian Volcano Creek Goldens. A little more information is needed to offer suggestions for your guide train; reel size, type line (braid, mono / fluoro), line test, blank action and power. At this point, I am thinking you will need 2-3, possibly 4 mor
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Ernie, With epoxies, a chemical bond will ALWAYS be better than merely a mechanical (abraded) bond. Yes, it would have been preferred to apply another coat of thread finish within 2 days (24 hours = even better) but that is impossible now. However, you are not building composite laminates for NASA here. As Roger mentioned, a THOROUGH cleaning, rinsing and drying of the blank and wraps will allow
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Duane, “Blank not cleaned, direct from manufacturing package”. Hum!?!? “…Aftcote finish nearly empty. I warmed the bottles to get the finish to original viscosity and applied a thin coat of it on the same rod, ....turned out absolutely beautiful”. It is very possible that the original affected coat of finish diluted / dispersed the contamination enough for the Aftcote to not be affected. Too bad
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