I doubt it. Alconite is a good material for guide eye or ring use and is widely used across Fuji line. I doubt if it is going anywhere any time soon. The rod room: ALCONITE is a masterful blend of economy and quality and the go-to choice on millions of custom and factory built rods each year. ALCONITE is a special type of ceramic that offers 80% greater compression strength and is 20% light
Forum: rodboard

Some do. Some don't. So really it is up to you and how far you want to take it and why.
Forum: rodboard

I doubt it. Sometimes tape will cause epoxy creep, and could give you a hard edge where it does not creep under the tape. A controlled application by rotation might be your cleanest looking option even if it is not a perfectly straight edge. I doubt you would like the hard edge results tape can create.
Forum: rodboard

SIC guides are the hardest, but they are also the most brittle. Durability is a matter of perspective. If you can take good care of a rod and never drop it, then SIC guides may be the most durable. But if an accident ever happens and a rod smacks a hard floor or side of a boat, you can shatter a SIC guide. Then it might not be more durable. For me, I never purchase SIC guides. Just no need to.
Forum: rodboard

I would be leery of using heat. Especially if not familiar or use to doing it. We gotta keep in mind that the binder used to hold the graphite fibers together that make up the rod blank itself is also epoxy. Heating up one also heats up the other and can weaken or even damage the blank if one is not careful.
Forum: rodboard

Keith Langford Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > the static test proved no moving of the guides > necessary. What sort of test is this?
Forum: rodboard

Phil Ewanicki Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Regardless of > the make, model, number, or placement of guides > you can't buy or build a rod which will make you > an accurate or even a competent caster - that's up > to you, not your equipment. This is exactly right!
Forum: rodboard

One thing you might consider is guide 'eye' ring material. There are different ceramics used to make the guide rings. SIC guides, or silicone carbide are the hardest material for guide rings, but it is also the most brittle and seems to shatter easier than ceramics not as hard or as brittle. A lot of people choose SIC guides simply because they are touted as the best money can buy, but that is
Forum: rodboard

In my world Fuji K-R concept. But I am sure in a quick few minutes I will be out voted with microwave guide system.
Forum: rodboard

Wes Motsinger Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Casting distance I > feel is greater with the microwave guides. It’s > not a long strung out process to get the line under > control like the concept guide lay out. Microwave > does it in the first guide and not over a series > of guides. When I did some research on this subject I rejecte
Forum: rodboard

Thanks! Reviewing it now. I agree with that, but not the "straight" claim. Straight does not control nor affect lift capability was my point, but I see now the use of the term "straight" also carries with it other implied meanings I was not previously aware of until now... trying to get up to speed. I do find this quote matches my comment opinion: "When a rod blank
Forum: rodboard

Mike Ballard Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > You want it to resist bending as much as > possible and I believe this is why the data shows > that the straightest axis gives you the greatest > lifting strength that the blank can offer. I get it now... at first I was not correlating straight to spin orientation lingo, but now I am up to speed
Forum: rodboard

David Baylor Wrote: > The exposed threads irritate the heel of my hand. I've had this problem as well but have mitigated it by using double-sided velcro with the softer loop to the outside. Simply cut a couple of short strips and wrap over top the problem area. I usually use two half inch strips side by side because that is what was available.
Forum: rodboard

I have too many rods to store one at a time in its own stand. So I use 5 gallon buckets, and then get some of those long, round pool floats and split them lengthwise and push these down onto the top rim of the 5 gallon bucket. Each bucket will hold about 40 to 50 rods and keep them all vertical without leaning on walls which over time can cause a rod to develop a permanent bend. I've been stor
Forum: rodboard

Michael Danek Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Agree with Phil E and Tom . I've never gotten > good at the spatula thing, An interesting topic. When I started building rods over 25 years ago, I applied epoxy with my own hand made spatulas. I found that I needed them in different widths and simply cut my own from any throw away plastic containers or pr
Forum: rodboard

Steve Gardner Wrote: > high or low resonant frequency Wow! I am surprised to see this. 99.999999% of all people never think about this aspect of blank construction. I use to do live sound engineering for decades and so this is right up my alley... This gets to the heart of blank construction which is not really the flag material so much as it is the binder or epoxy that holds it all
Forum: rodboard

John C Allgood Wrote: > Although I > am right handed, I use left handed baitcasters > exclusively, so I spiral my own rods to the left. > My fishing partner uses right handed reels so I > spiral his rods to the right. I really don't > consider the direction of the spiral to be a > critical detail. It is a critical detail because of how the rod bends when the perso
Forum: rodboard