Hi Bill, I've incorporated simple thread pointers in my ferrule wraps on a number of rods. I found the hardest thing is making sure ht alignment marks are absolutely true, else either the very slight misaligment or the guides or the dots stand out when you are on the water looking at the rod all day. And I gaurantee that your fishing buddies will also notice it, and ensure you do as well. I ju
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Over the weekend I received all of my backorders of Rodmaker Magazine. Volume 8 #5 has an article illustrating how to build and use a simple cork cutting jig. As I had so many issues to go through, I only glanced through the article, but the illustrations provide sufficient instruction to make it a worthwhile weekend project for those who have interest.
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You can slice the pregnant finish down with a new razor. If you have some way to turn the tip top, lightly sand with increasingly finer grades of sandpaper to blend, and apply a light coat of fresh finish to blend the old to the new.
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You can usually survive an overdose of Flex-Coat CP. The white swirl marks seem to disappear after the first finish coat is applied. But I don't know how much you over-applied. You might try using a water-soaked brush to moisten and wick away excess CP. Test it on a single wrap. The downside is that you may have to rewrap. The upside is that you get more time and experience wrapping guides. The
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Although I have on a few rods, I normally do not. Once the rod is together, they generally look asthetically pleasing.
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Lou, I did that. I'm pretty sure the spikes were the result of burning off more fuzzies than I could even count. One or two on each wrap ain't so bad, but they're literally all over on the whole circumference. I need the wrapping practice anyway. :>) Besides, It's better to do the wraps right rather than spend more time correcting errors.
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Check the ferrule openings of each section. Many times the manufacturer has spined/splined each section for you. The marks are usually located inside the ferrule openings. Shorter sections are subjected to more stress when you bend them individually. When I bought a pack rod kit from Dan Craft a few years back, he included a message with the package warning me against spining the rod. If you don'
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Tony, If it sounds like a good deal.....To make it worth your while, and if possible, take a close look at the quality of the thread. Unspool a foot or two and check for color, strength, and "fuzzieness" (for lack of a better word). Light will quickly bleach the color out of thread if left out and exposed to light. Pull on a good length of thread. If it breaks easily, pass it up. I jus
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Raymond Adams, You obviously didn't look carefully enough.....The following page links display ".. no products available for display from this vendor ..". Earlier in the week or, or as possibly last weekend, I was perusing Dan's site and noted additional pages that displayed the same message. Apparently he's done some updating and he ain't finished.
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I think the book titled "Building a Graphite Fly Rod" written by L. A. Garcia is also an excellent source of information for fly rod builders, new and experienced.
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Mark, I didn't take it that way at all. It was a good opportunity to discuss points of view. Even if I didn't write it or come off that way, I was attempting to pay homage to you and guys/gals like you who have taken the next step and have ventured with whatever degree of success, to offer your custom skills to the public. A builder who assembles 10 rods a week certainly picks up more insight to
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I think much of his site is still under construction. He has a number of listed link that open up valid web pages but are void of products. But many of his top links do contain his catalogued items, including all of his blank lines, and including his Five River blanks, which I have a number of and enjoying using. Don't give up. Email or call him. He's a great customer-oriented shop owner.
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Mark Griffin, I found your comments regarding the uneven settling of liquid epoxy, and not packing the bushings full enough, highly insightful and definitely worth considering the effects on future projects. Perhaps you are right on target. As a rod builder venturing in the commercial side, I'm sure you probably have more rods built under your belt, and therefore probably have more experienc
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Bob Balcombe, I essentially use whatever rod bonding epoxy I have on hand, Flex-coat, Rod Bond, or anything else that is suggested within the rod building arena. I haven't found a product that truly stands out from the rest. I think they're all good.
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I use masking tape, drywall tape, as well as the foam bushings. I like the drywall tape and foam most of all, and use both on a number of occasions. I think drywall tape does a good job when you do use a good amount of epoxy, and I have no concerns regarding rigidity. I'm not concerned with the quantity of epoxy used. the tape is great because it does allow the epoxy to permeate throughout the ar
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Just wanted to add a note that I called and left a message for Bob that I was interested in a full set of reamers. A few minutes later, Bob returned my call. Although I am sure he is inundated with email and phone messages, he was always pleasant and informative. After I placed my order with him, we spent several minutes jawing about his fishing experiences on the Kenai penninsula, up here in Al
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Hi Bill, Your suggestion to underwrap with metallic thread sounds really interesting. I plan to incorporate that into my next rod project. Thanks Patrick
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Thanks for explanation, Eric.
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Eric, What's an "FTL" ? Thanks
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I don't think any rod is out of bounds as a project. The principles are the same regardless of the number of sections. BTW, I just finished up a 7-piece 5wgt that I had gotten from Dan Craft a few years back. I was concerned that with the sections being so short (17 inches each), that the rod might be too stiff. After all is said and done, the rod turned out to be fairly moderate in action, and I
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If it's hard enough, you can buff the finish out. The process requires a light hand. However, it is far easier to apply a thin coat of finish to restore lusture and clarity.
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I think the rule is that guides on a spinning and fly rod are located along the same axis, opposite the spine, while guides on a baitcast/spincast rod are aligned along the spine. According to the guide, "Handcrafting a Graphite Flyrod" written by L. A. Garcia, placing the guides opposite the spine gives the rod power during backcast and while fighting the fish. Placing the guides along
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Dave, Sounds like a good selection. I like fishing with long lightweight rods myself, and have built a few spinning rods from multi-piece fly rods, with good results.
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I know it is a difficult situation to be in. I think everyone loses when a competitor has to bad-mouth another business to make themselves look good. I think your competitor is banking on a certain level of customer ignorance. The good news is that most customers will eventually see through his disguise. Try to look at the situation in a positive light as an opportunity to improve your relati
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The only thing I will add to all of the great advice posted above is to convey how important it is to take your time during the removal process. The more time you take, the more likely you'll end up with a fairly pristine blank. I've had good results removing finish using a fingernail and old credit cards Good luck.
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The possibility of a rod breaking because the guides are locked to the blank using the Forhan method is pretty remote. I can think of many other reasons why a rod would break before a guide would cause it to happen. I'm sure the line will break long before a guide lets go, as long as the line is rated for the rod. But it's his preference, and you should respect his preference if you can't reason
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Checking the hardness of the finish on the wrap by touching it, is a risky way to check for hardness. Your fingerprint will almost certainly remain a lasting legacy to your work. Maybe for some, that might be a great way to add a unique signature to their work. The best way to check for hardness is to leave a little of the finish in whatever you originally mixed it in. Check the leftover stuff to
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Hank makes a good point. Always make sure you clean the finish with alcohol after sanding it down. You can also dab the sanded area with tape and a soft brush if you are concerned with contamination. Sometimes the sanding process can build up heat, which can affect clarity. A method I use to remove material, and before I sand is to remove material using a sharp razor, and then use sand paper to s
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Chris, You could probably use it while it is still green. But to ensure it doesn't cause any harm to the blank, I would recommend applying a finish undercoat, allowing it to dry before applying the leaf, and then apply a finish coat on top. I would also recommend that you first experiment by applying the process to a scrap piece of blank to get an idea about how the finished project would look li
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Matthew and Jon, Thanks for responding. But taking my ability to feel the bite of a Wahoo (which we don't have too many up here in Alaska) out of the discussion, not all fish consistently hit a lure/bait/attractor hard. Detecting a soft bite and achieving a successful hook set on 100 pound plus Halibut at 60 to 300 foot depths, many times means the difference between bragging rights or going home
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