I'm a subscriber and have been for about 9 years. Even now I'm still amazed that you do this on the house for all of us. No other magazine anywhere does this sort of thing for its subscribers. I know my small subscription fee can't come close to covering the food and drink you provide for me and the other subscribers each year. You're already providing the best rod building magazine possible for
Forum: rodboard

I don't believe in telling other rod builders what to do. What they do is up to them. But since the question was posed my own personal experience with rod spine is that it is so totally unimportant that I no longer even bother finding the spine on any rod I build. I just find the straightest axis and build on that. My rods don't twist and they cast with better accuracy than the guys using them. I
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RodMaker Magazine is the best investment I make in my custom rod building business each year. I get all the new ideas and techniques well before they trickle down to the internet. This gives me a great sales advantage over other builders in my area who don't take the magazine for the local customer base. I could not afford to do without it.
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My preference would be a black blank with a yellow glass tip. If that is not possible, then I'd chose black with black tip. No clear for me.
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Rich Forhan. His ideas and techniques have arguably had the greatest impact on the world of fishing rods of any rod builder in history. I like his approach and the functionality he brought to the craft. There is another rod builder I admire greatly but I know he doesn't like flattery so I'll just keep my mouth shut on that one.
Forum: rodboard

I build mostly bass rods so anything by Rich Forhan is something I've found helpful. Also the older volume 4 issue 1 that had the article on making your own rod from western red cedar. I think it would be a really neat project. Now if I only could find the time.
Forum: rodboard

Tim, I don't know what's going on here but the Simple Spiral has been used by thousands, maybe tens of thousands of fishermen. It is proven to work. It won't twist, it won't break your rod, it will set your hook. I've made over 200 of these rods now and not a single customer has had any complaints. Most have come back and bought more. You are worrying over a comment made by someone who popped
Forum: rodboard

I still get a lot of calls for TN handles from the bass guys. I've got some of them started using heat shrink tubing to fasten the reels on with. Others use "tommy tape."
Forum: rodboard

I build mostly bass rods but when I'm not building them it's the pier and small boat rods that I end up working on the most. Guys do a lot of that thing here and I've learned a little about it over the years. The single best thing you can do for any rod where you're going to be pulling on things like sea bass and groupers is to do a spiral wrap. I think you're already on to the best modern imp
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The ribs allow epoxy to settle in there which it nearly impossible for it to ever spin on you. And that's the main concern with most reel seats. Making sure they don't spin. Then can't really come off with grips fore and aft. But many poorly bonded seats will loosen and spin. The ACS isn't prone to do that as far as I'm concerned.
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Two of the three articles I have written on thread techniques have already appeared in Rodmaker. The third is in jeopardy because the thread I use is no longer made and Tom doesn't want to run an article on a technique for which the "parts" to do it with no longer exist. This is no offense to Tom and I understand his position. So I want to find out if any of the other thread makers o
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There was a great article in a recent Rodmaker issue about making your own labels on an ink jet. But I don't think they went into that type paper or decal material.
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Reading some of the comments on the Common Cents issue, I wanted to shift gears and just remind those who use it that there are some interesting and helpful ways for custom rod builders to better serve their customers with it. I build mostly bass rods. When the CCS was first being advertised and the article had not actually been printed, I noticed the banner ad here on this site that said that
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Dave I have read many of your posts on this subject and must confess to having no idea of what you're talking about. You mention you use lower guides. Good for you as that's exactly what the article tells you to try and use. I know, because I wrote the article. If you position the bumper guide properly you will not have any side loads on it. The line will pass straight through the bumper witho
Forum: rodboard

Dale also changed his mind on which side the spine was between the two books he wrote.
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Mr. Hauser- I wrote the article on the Simple Spiral system. I've read some of your posts on the subject here over the last week or so and cannot figure out what in the heck you are talking about. No disrespect, but I just can't figure out what you are trying to do or what problems you're having. The Simple Spiral will work equally well with or without the Bumper Guide. I coined that term by t
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I got my new copy of Rodmaker today. While I was flattered that Tom was able to use another one of my articles I have to be honest and say that it only amounts to something like a lead in cartoon to the main movie feature. I say this because after reading the article on ergonomics for the rod builder my little article just doesn't seem like very much. Hats off to Tom and the magazine for such a t
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Bill Stevens- If you read my article then you know I only use two basic underwraps. Either white and black or yellow and black. For what you want to do try the yellow and black. Overwrap in purple. Then put some gold inlays or trims on the purple bands at the start and finish of the wrap. I think this will give you exactly what you're after. The underwrap doesn't really much to do with the
Forum: rodboard

I got you. The line on the bumper sounds good to me. It should always press the guide INTO the blank. The first 180 degree guide may see the line touch at from 3 to 6 o'clock but that's okay. As you apply load the line will sink lower towards the 6 o'clock position. It also helps to use a pretty small guide on that first 180 guide if you can. Low frame and as small a ring as you can get awa
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Each year Tom says he's going to make the rod building show bigger and better. I always believe him but after last year I didn't see how he could make it much bigger or much better. I guess where there's a will there's a way. This year's show was indeed much bigger and better. Had a great time except for some kids running down the hall on my hotel floor all night on Saturday, but the show itse
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Volume 9 number 6 would have mailed I think, on the first of December arrived to me around Christmas.
Forum: rodboard

As good as the past rod builder shows have been, this year's event is a quantum leap past those. The seminars are fantastic. They ran like clockwork and the audio system and over the shoulder camera system just took each presentation to a new level. All the presentations were just fantastic. Congrats on the best seminar presentations and format in all of custom rod building. The amount of prod
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It has been a beautiful magazine with leading edge information. I'm proud that a small number of my own articles have been published alongside other articles from some of the truly greatest rod builders in the world. I have devoured articles by Dr. William Hanneman, Joe Emig, Ralph O'Quinn and Rich Forhan. The work from people like Hiro Tanaka and Jim Upton and all the other talented rod builders
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After a few times out on the stream the long hours making it will be forgotten.
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I just returned. I was completely underwhelmed. Those I talked to said they did not think this show can survive with out the rod building portion and that this is probably the last year it will be held.
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Checking in this evening my e-mail inbox had a notice from this site saying that I had requested a new password for my account. Well I had not done that so I thought it might be a snafu in the software. A few minutes later I got another and thought something was hung. I contacted the webmaster and he asked me to send them to him. He said they were ID Spoofing and had not come from this site o
Forum: rodboard

I'm not in So. Cal. but can tell you that on saltwater rods I get $10 to do a double wrap. Wrapped and finished. Plus the price of the guide. I can't see doing it for less. What I do on older rods is try to find a color that is close to the now faded color so the repair doesn't stand out like a sore thumb. Remember, you have NCP and regular nylon with and without color preserver so you can ge
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I have it written and off to Tom tomorrow. But my pictures just flat stink. If Tom can make up a couple wraps from the instructions and take the pictures I guess we're good to go. If not I will try again this weekend and see what I can do and then get the pics off to him on Monday or Tuesday.
Forum: rodboard

I noticed the mention in the recent Rodmaker issue and will be very interested in your educational type functions. Good luck to you. Rod building needs something like this.
Forum: rodboard

In some respects I guess it would considered as much or more of a selling point than a weave or decorative wrap. Depends on who your market is and what sort of thing happens to float their boat.
Forum: rodboard