Glad you liked the technique. It can be tricky depending on the colors you're working with and the time you leave the color preserver application cord on the wrap. I'll get copies of the photos and post some on the photo page in the next day or so. I have some other thread techniques that I think are pretty cool.
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I have three thread techniques I've been preparing for articles. I knew the varigated tiger wrap would be the one most people would have trouble with because if you don't get the steps just right you'll get more of a mottled or spotty looking wrap than really good tiger looking type stripes. My first attempts weren't very good as I mentioned in the article. The keys for me are to always use a
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If you your friend is of sound build and isn't old or feeble, then a 9 footer should be good for him. Everything else Paul told you is good information. Go for the total package of line, bugs and rod so that everything works together well.
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I believe there was a recent article in Rodmaker showing how to make seats like those. Shouldn't be too hard. If you can't buy one, just make one.
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I will attempt to defend the spiral wrap on the only basis I have, which is how my customers who have bought and used them feel. About half of the rods I build are bass casting rods. I do not build many saltwater rods. The spiral wrap is always a hard sell to first time users but most of the time when I can get them to take one of my spirals out and try it, they come back and decide to order thei
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You won't get much finer then grey scotchbrite. I've done this many times and never had any scratches show. Sandpaper will leave even deeper scratches. Don't use that! You didn't wipe any alcohol or anything on there did you? Maybe you scuffed right through the finish and into the thread? Hard to say without seeing it.
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Wonder if anyone saw the recent issue of Fish and Fly Magazine. There was an excellent article about the recent upheaval at the RL Winston company and in one of the photos there was Glen Brackett wrapping guides on a bamboo rod. But his wrapper was a large plate that the stationairy rod protruded through and then he wound a crank and the thread revolved round the rod. Very odd. Never seen anythin
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I saw some going at the rod show in Charlotte last year and they didn't bake it. Just put the wrap under a light bulb. 100 watt I think. For one hour.
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Actually moving your hand FORWARD on the grip will give you better balance, comfort and control. Moving your hand back too far on the grip only makes things worse.
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I would think so. Why not make one test wrap on a scrap piece of blank, use the Diamonite CP on that and then finish it with your Flex Coat? That way you'll know for sure and not risk messing up your good rod. Seems to me also that you could just overcoat the Diamonite CP with Flex Coat CP if you just want to be safe.
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I have added an inch or two on surf rods where the customer just needed a little extra length. I've done this by inserting a scrap piece of rod blank into the butt. Unless you plan on making a long extension I think going inside is okay. Longer may be better with an outer extension. I have repaired more than a few 60's and 70s era surf rods that turned out to have aluminum butts! The entire ha
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Ditto. Most rod building sites other than this one see very little use. What use they do get is usually from the same half dozen or so builders. There is a reason why this one has such a large audience and so many active participants. I also saw Billy's post about the lathe and it wasn't so bad. I can understand his upset after spending so much money. I think he'll get things in order. They're
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Glass blanks are tough. It will probably be OK.
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I'm sure they're great people to deal with, but weren't they just sold and under new management as of this past year?
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I would go 12 - 10 and then move right on to the size 2 snakes or single foot wire. You don't need the inbetween sizes. I've seen the light in this area. Skip 'em! The tip top loop doesn't need to be any bigger than the opening in the #2 guide.
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Two things you will learn about dealing with Renzetti, 1- They will not be rushed. And 2- you will get complete satisfaction in the end. They make a great product and will get you everything you need and in the condition it should be in. But they don't rush. I'm not making excuses for them, it's just the way they do business. If they shafted people or didn't ultimately deliver, I wouldn't ta
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I would think any of the blanks sold for saltwater use could be safely extended. Most are pretty stout in the butt area. I have no scientific rationale for saying this, but I think you could safely extend a rod about 20% of its total length before you'd run into problems. My reason for stating this is that Garcia used to extend all their surf rods by about that much and they held up fine. They u
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The east coast is the most heavily populated area in the United States. North Carolina falls about halfway between top and bottom. I'm sure that has a lot to do with how well it draws. But, you have to remember that this show is a lot different than all those "seminars, conclaves and gatherings!" It's WAY better than any of those and THAT probably has a lot to do with so many people
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You can definitely rip a double foot guide out of a wrap, but the force required to do it usually ruins the guide anyway.
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I heard that the acryilic pigments can interfere with the set up of the finish. Others say not. I don't know. I do know that it doesn't take much. Probably if you use too much pigment it could upset the cure time of the finish. I try to use only enough to just get the tint I want and no more.
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No such thing as firm Hypalon. By nature it is fairly soft. Customgrip was never firm to begin with. Good firm EVA is hit or miss. Firmest I've found came from Mud Hole. Dark colors are firmer than the light colors, but I can't tell you why.
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I believe the spiral wrap is the better way to do things but I stop short of some of the claims I saw factory reps making. I once saw the Bud Earhardt rep at a show telling customers that their spiral wrapped rods were more sensitive because the line rested in the top of the ring instead of the bottom. Looked like snake oil to me and it turned me off. I didn't want to ever do the same thing to a
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I spined many rods over the years locating the spine where I had been taught that it had to go. Then I saw the light and moved on. I have been building on the straightest axis for several years now and believe the rods just feel better and cast straighter. No breakage problems but I really don't have any twist since nearly all my casting rods are built spiral style. Forget the spine and set yours
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They will have to fit you a new one or provide an entire new blank. Cost should be reduced. Check with Batson Enterprises. Only thing I don't like these days is that instead of getting a new tip most companies just send you a new complete blank and you have to rebuild the butt section as well.
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Hat pins. Cut the pins off and go to work. Look for them at flea markets and costume jewelry dealers.
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Heading back to SC down I85 yesterday I took a chance and swung by the new Rodmaker location on the chance somebody would be there. They were. I got to see a sneak peak of a magazine cover proof for the next issue. I was sworn to secrecy and won't spill any beans but did want to say that I think what everyone is going to see on the cover of the next issue is going to open up a whale of a bunch of
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