Eleven inches will reach out to just about anyone's elbow. First thing I'd do is get that customer to specify a length in inches. What he calls long and somebody else calls long may be two different things. Don't take a chance. Ask him how long he wants it.
Forum: rodboard

Mine arrived today. One of the better issues I've seen in a while. The cork boring bit tool is genius. Makes you scratch your head and wonder why you didn't come up with it yourself.
Forum: rodboard

I've seen hundreds of glass rods refinished with an epoxy like Flex Coat. Most look pretty bad. Peeling, yellowed finish, etcetera. There is a reason that the rod companies don't use it to finish their blanks with. I'd go with Permagloss or the KlassKote epoxy PAINT. Both cure hard as a rock and are tough as nails. Thinner and lighter than rod finish epoxy and they don't turn yellow.
Forum: rodboard

One other thing that could do it would be if something got on the thread itself. Where ever it might have gotten on there the finish is not penetrating the same. So the coloration would be different. Will be interesting to see what your test wraps do. If they all do the same, or none do it, then it could be something on your hands that you transferred to the thread during wrapping. Doubt this is
Forum: rodboard

Tried a couple of your glass SW blanks recently. Not bad. Not bad at all.
Forum: rodboard

Don Merton or whoever is just plain wrong. Just because somebody gives a seminar doesn't mean they're qualified to do so. Rod spine has nothing to with rod twist, except when you bend a blank by hand. When it is bent by a fish, the rod will spin so that the guides are in line with the direction of the fish. If they're on the bottom already, there won't be any twist. Same with casting. The rod
Forum: rodboard

Amen. I never have been able to get anyone to tell or show me just what flor grade cork is supposed to look like. It seems to be whatever the dealer says it is. Some good, some bad. Andy Dear has some pretty good cork and so does Golden Witch. High graded stuff. I'd shop one of them for your cork.
Forum: rodboard

The whole thing on spine is the biggest myth or lie ever pulled on the hobby of custom rod building. It only takes a few simple tests which any of you can do to prove that rod spine makes virtually no difference in how a rod performs. It does not stop a rod from twisting and it does not make your casts more accurate. In fact it really doesn't do much of anything in actual fishing situations. I
Forum: rodboard

Desicant bags tossed into your thread containers will help a lot. You can buy them now that allow you to heat-cook them once a month or so to drive out the accumulated moisture. That makes them reuseable. Gun shops have them.
Forum: rodboard

I sell 50 to 75 rods per year. Mostly to fellow charter boat captains. I use the money to buy gas for my boat.
Forum: rodboard

I can see good value in a local rod building club. Just something informal where guys can get together and share ideas and help each other out with problems they might be having. Anything on a national level would be a dinosaur in my opinion and you'd be up against the wall trying to get many people to pay you for anything unless you offered something really good hat they couldn't get anywhere
Forum: rodboard