To me a custom rod builder is someone who engineers the design and construction of a rod, using not only his skills, experience and understanding of the dynamics and principles involved for application, assembly and construction, but also to understand and apply the parameters of component function, design specification, materiology and ergonomics, that will in his view perform a given task t
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I do often flame bubbles with a cigarette lighter with no adverse reactions. On my problem, its not the pumps (these are pumps that deliver a 1CC portion per depression of the pump), and worse the Flex Coat started fish eye-ing tonight with the same pumps that have been on it for months, so the problem must be airborn, and that at least makes me happier that the TM is the same and probaly not co
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Thanks guys for your time and responses. Unfortunately I cannot return the product as it would cost about $60 to send it back, besides which I am sure that the problem lies somewhere else not in the product itself. For now the only thing that has not been changed are the pumps, although they where cleaned thoroughly, I think that this is where the contaminant must be coming from. I will do a test
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Fish eyes are on the first, second, and third coat-each coat has about 24 hoursto cure before the next. There may be something in this Tom, but it doesn't explain the fish eyes on the foil though. I have always mixed in a pot and poured onto foil. I'm not the fastest at applying the epopxy on wraps, but i'm not too slow, and I will usually manage to coat 6-7 guides easily within 15 minutes. This
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Tom, Allen, John, and Buzz. I know it might seem that I am being difficult, but I have spent the last three evenings trying to find what the problem might be, with tests and cleanings, application variations etc, and finally this evening with the third failure on the rod I decided to post this thread as I have run out of reasonable ideas. The foil plates I use are stored packed in a poly bag, an
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Allen, I use pumps not syringes, and have done for years without any problem. Also the TM is also fish eye-ing on the foil plate. I am mixing 3cc of part "A" and 3cc of part "B" so its unlikely to be unequall amounts, or a mix that is too small. It could be that ther is a contaminent in the bottles of TM. But the TM is in its origional bottles, and the pumps are new.
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Sorry Tom, calling epoxy a varnish is a bad old English habit from days of yore. Yes Flex coat is fine on the same piece of work as the TM. All three times the Flex coat has been fine, but the TM has not behaved. New mixing foil plates and stirers are used for each new batch mixed. The wipe down is not being done on the thread, as they have already been covered with a previous coat of epoxy. An
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I hope you Guy's can give me some insight on this one. I am having major problems with fish eye when I use Thread Master Varnish. I would consider myself to be well experienced with epoxies as I have been using them since the early nineteen eighties. For three consecutive days now I have tried every trick I know to erdicate any contamination and any source of possible contamination. I have cleane
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Hi Mike, I'd love to try your TT's out, they look interesting, and the name of "Thor Thunder" is great. I get the JM's because they are available here in the region with a good deal of backup from a very enthusiastic team, and they have also proven reliable. We fish in quite deep water here in the Philippines, often at 600 feet or more, and the JM's were designed by the Taiwanese who
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Your project is the same class level as my current project. I am building a Jigging Master 500g in spiral for big dogtooth tuna for use with an Accurate B2-30. I built my first spiral a couple of years ago on a Jigging Master 400g and love it. The spiral configuration I found great for vertical jigging and really reduces fatigue for me as well as eradicating that infernal fouling of the braid at
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I don’t know that much about Loomis, or Shimano for that matter and my interest in them has not really gone beyond keeping an eye on what they produce for the mass market. I have always felt that these companies will overprice their blanks to protect their off the shelf market and to safeguard the marketing spin that provides the momentum for sales. They are not my favorite companies, but
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I used to have some black Talbot #60 thread. I wish I knew where to get more. I used it on fly rods and light spinners. It was great, I loved it for the job, especially single foot and snake guides. Guide prep is important, but I would not use the word "sharp", but smooth and fine to describe the foot preperation needed.
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Hi Guys, I would appreciate some of your opinions and experience regarding blanks and components to use on fly rods that will be used in extreme fly fishing for GT's, Dogtooth, YFT, etc on a trip to the Coral Sea. I am expecting to break a few rods on this trip, so I would prefer to keep the costs lower, as not only is there the cost of the blanks but shipping and taxes to the P.I. which will
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we have been building heavy PE8-10 (80-100+) spin jigging rods and heavier for using the Fuji BMNAG in Alconites, or the MNSG Sic guides with out any problems using the rods with 500g plus jigs for amberjack and dogtooth tuna. Another option would be the ALPS 316 XXNZG although they only apear to go up to 30mm dia. Without a harness, and I assume you are not using a harness if using a rod with a
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There are a small number of blank manufacturers based in the UK that may well manufacture match rod blanks. Companies such as Northwestern blanks, Harrison, Tri-Cast are strong possibilities. Also Century Composites, and Conoflex may well be worth a google, and also Sportex of Germany used to do some really nice blanks for coarse fishing. I am sure that as Tom says that Mark Crouse who is based i
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Hi John, I have a 2 peice, butt jointed 7' 6" PE3-6 that I built on a Speed popping blank that I picked up from Sabre Strokers in Beach Rd, Singapore. The alternatives would be one of the Xzoga blanks also available in Singapore, or possibly one of the T Russell blanks from Matagi in Japan
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Hi John, From your choice of blank I take it that you're intending to use braid of 60lb or more for your jigging. For your weght issues you will find that a good quality graphite reel seat is more than adequate. I have Fuji reel seats all my heavy jigging and popping rods. They have held up just fine for me over a couple of seasons use, and I have never heard of anyone else having any issues wi
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The problem seemed to have solved itself now. Thanks for the advice guys.
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Hi Tom, I've been trying to get to the Mudhole site by clicking on the left hand sponsor links list-and I'm being redirected to "ads.rodbuilders.org" selling anything but rods or rod building. I dont know if I am the first, but I'm sure you'ld like to know . Is this some thing from my end ?
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I have the same problem in the Philippines-even Flexcoat would not ship to my company here-I think HASMAT is short for Hassles in shipping. I havent got round it yet apart from friends bringing it back from abroad in their luggage. I would appreciate some halp here too, as I will be needing a few gallons shortly !!!
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Thanks for the clarification Jim. It appears that the IMX is only available up to a #10 as a blank, but the GLX is available as a #12. I am asuming that the 4 pce is the tough one out of the multi piece set ups judging by the blurb I've seen so far. Have you any other suggestions for a #12 that would stop a bus ?
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Is the Loomis GLX blank the same as they use in the crosscurrent series. I,m looking for a 12 wt for use on big GTs. From what I read elsewhere this rod seems to be the best at standing up to the rigeurs of the task, but I've heard that the GLX blank is not the same as the one used in the cross current. Can anyone enlighten me ?
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Hi Steve, I read through your previous post quickly after seeing this one and I seesomething has been left out in the info about the match guides being used. Match guides to my knowledge were designed to be high stand off to keep your line from sticking to the blank when its wet. If icing is present then that just adds to the issue as well. Casting light float, or any really light weight gear w
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I find I agree with Mike Barkely. I have tried quite a few speeds for drying in my time, and I find that the really slow 2-3 rpm gives me the best results I've had so far-but-I believe that ambient temperatures also make a difference, as does method of application. I am able to get a much flatter finish if I use a spatula for application, most definately on but wraps. As for ambient temperatures
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Thomas, its a hay fork tip which is the term we commonly use in the UK for the standard style of tip used with snake guides. Stainless, chromed Tic, whatever, available from most of the sponsers here. personally, I like the Hopkins and Holloway models. Hope this helps.
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I've used a brush since the late seventies. I like stiff bristled flat brushes about 1/4-up to 1/2 inch depending on the size of the rod. Good quality, flat edged brushes. I apply the epoxy along and around the wrap making sure all is covered, and working the epoxy into the foot channels etc.Then I work on the edging, I then work the epoxy around the wrap to even it out first, then longtitudally,
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Split grips were around in the UK and Europe some 30 +years ago, as was the "no grip" set up-they did not seem new then as manufacturers like Diawa,shakespear, and a few others were marketing rods with split grips. Pre formed grips for split grips were readily available to rod builders at that time too. I dare say if we look back in time we could find Victorian era lemmon wood spinners
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Without the comments and experience of the participants of this forum, many of us would be working blind. If no one made any comments about a product or a vendor, how would we be able to find out or be informed about it or them. For many of us, we do not live in the vicinity of a reliably stocked vendor who can supply our needs. Most of the stuff we need has scant supply anywhere else but the US
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How about this. I was recently trying to get a package of returned goods sent from Ashville NC to here, Manila Philippines. It was a regular 25kg Promo Package with DHL, regardless of weight up to 25kg and as long as it fits in the box provided it goes on a fixed PROMO rate,and the same promo size and rate we regularly ship to Ashville every month. From here Manila, to there, Ashville NC, about
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Guys, This is a busy day for me here. 3 post in one session ! I have some in the form of a pre shaped grip with a tapered bore-20 inches in length-100 percent made for rod building. For EVA this stuff is very hard(for EVA that is) I would compare it to sqeezing balsa or the dense cork /rubber composite. This was given to me in a swap recently. It came from a shop in Singapore that specializes in
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