Which of the sponsors might sell a slick, compact manual wrapping rig like in L.A. Garcia's book "Handcrafting A Graphite Fly Rod" on page 19? I've been building a rash of fly rods lately, trying to improve my finesse skills. My big power wrapper is ok, but I wouldn't mind something else a little lower tech. And NO, I'm not going to build it....I only have so much time and my woodwo
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Chuck: If you don't let nostalgia get in the way (sometimes you got to have what you got to have)........you should go with the Calstar T-607 or T-608. I've built a bunch of them and I love them. Usually I'll get a T-608 build it full length, or cut it down to 7'3", 7'6", or 7'9" depending on what I or my buddies are going to use it for or their personal preference. Cork han
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I'm building myself a new live bait casting rod for stripers in the California Delta. Up until now I have been using a store bought, honey yellow, Lamiglass SRC 705 (Skeet Reese Model) which is a 7ft., 8-20 lb. glass rod that is very soft. I loved the action of this blank for live bait, but I hated the grip lengths. I've even caught a 25 lb female on it with 12 lb test (20 minute battle, a qu
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My diamondite over the butt wrap is just a shade bumpy. It is definitely the diamondite and not the gold leaf underneath. I added another coat last night and that smoothed it out quite a bit. How does this stuff sand? I was thinking about hitting it with a wood block in the wrapping lathe with a little 180 grit before I coat it one more time to level a few of the bumps out. How will it tak
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OK Randy....you busted me. I meant: Base Component.......I don't have a clue where I got Part A from..... Wait, wait ....yes I do ....I use mostly Aftcote and on their bottle it says "Part A - Resin" even though the Diamondite Base Component isn't a resin. Can anyone explain to me exactly what Diamondite is, since it isn't an epoxy? Thanks, Jon
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Hi: I just started using Diamondite and I love it for putting down my gold leaf butt wraps. I do a thin coat and apply my leaf after about an hour. I then overcoat with the Diamondite after it dries. I noticed after I used it a couple of times (I have the bottles without the built in syringes so I used a new set of flex-coat syringes to start) the A part is VERY thick and has a bit of crys
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Me too..........I always use the sticky mesh drywall tape with Kardol 2-part epoxy glue. I have never had an issue doing it this way. Jon
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My buddy wants me to redo an old Sabre rod he has.....personal memories attached to it.... All new AFTCO roller guides, cork tape and Swifty rod armor on the butt section....wire rod for stripers in the bay/ocean around San Francisco....not a problem... The reel seat assembly is an Armac RS2. The rod does come apart at the top of the reel seat. What is the best way to knock down some of t
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I seem to recall earlier discussions about an epoxy you guys use for repairs that sets up within an hour or two. I'm just putting some red pigment on some rods between guides so the party boat skipper can spot his boat rods before they accidently walk off the boat. Been using Flex Coat and adding the pigment but since I only have my wrapper / dryer and not a commercial 4 or 8 rod dryer it will
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I hated using the mylar tape it comes with. It always rolled or it was a struggle to get the NuSkin over my cork tape underwraps. I have a number of rolls sitting on the shelf from various kits (want them?). I like to use an old shoemakers glue. The brand name is "Barge Cement", comes in a yellow squeeze tube and you can get it at any hardware store. I've probably used it on a doz
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So I do the second coat on this rod and go to bed. My wife and daughter go into my office to use the computer. My wife leans over the spinning, drying rod to close the blinds on the window and her pajama waist string starts wrapping around the rod. She freaks out, and her and my daughter cannot figure out how to stop the rod from spinning in my lathe so she grabs a scissors and cuts her pants
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Tom.....you are too much...You throw me a picture, just a taste, a little bait.......I scroll down and do the detective work to see Billy's comment about "the picture being from the cover of the April 2000 Issue".....THEN, I get to open my new handy dandy CD Library of Rodmaker Magazine......bada bing, there it is....I think you did that on purpose... just what I was looking for, excell
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Blending thread colors.....I'm not sure if this is the right section in the book or not.... Advanced Custom Rod Building, Multiple thread wraps...page 244. I see the pictures, I've read the text, but I don't understand what it takes to get the smooth or subtle transitions between colors. What I see are sharp changes, what am I missing here. I know it must me not understanding something correc
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Billy: I built myself a Seeker CTSF63XXH that they call their "Halibut Special". Rated at 60 - 100 lb, 14 tip and a 1.100 butt. Left it at 7ft. and spiral wrapped it. Put on a Tiburonized TLD 20 - 2 speed and loaded it with 80 lb spectra. I fished in Glacier Bay with it and caught lots of Halibut. The biggest for me was 185 lbs (released). Lots of fish between 50 and 150 lbs.
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I'm looking for 6 ft. / 2 pc. Ultra Light blanks in fiberglass. Real soft, real parabolic. I can't seem to find what I'm looking for.....anyone have any ideas / suggestions? Thanks, Jon
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Just finished a Rainshadow RCLB 70 ML for a friend who gets to go to a "invitation only" 30 lb test tournament in June down south (yea, he's a dog).... Does anyone have any tricks or techniques for a final clean up and/or polish? My rods look ok when I'm done, but I'm always looking for that something extra. I just want to add that extra sparkle...... Thanks, Jon Gold
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Wylie, Go to hookless.com......That is Jerry Foran's website. Abu Garcia are the reels he rebuilds and he makes "new" trick ones from parts. He knows everything about them and I'm sure he would be happy to answer any questions. Just call him, he is in Florida and his number is listed on his website.
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Terry: Thank you very much for the offer. I won't be able to come to NC from Northern California this year (work, blah, blah, work) but I plan on going south for the West Coast Show. Do you think you will be there? Maybe a seminar? I understand that the "art" is an inside thing, a feeling, a perception, a talent for personal translation that can't be taught. I'm just looking
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Holy Cow ....That was quick... Thanks Mike
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I can't stand it. Got my issue the other day and the feather work by Terry Henson just blows me away. It's just so beautiful... I have to learn how to do this....the basics... Tutorials, DVD's, Books, which issues of Rodmaker???? Suggestions, help....please / thank you. Jon Gold
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Forget the attorney... Figure out a name first, then just do a search for the US Patent Office and you can look on their trademark database for any name that has been trademarked. Then you can search for your secretary of state website and do the same search for any company name listed. After that, do some websearches in your area phone books for any name similar to the one you picked. Just w
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I got very lucky... Thanks Duane, I read your post and figured what the heck, I got nothing to lose... Gently heated the guides up with my alcohol lamp, then I was able to adjust each eye slightly, and got acceptable alignment... Had to cut away and clean the epoxy under each interior foot of the guide (it cracked from the pressure of twisting) was able to recoat and it looks great....I didn
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I really don't know what happened.....maybe I was too tired and it was too late at night... I always have trouble lining up my guides before doing the first coat..... Maybe the eyes just aren't that great anymore... i usually have a second person check my guide alignment before I start coating...Well, after at least 100 rods you would think I'd know better....I didn't....I didn't have someone e
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Well, I read Tom's post about rodbuilding in NC Outdoors. I think, great, I'd love to read it.. Problem... I live in Northern California which is a tad bit far from any newsstand in North Carolina. So, I go to ncwildlife.org and go into the store...I ask if it would be possible to purchase a copy and pay to have it sent to me in California.....I get a response from the store manager who says s
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The funny thing is when I build one for myself I usually make it much simplier and let's say "unimpressive". Also, on my rods I'm always trying new stuff. If there is a slight mistake in the gold leaf for example, who cares it's only for me. The only truly important thing to me is how it "feels", how it fishes. But, I just finished a rod for a buddy and I redid the gold lea
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Hi: I've built a bunch of CalStar T607 & 608 "Mooching" (designed for salmon, E glass) rods that we use for either trolling for stripers in the Sacramento Delta or still fishing with bullheads for stripers. They have .810-.820 butts, #6 tips, and are rated 8-15lb. These rods are parobolic with a very soft tip. I would like to try a Batson blank for this since I was so happy wit
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I'm building a 100 lb roller guide rod (Forecast FSU56XXH) with Aftco Guides. Anybody have any tricks for eyeball alignment (or otherwise) for these guides, I'm having a tough time getting them straight. There is just too much "stuff" out there ( relative to normal guides) and I think it's messing with my eyes. Thanks, Jon Gold
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Everyone: This spring I built 3 of the Rainshadow RCLB70M's as 40lb and 50lb rods (pushing it at 50, but they worked great loaded that heavy) for 5 day trips out of San Diego, and they are just wonderful! One of my buddies wants a 100lb, 5 1/2 ft stand-up for his 10 day trip in November. He specifically asked for the same brand again (he used his 70M loaded with 50 lb for jigging and you couldn
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Thank you Tom.
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Gentlemen: I have some questions regarding the New Guide Concept System (vol 10, issue 4, page 28) for setting up a spinning rod. I've never done a spinning rod following this method before and I'd like to know how much (if any) latitude I have for the following: I'm building on a Seeker @#$%& 756 blank (7'6", one piece, 8 (12) 20). I can't deceide between my Stradic 2000 and my Strad
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