I asked similar questions here & on other boards. More experienced builders have suggested starting with a higher frame and move to lower framed guides. Most recently I asked for a recipe for a 7' saltwater live bait rod. It was suggested that I use an MNSG, LNSG, NSG, and LSGs. I'll probably run the 180 LSGs in size 8. Right now I'm thinking about a two guide transition at 60 & 12
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I for one feel he should be allowed to share his experiences....good or bad. I am another fan of Mud Hole's service. In the past I have also received back ordered items with separate shipping charges. BUT I also notice that the shipping is very relative to the item you are receiving. On small items I routinely get charged less than $1 for shipping. I recently received a single spool of threa
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Any nubs or stickers can be easily sliced off with a razor after the coat of finish has cured. Jay
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Bill, How much do you thin your epoxy? I assume you would use denatured alcohol for the task? Might give that a try. Jay
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I routinely make my wrap patterns on 4x6 index cards. I lay out the entire wrap on a card (one for each size guide) with a pencil. The card also contains a mark for the center of the wrap. I then can make a mark on the blank where each guide will be centered. For guides with underwraps I make a small scratch while guides that don't have underwraps just receive a light pencil mark. Then I jus
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For the top coat? Permagloss. Jay
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I wrap by hand as well. All I've done is build a couple of roller blocks using gray rubber wheels. On large saltwater rods it would be nice to have a power rapper for long underwraps on big OD blanks. Other than that I'm content with hand wrapping for now. Good wrappers from what I hear are Pac Bay, AmTak, & Flex Coat. Renzetti if you want top-of-the-line. Jay
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Denatured Alcohol is all I use. Jay
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I've wrapped over underwraps coated with LS in as few as 10 hours (or less). Thirty-six hours should be a gracious plenty. I also like to coat the underwraps with Permagloss as long as it isn't with the last little bit in the bottle. With 2/3 or so of it gone it tries to catalyze in the bottle. Gets too thick and sets on the wraps before displaced air has a chance to escape. Makes ugly littl
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Yep me too. ERROR.....about half the time I try. Jay
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Actually I was asking about the trans angles because I'm trying to understand why the line touches the guide frames when the rod is unloaded. I went home last night and gave a quick look to the rod I have in my shop and didn't see the issue...I admit I did look quick. Thanks for the information anyway though. Jay PS: John, I overnighted Steve's rod Wednesday morning. UPS said it
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Agreed on the popsickle sticks. Just put a blob of each on a mixing palette. I use whatever I have laying around...usually a piece of cardboard box that I had parts shipped in. Really easy stuff to use. Jay
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Daniel you are right about the CP being used to only seal the underwrap in this case. It will make it easier to wrap the guides, but I prefer a light build finish. Be sure to wick off all the excess as only a thin coat is needed. You may do your guide wraps in either A or D thread...it's up to you. Depending on the finish you use you may wrap your guides as soon as 8 hours after epoxying the
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I'll have to go home and check the unloaded line path on the one roller rod I have in the shop. If I may ask, what are the angles you set the two trans guides at? I've also thought about using ring guides for the transition, but then why not just use rings throughout? Anyway, I'd like to know the guide angles for the rollers if you have those. Thanks! Jay
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Epoxy allergies/reactions are fairly common umong boat builders here on the coast. I don't mean one out of every three get this condition, but it isn't a suprise to hear of it happening. And yes they say once they have it they don't get rid of it. Jay
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'Normally' I underwrap in A and do my guide wraps in A with no problems. Since metallics don't burnish as well as nylon you should pay special attention to get it on tight to begin with. I will try to have my thread come on to the rod at a sharp angle to get a tight pack. After sealing the underwrap with epoxy or permagloss you should still be able to do a guide wrap in size A thread w/o a pro
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The only time I've used a measuring device on a rod is when installing @#$%& roller guides. After you set the guides properly you MUST take an accurate measurement to know the angle when you go to wrap them later. I use the same Craftsman tool as in Hank's photo link above. On the last spiral roller I built I set the guides with the rod flexed with 35# of preasure. After putting the blank
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For any of you that are race fans and would like to make this a complete vacation experience remember that you will be spittin' distance from Race City USA (Mooresville, NC). Just a short drive from Charlotte and woth the effort to tour the shop of your favorite driver. Just a reminder for any interested. Jay
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Honestly with today's thread and epoxies tripple wrapping isn't a necessity. On my personal rods I triple wrap only the heaviest of rods (80# & up). Even then it's probably not needed. If a customer wants triple wraps I mention to them that it might not be needed, but in the end if they want it I do it. I'm currently doing four rods for a charter boat, and even though they are light stick
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I use white india ink on black blanks sometimes and it dries fast yet can be erased with alcohol. You might try forced air and/or heat to aid drying of the ink. After it dries, with a light single stroke, apply a coat of CP to lock in the ink. It shouldn't smear when applying epoxy after that. Jay
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Krista, I've heard that Gator Glass blanks are comparable to Ugly Sticks in toughness. They are black, but should be easy to paint white for your use. Jay
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Thanks. The thing is I never really liked syringes. I must be a slob...I always get epoxy all over the dern things! Jay
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I see the '1coat' has a twist type top/dispensing system. Does it meter itself out or do you squeeze & measure? Thanks. Jay
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LOL I was thinking the same thing about hand reaming...that's why I asked the ID & OD sizes. I was hoping to tell you just slide that sucker in place as EVA can expand quite a bit. It does sound like you're going to need a little reaming, but don't think you need to over-do it. As I said EVA can expand alot. Rod Bond is the best 'lube' I know for helping tight grips slide down the blank.
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As you stated the blank 'jumps' to a certain position (sometimes). If you build by the 'spine' philosophy you want to build on that point where the finished rod won't 'jump' (or twist) while fighting a big fish. Some people think when building on heavy tackle there isn't a need to worry about the spine as these are thick blanks and don't twist. As a person who fishes 80-130# stand-up rods trus
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What is the id of the eva and the od of the blank where it will reside? Jay
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See if Plasit-Coat makes 'blaze orange'. That sucker will stick out then. Jay
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Try the marker and CP and/or Permagloss method. Color the foot and apply a sealer to prevent it from being removed. Jay
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Rick, most heavy rods (saltwater & heavy freshwater) are underwrapped. This gives the guide feet something besides the fragile blank to flex on. Most specifice 'downrigger' rods have moderate to slow actions and flex quite a bit. This could easily justify the underwraps. There is very little, if any, difference in wrapping rollers verses rings. A guide foot is a guide foot. The one th
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Fittingly my first was based on a Shakespeare Ugly Stick...and yes the name applied. After 5 or so more builds I refinished that entire Ugly Stick and now it's one of, if not the, best looking rods I've made. Don't think I'll be selling that one. Jay
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