Roger-How is a $200 heat-gun hard to beat? You can buy two heat-guns and a used lathe for that dough.
Forum: rodboard

Love 'em. No need to order these-you can get a bag them at a craft store for next to nothing.
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I've used the plastic mixing cups for 10 years-what's the problem with them? I haven't experienced any.
Forum: rodboard

Automobile door-panel trim retainers for butt caps-they come in all sizes.
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Ditto the SBSS-Lightest, most comfortable-nothing like it.
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I made a pink rod for a female coworker of mine,. The blank came from Mudhole. (Note: I buy predominatly from Mudhole and they have been outstanding in everyway). The blank lost all its pink color within a year, turning completely white. Has anyone had a similar color change on a special color blank?
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Cal-I can spend $500 and get 40 rod blanks-some are seconds but many have any small defect where the grip would go. I can build a rod using these blanks for around $40 and sell it for $250. I think 12,00 blanks may slightly underestimate the actual number. If you get there Saturday AM when the doors open, the first thing you'll notice is a hunderd people racing for the dozens of large garbage
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J.P. Timberlake's SBSS reel seat made with carbon fiber, a graphite split ring and graphite reel seat barrel is the only thing I will build. It was featured in Rodmaker a few years back. Once you learn the technique, it's a piece of cake. Never had more compliments or stares. No customer who tries it wants anything else.
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James-I plan on doing just that. I've had a rough year with all the cancer and heart attacks and early-onset sociopathy. When I finish getting all those buckets of clear "goo" out of my driveway, I plan on meeting again with my law firm, Dewey, Cheatham and Howe. We're going for the deep-pockets-The City of High Point, State of NC, United States of America and the city of Saskatoon, S
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I had my breakfast stolen at the hotel.
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I don't know-I doubt I would charge forward and plant the flag of protest on a "hill of foam arbors." Just me, I guess.
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As the rod is turning on the dryer, I take an 8-inch piece of size D or E thread, stretch it tight and hold it perpendicular, on top of the rod and against the edge of the wrap. The thread wicks a small amount of epoxy onto the blank and it is easy to hold in place while the rod revolves a few times.
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I just put a lovely burl reel seat on a bamboo blank. Beautiful except I forgot it was bamboo, hexagonal instead of round and I had not aligned it on one of the six flat surfaces WHERE THE GUIDES NEED TO GO! I took the bottom cap off, got a heat gun with a nozzle that fit into the rear opening and blasted it with hot air. I had padded channel lock pliers holding the reel seat so I could twist
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Why anyone frequenting this board would not subscribe to Rodmaker is beyond me. I keep every issue in a binder and often refer to them. The information, new concepts and illustrations that accompany the articles present things in a way that this forum cannot, despite the excellence of this forum. The covers are so gorgeous that I keep issues out on the coffee table. I've never heard of anyone
Forum: rodboard

Judd-E-Mail me
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I bought some Trans-Tint Dyes from Rockler Woodworking to dye guitar bodies-fantastic product and very concentrated. The $20 bottle might last years in rodbuilding applications and the colors are gorgeous. Mixes with epoxy, lacquer, denatured alcohol, lacquer thinner, etc. Give 'em a look.
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Folks-A local secretary for a lawyer found out I built fishing rods. She called me yesterday and asked me if I would look at a rod that her dad left to her (this woman is about 65 Y/0). She brought it in today and it's a beauty. It is a 2-piece Orvis Bamboo Spinning rod about 6'8" used for trout in central NY streams. It has the original case, the original varnish, the original guides, a
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Bill-The instructions are in your latest Rodmaker magazine.
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Clyde-Let us know how it goes.
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The stuff is thin. I coated mine twice because I wanted to put a name decal on top but there was no lump after just one coat. Heck, there's hardly any "lump" after wrapping it.
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7-foot medium-light spinning blank. I could have just as easily wrapped it around a pencil. Just follow the instructions. The only thing you need to be sure of if you've never wrapped it before is to avoid letting your fingers touch the adhesive as you peel off the backing. As you would expect it is really sticky.
Forum: rodboard

Within 30 minutes of my new "Tachy Mop" abalone arriving, I was picking it out of its boiling water bath and wrapping it around a 6-inch length section between split-grips. It was almost rubbery and I wrapped it on this spinning rod in about 15 seconds-no cracks, not even a near-crack. I simply followed Kevin's instructions contained in the latest Rodmaker. Folks-it's good as advertis
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I appreciate the replies-I really wasn't implying financial "hardship." I don't build for a living- I have a day job and this is just a self-financing hobby. I build a lot of rods for friends and charities free of charge. The folks I posted about are are friends-I''m just always always flabbergasted at the ignorance of what it is we do building custom rods. I guess these folks think w
Forum: rodboard

Anyone know of a source for a small (spinning rod size) Carolina Panther decal? I agreed to build a "Panther-themed" spinning rod for a friend. She wants abalone on it, the blank painted teal and a special Carolina Panther inlay. Oh, and just for good measure, she wants to keep the price under $100! Then my wife asks me how much profit I'm gonna make on it-well, we'll honey, I'll ma
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How long after setup can Rod Bond be drilled or tapped?
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I love the Fishhawk variegated light green.
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I flood coat it with Flex Coat then wick off with a paper towel enough to give me either a glass or textured finish. Never had a problem. I've heard some using Spar Varnish. I find Permagloss to be a pain due to its super fast set-up and it's pricey for that application.
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MHX and the Castaway Series from Lance at Swampland are both fantastic blanks. I can build on either of them, make a good profit and have happy customers. That's always a great combination.
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For those of you who paint rods and/or build crankbait lures, you should try KBS Diamond Clear Coat-It is a remarkable product that can be applied by bristle or foam brush or using spray equipment. The stuff dries rock hard and clear and is permanently flexible. (The website is ).
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I live at the coast and fish in saltwater. I had what I thought was a dandy idea to both clean my rods and save time by not having to expend any of my own time doing it. Typical rod builder-always trying to figure out a shortcut that gets the same results. Anyway, I took twelve rods-fly, spinning and baitcasting and after struggling to carry them all in from the garage at one time with reels
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