I had low frame Recoil spinning guides on a flyrod. VERY FLEXIBLE! They worked fine for fly fishing but I would NOT utilize them in a spiral wrap because ANY Torsional pressure on the guide (twisting) will be very evident - especially if you use single foot guides for your transition guides. I would definately go with the ceramics for your application. The American Tackle Titans are even less
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I second the Am. Tack. Titaniums. You can use size 5's for a 6 weight floating line - no problem. I'd wind a guide on as a tip-top instead of using their Stainless tops though (they have yet to make a titanium frame top). Or if you insist on using a tip top, go with a fuji titanium SIC tip-top.
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You actually already have a couple of programs for weave patterns and fonts on your computer, but you probably don't realize it. They are MS Excel and MS Paint. If you open up MS Excel and type in text in any of the grids, you can edit the font size and font type for that grid (or the entire worksheet). Then you simply do a cntrl 'c' (copy)of the grid(s) you've chosen and paste it onto the bl
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I've used size '5' American Tackle Titan's on rods casting 5 and 6 weight lines with no problem, but I don't see passing any 6wt tapered FLOATING lines through a size '4' guide ring. On my floating lines, I always use the Whitlock Superglue Splice (flyline to leader) with Extruded Tapered Leaders. Creating this connection is a bit arduous (and requires a dacron braided core flyline), but very b
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Motor Pulley Pitch Diameter X Motor RPM = Headstock Pulley Pitch Diameter X Headstock RPM
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Look at the American Tackle Titans. They make a 5mm guide that is lighter than the Fuji's, and from what I've heard the ring locks are even lighter (and cheaper). I'm currently in the process of puting the Titan's on an 8'4" that I intend to use with a 4 wt. line. Don't see why you'd hesitate using titanium frame ceramics on even some smaller rods. For Line to Leader connection on rods I
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If you have a band saw it's easily done by adjusting the fence to different spacing intervals when used with a simple block. Just use double-stick carpet tape to hold a cork ring to the block. I have a pretty cheap little band saw ($90) and use a cork slicing jig I purchased from golden witch (when they were sponsors), but you could just as easily use a small 1" X 2" block guided along
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I like to use Microsoft Paint software in conjunction with Microsoft Excel. Most of my letters are of fonts I like to use from microsoft excel - size 12 (or whatever size you prefer). When you've found what you like copy and paste it onto microsoft Paint. Zoom in to about 600% and then select "show grid" (both of which are found under View heading). If, when the grid is displayed, t
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Bob, Thanks for the reply. Just found out the inscription is painted on, so I'll have to scuff it out. Depending on where the front of my grip ends and, ultimately the location of my weave, I will probably end up covering it up anyway. Torin
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I'm looking into building an inexpensive flyrod for Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass and like the CCS Data for the TFO Professional Series Blanks. Only Problem is these blanks appear to come with a logo already printed on them. I much prefer to use Decals with the colors and fonts of MY choice. Are these pre-installed logos EASILY removable (are they painted on or are they decals), or am I looki
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Steve, Thanks for the guide info. Unfortunately, my vacation and travel time/money is limited to summer fishing trips (until I secure the winning lottery ticket), so I have to be quite frugal. I'm currently finishing a 9' 5wt. SCIV with some Am. Tackle 5mm Titanium frame guides. Even though these guides have the light wieght titanium frames, I will have to use a slightly heavier reel than I
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Here's a great benefit for using cork for your grip material. You can build the grip a little large in diameter, and if it ends up being too large, you can always turn the finished rod in a qualing rod lathe and further sand down the grip to a more suitable size. It's difficult and more-often esthetically unpleasing to add material to increase the diameter of a grip that is intially too small.
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OK, I'm intrigued! What are these "Little Guides" you speak of? Are they low frame single foot guides with ceramic ring inserts? Do they come with titanium frames? Who makes them? Living here in Colorado, it's very impractical for me to travel to a rod-building show in N.C. just to see new products first hand. Thanks in advance for any info you can provide. Torin.
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Sorry Bob! I meant absolutely no disrespect. What I should have clarified is that I was under the impression that there might be a problem with your receiving the data due to some internet technical error. This is where I thought there might be a potential "hick-up". I was not blaming you personally. I fully understand being extremely busy with your other more important duties in l
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How could the single foot tip possibly be pushing the technique past it's limits since the tip of the blank is at significantly LESS Strain than at any other point on the blank when an increase in load is applied? This should be the safest place for a threadless wrap. As load pressure increases on any rod, the tip becomes more straigtened and the strain on the tip decreases. This force imparte
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I've submitted some CCS data on some blanks I've tested months ago and it STILL hasn't appeared on the site. As good of a tool the CCS System is, it's extremely handicapped when information cannot be OBJECTIVELY shared! I can only immagine how much data is not being made readily available to us because of this "hick-up". Any other CCS data sites out there? Anyone else up to th
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I've never seen any finish applied to any brand of the big name blanks hold up flawlessly - after an appreciable amount of time (10 years or more) and St. Croix's blank finish seems to fail quicker than the others. That's why whenever I or my customer's have a choice, we tend to go with a matte finish. Only problem with that is that in some lines weights, I consider the absolute best engin
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Mike, I think everbody's had or will have that early phase In rodbuilding where their grandious ideas of one type of rod well designed and esthetically well constructed by the custom builder, will cross-over equally effectively to other types of rods that CAN be built better than their mass produced counterparts. When I was a young person I felt compelled to build a Musky rod for an uncle , whic
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Miles, Not trying to shop my work or anything, but I've submitted photo's of a couple of rods on the photo's page(s) using handles and reel seat inserts made from Lamar's exotic burl cork rings. Just look under Member Galleries and enter my user name for some examples of some SIMPLE work done with exotic burl cork. I too will never again use standard cork unless a customer insists, and my ef
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I used a Dewalt Electric 1/2" drill from Home Depot. Not a cheap drill, but I bet it'll outlast the Grizzly. I had to run the drill for a bit while slightly grinding down the chuck diameter (using a flat file) so that it would fit into the grizzly drill mount bracket. Great Drill Motor. Torin.
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Rich, I don't know if it's in your budget, but REC makes some EXTREMELY light weight reel seats with aluminum hardware. I built a 2 wt. about 5 years ago with an REC AUSL (uplocking) with a California Buckeye Burl wood insert. I used single foot snake guides with one light coat of epoxy and still, the rod balanced Tip-Heavy due to the extremely light reel seat hardware/insert. In fact, I ha
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