Never had one come out. I don't use the security wrap. I do put 3 or 4 wraps in front of the foot. I don't use CP. I generally use flex-coat lite for the first coat to be sure to get the tunnel full through the threads. I have had to remove some of these guides. Not really worried about one "popping out" any more after that. I don't get to use my rods enough or with heavy enough
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1) I am not an authority 2) I have used the titanium frame SIC all the way up on a 4 wt and it worked wonderfully. 3) I have built several rods in the 3/4 wt and 2/3 wt classes using wire SF's near the top and ceramics (the cheaper one) up to there. 4) I just finished red-doing the rod I fish with the most. A 5 wt Winston LT. It was one of my first rods and I used 3 cerment stripp
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I have not seen the AMT lathe. I have seen other AMT tools and have had catalogs from the company for years. I may catch some flack from this, but if it was me I would pass on the AMT and the tools. The mainstream importers, Jet, Delta, Grizzly seem to me to produce better tools for the money than AMT. I know that if you are going to do big work you need a big lathe. But for any work you
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"Why can't we all just get along and standardize the way we describe the rod?" My interest is mostly in flyrods, so my answer relates only to them. Because that is exactly the last thing the add writers for the rod companies want to happen. Make the copy sound technical, use terms that people have heard of but really can't define, pick the "hot" ideas to push like "fa
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On a 6 wt I would use ceramic single foots. The only disadvantage I see is cost. On a 6 wt I am willing to carry a little extra weight to get the smoothness and line control of the ceramics.
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I wish I had a suggestion. If the insert is already glued to the rod with epoxy I don't think there is anyway to actually close the crack. I have exactly the same situation. If I had noticed it before glue up it would have been a simple matter to put some wood glue in the crack and close it up by clamping. But since it is on the rod and there is hardened epoxy in the crack it is glued open for
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I have built a couple little rods that I like. I am not "traditional" at all in guide selection and since I am not selling them I don't have to meet conventional standard of appearence. I like to use a good ceramic tip top (SIC or Cerment) because they are lighter than the wire loop tops. I like about 3 or 4 single loop wire guides at the top and then ceramic down from there. This s
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If the Plano case you mentioned is the same one I look at in the store it might work. Better, I think, and certainly cheaper, would be to ship them in something made from thick walled PVC pipe from Home Depot. I don't think you will have a problem, but it is possible that a long tube like that could get snapped in half by rolling part way out of one of the little baggage cars or getting crosswa
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I just finished my first burl cork handle. A large one on a bottom fishing rod. burl cork is quit a bit heavier than regular cork. It also feels a little harder when you grip it. It works wonderfully. You can even turn it with a cutting tool on the lathe. I was worried about it chipping so I used a ring of regular cork at both ends of the grip and foregrip. After working this handle down I
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I like the ceramic tops because they are usually a lot lighter than the wire loop tops. One reason you don't see them much is they are pretty expensive.
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Easy answer to an easy question. Go with the flex-coat lite and plan on about 3 or maybe even 4 coats. Lots less chance of bubbles and you get a couple of chances to "fix" it if things are not perfect.
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Actually I like filling the whole tunnel opening, not just the end. Guides do corrode in salt water, even some stainless steel guides. How can you be sure of saturating the threads and fully protecting them if the tunnel is not full? Any good reason not to fill the tunnel?
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Allstar has some wonderful 3 piece blanks.
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It is sorta loose and confusing. I really don't know if there is any reason for the numbers like U8, etc. I just assumed they are "names" and let it go at that. Fly seats generally come in 2 main diameters, around 3/4" od (.720 is common) and around 5/8" od. The little ones are used on light line rods, like 5 wt and down. the bigger one is usually used on bigger rods, lik
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Fished on a boat with a gentleman who brought his bamboo rod. I don't think he really enjoyed the looks he got. And when the reel slipped the drag and freespooled with a fish on the captain handed him a glass rod with a newer reel and everybody looked happier.
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Couple of reasons for 2 tips, I think. One reason is to be able to rotated the tips and let them dry out and relax or straighten out if you fish a lot. Another reason is that it is probably easier for a builder to build matched tips when he builds the rod rather than trying to match one years later, and they do break. Look at it as a version of the makers "warranty". He just gives (
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No way I want a downlocking on a rod that is going to carry a big, heavy reel. I love downlocking and use them exclusively for 6 wt and down. But having the reel a long ways from the hand makes casting the rod harder, because you have to fight the increased rotational momentum of the reel too. I would use a uplocking on a 9 wt and try to get the reel very close to the casting hand. I can't i
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