Since you don't fly fish YET I have a suggestion for you. IF you are brand new to fly casting I would not recommend a 6' 2/3 wt as as beginner rod. That is a very specialized type fly rod and not particularly suited for learning to fly cast on. For learning to fly cast I would recommend a rod that was 9' long in a 5 or 6 wt. With the longer heavier wt rod you will learn to feel the cast
Forum: rodboard

I don't think so but I can't say for sure NO. I was finishing these rods up while CJ Allan was teaching a motorcycle engraving class in the studio. Since the class was going on in the studio I was in at the dining room table finishing up rods. I had my rod lathe and my dryer on the table and the blank sections that were not being worked on at the time on top of our 75 gal enclosed fish tank
Forum: rodboard

I forgot to mention that the other rod we took made on the same blank did fine under stress all weekend. THe blank was a 9' 9wt 3pc unsanded blank.
Forum: rodboard

I got the pics taken. They are not great but you can see the break. IT broke right at the female ferule right at the front of the male part of the ferrule. The rod held up fine for testing the ERN and Flexing for guide spacing. IT even did fine test casting in the back yard. It did not stand up to its first hook set. The rod broke on its first fish. I spotted a salmon about 25
Forum: rodboard

Two of the rods I built for the trip did fine............ one broke. I will post pics of the break and describe what happened on a different thread as soon as I can get the pics taken In the mean time here is a teaser for the trip. I would like to get opinions on what happened to cause the rod failure. More pics and story on my blog. Ray
Forum: rodboard

I agree with Stan, I made mine from precision drill rod I bought from MSC for not a lot of money. They are round and made of 0-1 tool steel. Even anealled the 0-1 is stronger and more true than cold rolled 1018 or A36 mild steel you get in the hardware stores. and it has a better finish too. I rub a little Vaseline on the blank (which has been waxed with car wax) to keep the epoxies from
Forum: rodboard

I have been contemplating this too. I don't have the answer for you but here are some thoughts that I have had about it. I personally like the old style burl cork with the black lines and I have considered making a variation of that out of crumble cork wine corks. using a black or dark brown glue to contrast the light cork color. I have some Urac 185 left over from a building a few bows.
Forum: rodboard

Tom is right on this one. My dad and some friends do this very type of fishing in WI about mid October every year. Over the past few years we have collectively broken a half dozen or more rods. All but two of those (my 3pc and Mark's 3pc) has been a two pc rod. All of those were due to our error, Either putting just too much stress on the rod high sticking while trying horse big fish in o
Forum: rodboard

Hey Bill, I looked through Michael's gallery. I'd say his soul has some poetry to it :-) Ray
Forum: rodboard

Hey Bill, I looked through Michael's gallery. I'd say his soul has some poetry to it :-) Ry
Forum: rodboard

I once had an art professor who made the point that artist and craftsmen can't help but work a little of their personality into their projects. I think he was right. I think we all tend to build a little of our personality into our rods. If you have a mathematical and techy personality it makes sense that your rods will show that in their precision and technical attributes. If you have a b
Forum: rodboard

Oh fellas your making this TOO hard. Tom, Are you trying to sell me more back issues LOL :-) Emory, Did you say math?????????? math??????????? I'm sorry to tell you I am a hard right brainer. I was an art major going to college on a theater scholarship (OK OK don't think bad about me it was the only way I could get money to go to school without a bunch of loans and it traumatized me e
Forum: rodboard

Oh thanks Mike, Stan if your out there I have some questions for ya. Will the foam reliable bond to the blank as it sets up or do I need to do this on a mandrel? What about the flex? Ray
Forum: rodboard

I have a question about these urethane inserts for reel seats that I am seeing in catalogs. In an effort to take weight off my rods (for sensitivity purposes not because I can't handle fishing all day without wearing out :-)..) I am considering making my cork and wood handles with urethane cores. I like the look of wood on my rods but it does add weight. The average weight of the combined
Forum: rodboard

Thanks for the vote of confidence Tim, BTW, I almost have the second installment on those reel seat instructions ready to send you. As far as how the burl cork would laser engrave I really don't know. Probably the best thing to do would be to glue a half dozen pieces together turn them into a cylinder and try it. I don't know a lot about Laser engraving all my stuff is cut by hand bu
Forum: rodboard

Good point Phil, I like Winston and Scott Rods but I have also built rods on certain PacBay and Hook and Hackle blanks that I really like. I suspect the PB and HH blanks were made in the same place because as far as I can tell they are exactly the same except for color. I recently bought one of the same blanks from Custom Tackle (it was a Batson brand). Now I have that rod in Green, Maroon,
Forum: rodboard

Winstons and Scotts are two of my favorite blanks. I had a little Scott G3 6'3" 3pc 3wt that was the cats meow for me. I have kicked myself many times for selling that rod. I personally agree with the commenter's statements about the Scott rods and stiff sticks. I see a lot of guys on the water who fling line with a long stiff rod rather than cast line with timing and a loaded rod.
Forum: rodboard

It's interesting to write such an article on the opinions of one guy. I tend to like slower action softer rods because they fit my casting style better but to each his own. There was one comment made that always gets a chuckle out of me. As a man who grew up in the woods working for local farmers bucking hay, driving fence post, cutting and splitting wood, building barns, etc, etc. I
Forum: rodboard

Jeremy, if your using floating line Rain-x makes a great line dressing. Coat the line with a cloth dampened with Rain-x and let it dry. It leaves a nice clean finish on your line and helps keep it clean. IF your getting friction it is probably from dirt and grim on your line that from the inserts on your guide rings. I have used everything from Hardaloy to Gold Cermits and I personally c
Forum: rodboard

Russ gave the best advice that can be given. Charge what you feel you have to have to cover the overhead, materials, taxes, design time, head scratching time and actual work time. Strive to do the best work you can and let the rest of it take care of itself. I will be the first to admit that I am a lousy businessman and an even worse salesman. Yet I have survived as an engraver for 20 year
Forum: rodboard

Thanks Ray, So now I know what you guys are using the filters for. Thanks for the tip. Ray
Forum: rodboard

Bill, That type of device has been around since before the Italian Renaissance (materials were a little different though). Painters used to use them to keep from touching their canvas and to steady their hands. I never thought to try that approach. Ray
Forum: rodboard

I have been trying to improve my finish work on my rods (that is the weak area I am feverishly trying to improve). I have bought back issues of RM with finishing articles, researched in books and online and rewrapped and refinished rod two or three times till I got it right. In one of those article by Steve Forhan he mentioned a hand rest. WOW! Light bulb moment for the hairy hillbilly h
Forum: rodboard

OK that sounds great but................................... how bout us fellas who didn't do that? What's the best way to get old epoxy off without scraping up the anodized finish on the lathe bed? Will a little heat loosen it up? I think the waxing is a great idea but I need to get a few globs of old stuff off first. Ray
Forum: rodboard

The best way to deal with this is to fill out the order form for the components. Have your friend buy them on his credit card and shipped to his house. Then he can bring them over one weekend and you can put them together for him. That way NO part of the financial transaction has involved you. You are merely doing a friend a favor. Ray
Forum: rodboard

I already cut them off and re wrapped. I read the article on Joe's web site and i have grond myself a couple spatulas. I am going to try that method and see if I can avoid that bridging this time. I would rather keep at this rod until I get it right. Better to screw up one rod over and over than to screw up two or three before the job is right. Thanks for the info guys, Ray
Forum: rodboard

Am I being chummed and baited here? :-) I am sure both happen in this market. Both happen in the engraving market that I work in daily. For my rods I don't care what others are doing aesthetically. I have worked hard to develop my own look using the lathe and engraving skills I have developed over the years. I am also in the position that I don't care if I sell a rod or not. The engrav
Forum: rodboard

Are you talking about the things that look like dental tools that dentist use to mix filling matrix with? If so, how do you apply finish with control using one of those? It seems to me that it would be very hard to control. Ray
Forum: rodboard

Terry, Do you have a pic of that spatula? I have always used a brush. Never even gave it a thought that there might be a better way. Ray
Forum: rodboard

Thank you very much Mr Adams. That is exactly what I needed. Ray
Forum: rodboard