And an excellent article it is. I specialize in ultra-light spinning & fly rods and make a goodly number of fly-spin combination rods and just on the first read-through I learned something new to me. The new issue arrived today so that and the "Letters" are all I've read so far. Too, I've been unlearning 'myths' for at least 10 years now thanks to Tom K., this site and RodMaker. R
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Thanks, Tom. Ralph
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I bought a unified wheel from Bingham Enterprises a few weeks ago and I finally bought a 1/4in. arbor to use the wheel on my lathe. What is the maximum safe rpm. to use the unified wheel? Ralph
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I know this differs a mite from the article, but on the three bumper spiral rods I've built so far I did the Static Distribution test for spinning guide placement and placed the butt guide on top of the blank 180 degrees from the rest, then added a bumper guide. I did follow the directions in the article to the letter and test cast the result on the first one. I then did the SDT to determine the
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What is the working time for Ultimate Gel? Is this a compediter for Rod Bond? I await ThreadMaster Lite with baited breath. Ralph
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Penn State Industries has the same three jawed chuck that's shown in Andy Dear's DVD. Ralph
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I like ThreadMaster, the best so far. I'm waiting impatiently for ThreadMaster Lite. Andy, is there any chance of a two hour, two part Ultimate Gel? Ralph
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It's also a matter of technique. I fish ultra-light with a preference for moderate to slow action rods. Look into Dave whitlock's straight line system and learn, if you don't know already, how to set the hook with a slow action rod as well as yanking a Bass out of cover with a fly rod. I use original Stren and, stretchy as it is, and I have no trouble setting the hook with #2 Stren. Ralph
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I rewound my pool cue with #FF Gudebrod a few months ago. I use A thread for spinning & casting and A to 6/0 (pearsalls gossamer), depending on the rod in question, for fly rods. Ralph
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Tom, I have vol. # 1 - 3,1 - 4, 1 - 5, and 1 - 6. If you need, you can scan/copy/whatever you need. Just mail them back when you're finished with them. Ralph
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When will I be able to buy ThreadMaster Lite? Ralph
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I'm waiting for ThreadMaster Lite. Ralph
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Take a look at 'texasfishingforum.com'. they give good info. Ralph
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Brian, I've learned more on this site than I thought there was to learn. I still learn each and every time I come here. Mostly I learn how little I really know and how much more there is to learn about rod building. The more I learn the less I know. Ralph
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I sand/polish my really shiny wood inserts progressively to 2000 grit before I finish them with anything, Perma-Gloss, Tru-oil, spar varnish, or furniture wax, I still havn't made up my mind which I prefer. But wax must be periodically reapplied so it is in last place for longevity. Ralph
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I've seen photos of what looks like a 4 - 4 1/2in. fore grip shaped like a cigar grip in that position on a heavy fly rod. Maybe this is what you want? Ralph
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Neil Toland's post was the last one when I started my reply, you others got in while I was answering the phone & typing. Bell & Unique look like what I need. Thanks. Ralph
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My local woodcraft store has a good bit of straight grain wood and not much else. I'm looking for Highly figured wood and maybe burl not straight grained. Also, I want to use the wood soon, not in a few years from now after it has Finally dried out enough to use. I have Cherry & Plum that will be mighty fine in a year or two or three, but, I need these rods done by this Spring. Too, if I w
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Those of you who turn your own reel inserts, where do you buy the best highly figured wood for this purpose? I'm looking for some highly figured wood or burl for several very special fly rods. I wish to make fighting butt - reelseat insert - winding check out of the same piece of wood for these fly rods. The places that I know to look have nothing that looks good enough to suit these projects. R
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I'd either go with a brown thread as close to the same color as the blank, Not NCP, as you can get, or the white silk. This works very well with black thread on a black blank and the white silk gives a clear almost invisible wrap. options 2. and 4. Try regular white nylon without CP and see if this works. Ralph
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Am I mistaken or isn't CA/superglue too brittle to use for color preserver? Ralph
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Thirty+ years ago I might've said something like, "that's a waste of a good leaf". Now I agree with Matt. Ralph
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A few years ago, 1999 or 2000, I built a Spinning rod from a 15ft. 3pc. 11/12wt. spey rod blank. With 8 or 10# test line on a Shimano 3500 bait runner reel this is a good ultra - light surf or big fish river rod. I can cast a 1ounce weight + three 1nch shiner the length of a football field without killing the minnow or throwing it off the hook, at least no more often than with a normal spinnin
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What are the tip diameters of the four reamers, especially the smallest? Ralph
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I've tried faster & slower but I think the 18rpm drying motors suit me best. Also, the epoxy mixer described in RodMaker magazine & on this site works very well with 18rpm. I haven't had a bad mix since I built mine. Ralph
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I found, on this site, some years ago, a formula to find the maximum casting weight to convert a fly blank for spinning & casting. You take for example a 6wt. rod. Taking 6 for the numerator you use 16 for the denominator = 6/16 = 3/8 = 3/8oz. as the maximum casting weight. An 8wt. = 1/2oz. max casting wt., a 3wt. = 3/16oz. While this formula isn't exact, it will put you in the ballpark. I b
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I've used metalic winding thread to make a winding check. Ralph
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What I bought from Custom Tackle is the Cortland cork insert reelseat & skeleton seats in black & clear aluminum. The skeleton seat is a butt disk, a pair of rings and a disk to go between the grip & insert. Inexpensive, very. But nice. I put one of mine on a 6' 6" 2wt. Ralph
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Custom Tackle Supply has/had them. Ralph
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Ditto. Ralph
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