Rick Handrick Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I try my best not to turn cork indoors - but I > have an Oneida Dust Deputy in-line with my shop > vac. It’s a cyclone dust collector and it works > very well. Set the vacuum nozzle as close to the > grip as possible, and I do most of the shaping > with a Stanley Sure Form plane and 40-80 gri
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Another part of the solution is to make less dust by getting close to shape before going to fine grit abrasives.
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Most wood finishes fall into either the more natural oil based or the synthetic polyurethane based camps. Oil based polyurethane finishes can be mixed with things like tung oil to complicate this even more. The shellacs are sort of an in between, third camp as they are based on a resinous insect secretion that is relatively hard and durable. Waxes can be incorporated into or on top of any of them
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USA rolled blanks are actually fairly rare by overall volume and proportion of choices. The RX10 Eternity series is made in South Korea, not China (source: telephone conversation with Karry Batson). This nation is rated by some experts as our most loyal ally, both now and over the last several decades. They have tangibly supported the USA with troops and supplies ever since the Korean Conflict. T
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I suggest you email photos to the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum in Hayward, Wisconsin. Someone there may be able to readily recognize the rod. This is really a great venue. If anyone gets by there, it is worth the stop.
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The claim made here by the Batson Team about the RX10 is fairly bold. In my experience building on and switching between RX10’s, SCV’s, Points, and other similar quality of blanks while fishing, this blank series absolutely cashes that check. The quality is great (straight tips!), and it’s noticeable that the tapers are specifically refined for intended uses. I currently fish more rods in the RX1
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I also prefer Gen4, but would use Flex Coat if it weren’t available. The flat, foil cups work much better for me than the plastic mixing cups. The bubble release of Gen4 in those is quick. There are all sorts of rod building tools that I’ve never bothered to buy, but a drying motor is something I wouldn’t be without. I could rotate every few to fifteen minutes for a few hours, but the cost of the
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Any guide ring that grooves wouldn’t seem to be made from a true industrial ceramic material. The hardest thing that should be brought in on braided line is the biogenic silica components of diatoms. These appear to max out at about 6.5 on the Mohs scale. Most ceramics that can be categorized into a standard industrial material are about 9.0 or above on that hardness scale. Cubic zirconia is soft
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There are some models that don’t have the “Hard specs” link. I’ve fished my PB761HM for a multitude of bass techniques and have taken it to Alaska twice for throwing spinners to big cohos. There are things I like about the rod and a couple of things I really don’t. It’s very sensitive, light for its size (which is still somewhat of an unknown), and seems durable. However, its taper is very unrefi
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Tom Kirkman Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > There are no solvents in 2-part epoxies. They are > 100% solids. You should be fine, but I've not seen > one brand of epoxy offer a harder or smoother > surface than another. You may have something else > going on there. > > ......... True, but the term “solvent” is more universal in mean
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I will be very surprised if putting one brand of two-part rod finish over another cured brand causes any issues. While there is a lot of differentiation in these brands, the base chemistry should be relatively similar. Thread finishes don’t appear to be strong solvents. They are also fairly resistant to being dissolved once cured.
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I built on a Point Blank that had four different sets of specifications. It was three until I unpacked the label. I gave up on them because of that. It’s sad their data is such a mess because they do make really nice blanks.
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UV blocking finishes for wood are a catch 22. While they are definitely more protective, the varnishes with this characteristic still have limited lifespans and a need to be sanded quite a bit before reapplication. They are also high build and fairly glossy. The Maloof products are less protective, but they will more fit typical fly rod aesthetics with luster over gloss and not as high build. The
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Nearly the entire range of fly rod blanks lies between the economy kits and a CTS. I would aim for value in the middle of this. There are many well-priced and performing options in Rod Geeks, Rainshadow, and NFC lines. The Aurora line at Rodbuilders Warehouse looks very interesting, too.
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What material comprises the colored portions of these grips?
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It’s a standardized set of tested ratings for wood species from the Forest Products Laboratory. The finishes just partially encapsulate the wood away from water rather than making non-durable wood more durable. Stabiliziation would certainly do this even more. For cottonwood, the Sam Maloof oil/poly product should be nice under carnuba.
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I think it will be hard to predict how it will work. It’s moderate in action, which will help. The specs make me think more 4-5 weight, but crosswalk information between spinning rod power and fly rod weights is rare and inconsistent. Its maximum lure weight rating is 1/4. If it really handles that well, it might night load properly with three weight line in such a short length.
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Cottonwood has low durability in regards to getting wet. It checks fairly quickly and can also be difficult to sand. It is fairly resistant to splintering, though.
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There are just a few things you actually learn by building from a kit. The most difficult of these are mixing two part epoxies and finishes, wrapping guides, and applying the rod finish. While these are important skills, I would be surprised if an advanced body shop/paint person would be challenged by any except for the guide wrapping. With a kit, you will barely climb the learning curve while bu
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Billy, this is your own post on stripersonline, dated 2/4/2022, “ Thanks Drew. I have a lot of potential plans with Mudhole. This is a big step in the right direction for me, and for The Art”. I don’t know why so many involved are so evasive about Mudhole and AT.
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I’ll be interested in hearing about your build after you fish it some. I’d caution against wanting an exact match for an old favorite rod of any kind. AllStar had different eras, designers, and rod series even in their lines. Their carbon crankbait rods used relatively small diameter butt dimensions and gradual tapers to get more moderate actions. The B473MM uses this paradigm, a little higher mo
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You can’t be a fanboy as an employee/contractor/affiliate.
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I throw shallow square bills and deep crankbaits with this rod. The medium crankbait season in the canyon reservoirs near where I live is pretty short and I’m usually using the SCV for my choice of those. Specifically, I’m throwing Megabass S-Crank 1.5-2.0’s, Deps Evoke 2.0’s, and OSP Blitz Max DR’s most of the time on it. The Spro Little John DD70 and the Jackall Digle 04 are the biggest crankba
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I don’t know about Mudhole/AT doing good things for us. Buying great brands and product lines just to shut them down isn’t very builder friendly. Exclusive retail/distribution deals are contrary to service and choice. I have to pay a shipping charge and wait extra time to get one part from Florida that is made in Oregon where I reside. If custom rod building was a bigger pursuit, a word starting
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The AllStar crankbait rod is going to best be duplicated in 2023 by the RodGeeks B473MM. It’s more or less equivalent, but better (I did own an AllStar Carbon crankbait rod. You could easily cut one to three inches off, but the standard length is just fine. Either of the Rod Geeks (St. Croix) Carbon4 or Carbon5 crankbait blanks are just outstanding in my opinion. I’ve caught thousands of fish on
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This all seems like much ado about nothing. The two companies have been sharing a building, some level of ownership, and some board members for multiple years. The new company has this same owner, Thomas McNamara, as the CEO. It’s likely he just finished buying the Meehan family out all the way. I’ve never understood why the tie-up was denied for so long. I would hope that any exclusive retail ar
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If I remember from the previous thread Les was splicing his blank with an internal sleeve and another rod piece. If that is correct, it’s not a parallel exercise.
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There isn’t a great difference between the Torzite and SiC in cost. I think the Torzites look more appropriate on a fly rod because of the thinner rings with a color that blends in better. There is probably a slightly reduced chance of cracking a ring with them, too.
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A whirl of drywall tape (1/3 to 1/2 of the width of the rolls typically sold), will fill in the small gap at the top. Superglue the ends to the blank and don’t overrun the top edge of the fighting but. The bond with the epoxy will be even stronger.
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Joel Babin Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > To add another NFC blank into the mix that might > surprise people is the IM CB704. I cut two down to > made jerkbait rods. They can throw small cranks, > topwaters, etc. Good treble hook blank, crisp > enough for jerkbaits and forgiving to handle fish > surging at the boat. Take a look at the def
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