Norman: Do you think a handy rod-builder could use tubular mandrels and form snake guides out of titanium welding rod? I love your do-it-yourself hook keeper method.
Forum: rodboard

About when did rod builders stop making (cane) fly rods with guides composed of rings dangling from thread-wrapped keepers?
Forum: rodboard

Single-foot guides on big-fish rods are somewhat better than snake guides at casting but worse at fighting fish. Big fish can instantly snap leaders when the line is fouled or impeded in the guide train. The geometry of a snake guide gives it a maximum effective opening, and a loop in your line which catches on ring guide would slide off a snake guide.
Forum: rodboard

When buying epoxy I look for ease of use, durability, setting time, and appearance. I have yet to find one brand which is superior in all these categories.
Forum: rodboard

Manufacturers of adhesives, including epoxies "have" the data, not me. You do not have to trust data I cite or require me to produce more. That's what internet searches are for - so you can be a rod builder and "do it yourself".
Forum: rodboard

You can "take" an epoxy to any temperature, 500F, 8,000 F. , or higher, but the system three epoxy cited the maximum service temperature of their product is 165 degrees. Using a 1,000 or 3,500 degree flame it doesn't take very long to heat 1/64 oz. of metal to 165 degrees, but it takes skill and discipline which I lack. That's why I use a pencil-point soldering iron to attach and make f
Forum: rodboard

The data is not "mine". Go to: - see the listed "maximum service temperature" Of course there are many different types of epoxy and their service temperatures vary somewhat, but none come anywhere near 1,000 degrees F. - the temperature of the blue part of a candle flame. All this objective information is available on line from a wide variety of sources.
Forum: rodboard

The taper of the line you are casting greatly affects the response - AKA "feel" - of the rod blank. The more line you put in the air with your back cast the more difference the taper makes in the feel of the rod.
Forum: rodboard

The epoxy matrix in a rod blank begins to soften at 140 degrees F. and deforms at 500 degrees F. Hot melt glues melt around 380 F. A candle flame burns at 1,000 F., a methanol flame burns at 3,398 F, an ethanol flame burns at 3,488 F., a butane flame burns at 3,500 degrees. The peak temperatures of open flames are reached almost instantly. These are demonstrated facts, not opinions. Draw your ow
Forum: rodboard

What types of failure have you experienced with hot melt glue? I have used hot-melt glue to secure tip-tops and arrowheads since the days when stick-shellac was the only hot melt glue available, and I don't recall any failures.
Forum: rodboard

Use of a small, pencil-point electric soldering iron both to install and remove a tip-top greatly minimizes the possibility of damage to the rod blank which use of an open flame creates.
Forum: rodboard

I have a fairly long, moderately lite rod I use for horizontal jigging. It has a soulful action and a great feel but one of those little round parts got lost and the holder near where my hand goes is messed up. Should I use thick or thin thread, or maybe some glue to fix it?
Forum: rodboard

Tom: Your point is well taken about differences between blanks and how to neutralize them before comparing different builds. I have not seen any physical data comparing any two blanks of the same make and model. It's possible there is significant variation between blanks of the same make and model, as far as I can tell. If we rod builders are to communicate effectively we need to use specific ter
Forum: rodboard

It seems to me that until we can quantify the differences between rods made by added weight and leveraged weight there is little profit in obsessing over minor differences between blanks, components, or builds. Without physical data we are reduced to beliefs and "feel" - and there is no way to effectively recommend either of these to another angler.
Forum: rodboard

Michael: I'm lazy. That's why I asked instead of doing it myself. I was thinking of something in the mid-range of rods, somewhere between a 4 1/2 foot meat stick and a 9 foot 4 wt. fly rod.
Forum: rodboard

How much weight difference is there between a rod with minimal wraps/decorations/finish coats and the same rod with long/decorative wraps and two or three finish coats? Also, how much difference between the actions of these two rods can be physically measured? Function and appearance are often in opposition, but how much function is actually lost, percentage-wise?
Forum: rodboard

Without knowing whether the single-hand fly rod's user will be a double-haul caster or a wave the wand caster the CCS ERN rod measurements are of little use.
Forum: rodboard

Looks like spinning and casting are behind the curve. Covering a hook point should not be difficult or require extra hardware and extra wraps and extra weight. Spinning/conventional rod seat manufacturers could offer the same "fold in the forward reel seat ring" hook holder feature but it would not work for anglers using two or three gangs of treble hooks on their lures. I'm not sure wh
Forum: rodboard

Michael: Struble HG series reel seats have integral hook keepers. The R.B Meiser Components website has photos of them. The concept is elegantly simple.
Forum: rodboard

I like the hook keepers which are an integral part of the reel seat. I prefer the clean, uncluttered look and function.
Forum: rodboard

Adding weight to a rod blank trades performance for appearance.
Forum: rodboard

Why not a cane pole? You could easily shim out some aluminum tubing to make it a two-piece pole. I'm continuously cutting and throwing away 15 to 25 foot bamboo canes which are more than rugged enough to lift world-record panfish out of heavy cover. If you live in central Florida I will gladly give you a couple dozen 15 to 20 foot cane poles free of charge.
Forum: rodboard

How about something besides "smooth" or "fast'" or "ultra-fast" or "soulful" or "powerful" or "progressive" or "light" or "heavy" or "new" to identify a rod's physical characteristics?
Forum: rodboard

There is little if any chance of a fly line grooving the guides on a fly rod, and resistance to grooving is the chief benefit of ceramic guides. The chief advantage of snake guides is their geometry allows for easier passage of line-to-leader knots and the small line snarls which are common in fly lines.
Forum: rodboard

I would like a scientific measure of the hoop strength of a rod. This is an easily determined quality of a rod blank and one which would aid rod builders who value empirical data more than hearsay or expressions of faith or merchandising.
Forum: rodboard

Access, visibility, and separation are issues and I have limited wall space. I imagine (hope) warping would take place over a a period of years rather than months. Does anyone have a photo of a rod warped by a two-point horizontal storage so I can weigh the damage versus other options? Most of my rods are for salt-water use.
Forum: rodboard

I have a bunch of fishing rods. I just finished attaching a cieling rack hanger in my garage to store them horizontally. I have previously stored all my rods upright or in a tube. Will prolonged two-point horizontal storage harm graphite blanks?
Forum: rodboard

In my experience "not at all" is the best way.
Forum: rodboard

Does a certain guide spacing and position result in better accuracy, longer casts, or better fish fighting qualities? I can't believe one particular arrangement would be best for everything!
Forum: rodboard

Exactly what objective results - versus theoretical benefits - determine the best guide placements for guide-on-top rods and guide-on-bottom rods?
Forum: rodboard