Too much stuff to see it all in two days. I know. I tried. You always miss something. Just a ton of stuff there.
Forum: rodboard

At the widest point it would be still at least as wide as the diameter of a round grip used on the same type rod. So Tom is right about the ring size, to get that larger size at the top of the grip you may have to start with 1&1/2" rings.
Forum: rodboard

It was a good article to. The thing I learned from it that was interesting was that you can't glue up the entire grip at one shot. You have to do it in stages and then glue up the short stacks to make the full length grip. Beautiful stuff. I plan to make one some day when I have more time.
Forum: rodboard

It would be pretty floppy that way. I would repair it or just get another blank and build a new one.
Forum: rodboard

Thanks for the info. He'll be fishing from a boat in shallow water. Maybe this rod won't be stiff enough after all. I will look at a few more options and talk to him a little more.
Forum: rodboard

I have been asked to build a snook rod for a florida vacation trip. I'm thinking a 7 footer is long enough and something along the lines of a heavy bass type 844 style blank. Is there any reason to go longer or stouter? I have fished for and caught snook some years ago and know they can be tough customers but I'm thinking this type rod will still get the job done. But I'm not so sure that I won't
Forum: rodboard

Thanks. My question now is, if there is this much silicone in Maderia thread, what does this do to the threads ability to bind the guide to the blank? Will it mean that the guide will tend to slide around? Will it come loose quicker than if you had used regular Gudebrode type thread? There seems to be some questions about long term durability that I can't find answers to. I did search a bit but d
Forum: rodboard

Is it absolutely, positively, without question certain that if you use Maderia thread without CP that you will have fish eyes or other trouble? Or is it somehow possible to use Maderia without CP and manage to get finish to behave on it?
Forum: rodboard

Here is a down and dirty trick for making decals. Put a strip of Scotch brand magic transparent tape on a clean piece of glass. Use a gel pen to write out your inscription. Let dry for about five minutes. Peel the tape up and put it on the rod. Trim away any edges with a sharp Xacto knife that might show your fingerprints. Then put CP on it and finish with epoxy. PRESTO! A clear decal that you ma
Forum: rodboard

The better question might be, "Why is rod building not a craft?" If that can be answered satisfactorily then maybe it's not. But I think you might have a hard time proving that it's not.
Forum: rodboard

There are alot of things that will kill mildew. Direct sunlight, bleach, shower mildew cleaners, vinegar, and even a scrub with an SOS pad and water will do wonders. That last one works good on dirty blanks and cork as well.
Forum: rodboard

I called and they said MT#2.
Forum: rodboard

The die is cast! While others raise their price and only offer the same or less, you hold the line on price and actually increase content and give all your readers a free gift! I don't care if the gift is nothing but a free rod building calendar it just proves how much you value your readers. If only all others treated their customers this way.
Forum: rodboard

I see that Grizzly has four new small mini lathes listed. The least expensive one is a 10x18 that looks IDENTICAL to the JET mini lathe. Has anyone here seen one or better yet, does anyone here own one? At just $169 if it's the same or as good as the Jet it seems hard to beat and I have a card to get free shipping on it. Anyone have idea if this is a good machine? Thanks for any responses.
Forum: rodboard

Great issue and article Tom! But I would like to have seen more specifics on your no-twist casting handle. Not sure I can piece one up from that info.
Forum: rodboard

Thanks to those who responded. I got the one grip I needed and have proceeded with the refurb. This is a great resource for a rod builder in need.
Forum: rodboard

Is there anywhere these days to purchase the old heavy white rubber grips used on the black Harenell surf rods? I have one to refurb and one of the grips is chunked. Needs replacing and the owner wants to stay original if possible.
Forum: rodboard

Another thing for beginners- don't worry about the spine hubbub. It doesn't matter. Sight down the blank, find that straightest plane or axis and put the guides on one side or the other of that. It's the simplest and best way to get a great performing rod!
Forum: rodboard

Just wondering about how many custom rod builders presently exist in the United States. Does anyone have an accurate figure or know where to get one? No particular reason just something myself and a buddy were wondering about.
Forum: rodboard

Must be my day for nitpicking. Not so much on the slickness of the covering but the toughness. How is this going to hold up in HD situations where you have the rod butt in a rod holder or surf spike. What does it take to cut or dent the handle??
Forum: rodboard

This is for Tom, I am trying to get focused on the feel you would get from the funky handle you posted in the photo gallery. I wonder about the piece that raises the blank up over the reel. How could this possibly balance? If the point is to replace the need for a spiral wrap I can see it but also the raised height of the blank would seem to me to cause the problem all over again if the up and do
Forum: rodboard

Whatever you do don\'t even think about using a tubing cutter! I tried that and pretty much ruined a piece of the tubing. The cutter crushes it under the guide wheels. Doesn\'t cut worth a hoot either. I\'ve also gone to using a diamond wheel in a dremel and just use sandpaper to square up the ends afterwards. Only takes a minute and makes quick work of it.
Forum: rodboard

I think I need to change my E-Mail addy but not sure what I currently have on file or how to make any needed change. Help.
Forum: rodboard

Reading over the page deep topic about the rod expo possibly being history, I wonder if reducing risk might be done by reducing the show everhead. Less money at risk means less money to potentially lose. And since the event is so well attended anyway you might still be able to weather any bad weather, no pun intended, or other catastrophic event that might cut attendance. I have no experience in
Forum: rodboard

Assuming you have your rod chucked into a lathe of some sort, release or remove the belt from the headstock pulley so when you pull out the thread you are not pulling against any tension or resistance. Once I did that my spacing thread came off easily and without moving the thread that is being left behind. Try it, it might help.
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Tom Kirkman\'s book has the best basic Diamond wrapping instructions I\'ve seen. Boyd Pfeiffers instructions are a close second. Flex Coat offers some little instruction flyers for several basic wrapping patterns. The other ones mentioned here are VERY good but not really aimed at the beginner IMO.
Forum: rodboard

No offense intended but these type posts always put me off. Why would somebody post something like this? Did the dealer put him up to it? Is the poster being given a good deal in return for the good mention? I\'m not accusing anyone but I don\'t think you fellows realize how this sort of thing looks to a lot of us. If I see a guy come in and really blast a dealer I figure he has an ax to grind
Forum: rodboard

Duh. I had the article right here all along. Only had short shank spade bits but managed to find a bit extender and used that to get all the way through the entire length. Reground the back edges as indicated and it worked as promised. Thanks. I should have searched a little more before bothering you guys.
Forum: rodboard

What would be a good tool for boring cork with? High speed or low speed?
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No matter but my mind is already racing with ideas. Why has nobody thought of doing this on a fishing rod before??
Forum: rodboard