Michael, anything is worth trying, and it sounds like you've been given some good ideas on how to handle it. Here is another idea for ramps that can easily be done in white to go with your grips. If you want to know how to do these, let me know.
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I'm no expert on this issue, but I do have a pretty sensitive @#$%& detector, and it just went off. How many of the problems that the process is supposed to solve have you experienced with blanks made with other processes? I have had none. All of my very few rod failures have been because I did something stupid with the rod, and I really don't think any blank build process would have prevented
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Great grip, Stan. Would make a nice article in the magazine.
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Got it, thanks. I guess I would like to be able to run a knot through the guides of both a pike rod and a flippin stick, but different strokes. . .
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Another case of my missing something everyone else seems to get. Heavy flippin stick with micros? What are the advantages of micros on a heavy flippin stick where the casts are usually less than a boat length? And they aren't usually even casts? Don't get me wrong, I'd just like to know. thanks, Mick
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Very nice work, James!
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I also print a test on plain paper, James. That is a very good idea. Forgot to mention that. I haven't tried the paper from Papilio. The white vinyl is very thin, adheres well without tending to straighten out and lift, so doesn't require a "tie down" procedure like some of the stiffer hologram media need. By the way, if the stiffer ones are used and need to be tied down overnight I
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The best way I have found to do photo decals, and I've done a lot of them, is to print them on Papilio white vinyl media. I don't think photos will look near as good on a clear decal, but I could be wrong. 1. Use a program like Paint Shop Pro, Photshop, or MS Paint (which is on every Windows computer) to design your decal into a size that will approximately match the rod onto which it will be
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That makes them sort of "float" in space. Nice effect on a clear media decal.
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You HAVE TO HAVE a very smooth, flat surface or you will have a big mess. If the peel and stick is home printed spray it with a fixative before applying it and go around the edges with CP before epoxying over it. Epoxy tends to attack the edges, lifting them, so you want to seal them before the epoxy. If you are using white media the edges will be white after you cut it out, so blackening the
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My most comfortable seat is a simple pipe seat, up locking, with ramps off the ends of the seat the same diameter as the seat itself, made in size 18. IMHO, no seat made on a size 16 will be very comforatble for the whole day. I use ramps made of reel seat shim rigid foam material, and when coated with epoxy finish, with the same diameter as the seat, it's very comfortable. Want a palm swell
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The only cork I use on fresh water spinning rods now is in the butt knob of a split grip. And I use the composition/burl cork, so its quality is good. And I expect it will be for quite a while because it can be made from pretty poor cork.
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I may be missing something with every build I do, but if I balance such that the rod is not tip heavy the length of the rod below the reel (spinning-fresh water) is so long that it snags on my arm, especially if I'm wearing rain gear or similar clothing. I've found that balance is highly overrated, and I just build for best fit for the technique I'm using with the blank I want to use, and build
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Make it a 4 piece, you will not have a performance penalty and it will travel much better.
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Looks like the shape is very good ergonomically for the casting rod. The bulb behind the reel on spinning rods is purely styling, in my opinion. I really don't like the looks of either, and if they are in fact heavy, I see no sense at all for them. The tapered St Croix casting grips of the past were very good ergonomically, and weren't ugly. Just a personal opinion on the style.
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Another.
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Doesnt' show the color off that well, but if you're interested in classy, give it a try on a test wrap.
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The first question you want to answer is do you want a showy color scheme, a classy color scheme, or a "stealth" color scheme. Sounds like you're going showy, and that combination sounds good. 'Another that looks good on graphite blanks is using candy apple red for the primary color, trim it with gold metallic. One of my favorites for a "classy" scheme is to use Gudbrod garne
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It's easy to test the other way around, Dave, without investing a whole build in the experiment.
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Just tape wrapped my first Bushido blank, a CB 68, not what I would suggest for spinnerbaits, but I wanted it for small rattletraps (bait casting). The blank is really light, exactly the weight Amtak advertised, very handsome in what I would call a satin dark charcoal color (matches well with the new Fuji casting seat), test casted wonderfully with a Fuji micro setup, and feels very sensitive in
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I have very little experience with them, but recently bought a white SJ series blank that was listed as a medium power, fast action. I believe it is significantly off from other blanks I've built with the "medium/fast" designation. This one is more like a medium heavy/extra fast. Looking at the butt diameter and weight of the blank I should have suspected that it wasn't going to be s
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I set it up at 19 with guides on top and it casts like a dream with 15# flourocarbon and a Revo STX. I didn't try many variations, but it doesn't appear to be that sensitive to the position of that first guide. One thing I tried, just for the heck of it, was to make the rod into a simple spiral rod. While I didn't really try to tune it much, it appeared to me that the simple spiral cost me s
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A friend wanted a spinnerbait casting rod for smaller spinnerbaits and I made him a casting rod on this blank": XSB802.75 TC 6'8" 1 6-15lbs 3/16-5/8oz 0.465 5.0 X-Fast M 1.53oz Finesse spin/tubes/jig worms $122.72 With micro guides, he LOVES it. He uses it for the smaller spinnerbaits and shaker baits (blade in front of weighted skirt).
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Very nice job on the video.
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My experience indicates that any fast or extra fast blank of the length you want (fishing with rod down? Maybe 6 1/2 feet is long enough) and designed for the lure weight you want will do fine on spinnerbaits. Keep in mind that 1/2 oz spinnerbaits are actually a little heavier than 1/2 oz. 1/4 heavier than 1/4, etc. Some believe that the extra fast action will cut down on "helicoptering
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Thanks, guys. Jim Ising suggests starting at 19, minus a little if light action, plus a little if long/stiff. Jim G, is there casting layout info on the GPS button? Missed it.
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I may have missed it in the video and other reading material, but I haven't seen any recommendation on how far from the reel to place the KW10, assuming a typical low profile, narrow spool casting reel. Anyone have advice? About 20 inches appears about right to me, and fits well in the flex of my current rod project. What are the tradeoffs of going too short or too long? thanks, Mick
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If I am interpreting the question correctly it involves locating the guide accurately when an underwrap is used, which means that a mark has to be made on the underwrap. A mark that you don't want to show when you're done. Right? How about marking all guide positions on the blank one inch (or whatever distance is required to be outside the underwrap) off from the final position? Then no mar
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My favorite panfish rod, with which I've caught bass over 3 pounds, walleye about the same, is built on a 3 weight Amtak 7 1/2 foot fly blank. I'm a real fan of slower actions for rods like this-they cast light lures very well, set the hook fine, and don't tear out of tender mouths. Depending on the length you want, there probably are some "steelhead" rods that might work, but many of
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Jay, on my rod I saw no visible entry point for the water, so it could have been a "miss" somewhere in the finish coupled with the fact that that rod did have CP. All I did was dry it and put on another coat being sure that I covered everything everywhere around the guide with finish.
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