I don't believe you have a lot to lose by just installing the tiptop and see if it works. It probably will work fine. If you haven't yet installed the guides I recommend spacing them with the possibility of losing a half inch or so of the tip if you need to reinstall the tiptop on a slightly shorter blank. If you are just starting and can choose the rotational orientation of the tiptop, put t
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Keep in mind that kids grow fast, and that little cute rod will very quickly not be appropriate. It also may not work well at all. Keep in mind that the act of fishing is about the same for children as for adults, and a really short rod that you would have trouble with, kids will have trouble with. Far better in my opinion is to build them a real rod, on the short side, but still a real rod th
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I had the same problem on one of my rod builds and I simply kept the rod in a dry place until the wraps had cleared totally, then put another coat on (buff the original finish with scotch pad) being careful to get the tunnels properly per Tom's instructions. No problem after that.
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Mark, the comment on the ease of use of white vinyl is right on-it is very easy to use. It will show white only where you have designed a white object or text. The white will show through because your printer cannot print white and will leave it "clear." When I try to match the blank color on white vinyl however, I can only be really successful when trying to match black. Maybe it's
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You can make very good decals by printing on stick-on media, like Decal Connection or Papilio, but there are limitations: No white as mentioned, no metallics, you should print with glossy paper settings on your printer, and you may have to adjust the intensity setting. Select colors to achieve highest contrast ratio with the background (the blank, most likely). The rod shown here has three suc
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Gaston, the fingerprint problem is on the underside, the sticky side of the decal, and the tips presented should prevent that.
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I have not found that a pre-coat of epoxy is necessary on glossy blanks. It doesn't hurt anything, but I don't think it is necessary. A pre-coat on flat finish blanks will ensure that the decal adheres better and doesn't show the dullness of the flat finish blank. For the MHX type transparent peel and stick it will require two coats. At least this is my experience.
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I am a firm believer in the dry wall principal. There comes a time in sanding dry wall where more sanding will just make it worse. While it is difficult to find that point in dry wall, it's easy on decals. I suggest just one coat of fixative (get it too thick and it gets stiff and with more coats you have more chance of getting a run) and CP just around the edges (to minimize any problems CP m
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OK, I can see the value of that demo as it is with an actual rod; I misinterpreted the term to mean something artificial. I'll have to tape some guides on top of one of my spirals and see what I find. thanks for the detail.
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I really don't see why a demonstration device is necessary. What better demonstration device is there than a real rod and reel? I humbly disagree that turning a spinning rod upside down is a legitimate demonstration, unless one plans to have very high guides on his casting rod builds. I have built and used both, and like Roger, like them for trolling. For casting use? Not a big deal. I seen
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Attaboy, Milt. Who could ask for more?
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Just noted your comment on clear CP- I have used some clear CP, and it took forever to cure. I would stay with the conventional CP like Flex Coat. It has never looked anything but clear, and it cures reliably.
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When I have the decal printed I spray with Papilio or Krylon clear gloss UV inhibited fixative. Then I cut it out. That leaves the edge without fixative. After applying to the rod blank I go around the edges (only the edges) with Flex Coat CP to seal the edge so that it doesn't curl when epoxy is applied. This has worked for me. Like David said.
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If it isn't totally dry and hard to the touch, don't do anything other than wait until it gets that way. then put another coat on it and let it totally dry/harden. I would not apply wax as it could compromise later coats of finish.
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Build rods long enough and you'll encounter the problem of white thread not being opaque enough (the dark blank shows through, or dark threads under the white show through) even with CP. I've found that the pearl metallic Pro Wrap 9880, with CP, is very opaque, and really looks like white when next to another color. So it works very well as a narrow trim band on other color windings, with the d
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Pretty spectacular grip, Lorenzo. You're a much more patient man than I. I'm not sure if you can get more glossy with Tru Oil. One of its features for gunstocks is its softer gloss. There may be an overcoat you can put on it, but I would test it before I used it to be sure all the work you have already done won't be damaged by the overcoating material. -
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Here is an article on a very long process to get a great finish with oil. I have not gone to the lengths of this author and have gotten some really great finishes using Tru Oil. For gunstocks most want the finish to be smooth, but not glossy. The last part of the article gets into this. For gunstocks it is important not to add much finish with each application of oil, so I was taught to ap
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I think that for most freshwater rods all the components will work quite well regardless of price. They may not look as good, but almost all will work fine. I think the biggest opportunity is in guides where even the cheapest guides will probably last forever. Put a premium tiptop on, however-that's the one that will get grooved or have a ring broken. But you HAVE to have the right blank or i
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Russell has it right-open the tiptop. You will be surprised how much difference you can make without compromising anything.
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Lorenzo, what you are doing is very much like the process for gunstocks. By the way, I had to put regular epoxy on the butt cork of a rod a few years ago, very glossy, and it still looks like new and has not shown any separation from the cork.
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You can write on Papilio clear stick-on decals with sharpie type pens, use ultra-fine to get a look a lot like the old Heddon hand written specs, then coat with a sealer like papilio's or krylon. I seal the edge of the decal with CP to help keep the epoxy from attacking the edge. Make sure to use a piece of the decal backing over the decal as you are going over the decal with a plastic burnishi
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Tru Oil started as an oil finish for gunstocks, or at least that was its major use for a long time. As a gunstock finish, it provides penetration and protection with the first coat. If one keeps adding coats it will build up a "coating" above the surface of the wood, or cork. The nature of the surface with multiple coats will be different than that for just one coat. I use just one
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Lorenzo, my prediction (based on zero actual data) that the Microwave would be less sensitive to reel dimensions and line type was based on the observation that it takes most of the loops out with the first guide, and that guide didn't look to me to be very sensitive to the direction the line is coming from. It was only a logical "guess," and it appears from other responses that it was
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After searching the forum and not finding my thoughts already covered, I thought I would open a new topic: I think there are some aspects of the Microwave system that have not received much or any attention. First I'll admit, I've not tried it yet. But from reading, watching video, and applying logic to the system, I would think that the system has significant differences other than its ca
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Not sure how everyone is defining "decal." If it means waterslide, I have no input. If it means putting an image onto a rod through the use of a film then I can contribute. If you have an image of what you want to put onto the rod, then you can scan that image into a computer file, then print that image onto a film, then apply that film to the rod. Not that difficult once you can ne
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Often the hot water approach with no cutting will do the job. Try it first.
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Roger, have you considered that what you have when you do the one guide replacement is in concept pretty close to the Fuji "Rapid Choke" concept?
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I have found for SPINNING RODS that the ergo recommendations in Rodmaker Magazine are valid, that the diameter that works best is usually bigger than the normally considered size 16. For freshwater spinning rods I have found 18 the best for me (9 inches from tip of thumb to tip of pinky with hand spread max). Using an 18 pipe style reel seat with a ramp matching the front diameter of the reel s
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Are they not quite high for the 90 degree guide on simple spiral?
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I don't think it matters to performance whether you spray before or after cutting. The decal will be encased in epoxy, probably the ends will be covered with thread and epoxy, and only the "seam" parallel with the blank axis is the issue. It too will be covered with epoxy. And on the bottom out of the sun. I have seen no issues with decals I have made that were sprayed before cutti
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