Looking forward to Saturday in Iowa.
Forum: rodboard

Lorenzo, I've got the deco book, at least I believe it's the one you're referring to. For $30 or $40 you'll get the patterns you want plus a whole lot more for future use. If I went to all the work and assembled that book I'd be displeased if someone were to scan patterns and sell them.
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They just come as spinning guides. The whole idea is to tame the line coming off the spool and that wouldn't apply to a casting rod.
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I normally measure the 27X from the top of the spool face, not the middle of the reel seat. Most of my builds have been for 2500 size reels and in my experience those have been in the 42mm to 46mm range. It depends upon the reel manufacturer. I can't add anything about the other reel sizes but I'm sure someone will chime in soon. Good Luck
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Tom, I remember you mentioning some time ago that a properly setup 27X will perform very similar to the microwave setup. Those weren't your words verbatim, but that was the gist of the statement. Is this still true or has the microwave been tuned to be somewhat better?
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These ligature bands work the best and are available in different sizes. You can easily move the guides on the rod during static testing. Chuck posted a great picture a little while back.
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Jim, I've been using Corel / Paint Shop Pro for over 10 years so I may also be able to help you.
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Pulled Mark's book off the shelf this past weekend and read it again for the umpteenth time. Great book Mark. I was working on a tiger wrap and wasn't completely happy with the leveling of the finish. I decided to try sanding the finish as outlined near the end of the book and although I didn't feel brave enough to start with 60 grit sandpaper, I did use 180 and 220 and got very good results.
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The CCS measurements don't translate to subjective terms like moderate or fast. They're measurements that will tell you how rod blanks can be objectively compared to one another. The ERN of 5.5 tells you is that the blank is less powerful than something with a higher ERN and more powerful than a blank with a lower ERN. Same thing with the action angle. In the case of the F865 MHX, Mudholes'
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Peter, Here are some past posts that'll give you more information. Check out Billy's comments in particular.
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Barney, welcome to the forum. "I don't plan to build a bunch of rods, mine family and friends." For the amount of rods you're planning to build, the power wrapper is unnecessary. Use the money you'd spend on the wrapper and put it towards rod components. I did my first 40 or so rods without a power wrapper and they turned out fine. I'm sure yours will too. All you need to do i
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Fred, Try this process. It works for me every time.
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My wife put a clock in my man cave/rod room. Guess I was down there way to much.
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Well yesterday I measured the room and laid out everything using Google Sketchup(great tool by the way!). I'm 6'1" so I think if I set my bench around 42" that should be a comfortable height. Doing that also creates a ton of storage space below the bench. Thanks for everyone's input.
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I've noticed that after a few hours spent sitting at my work area while wrapping guides and other tasks involved in rod building, that my body can get tired and sore. Neck and back get strained from leaning over the work area, legs cramp from sitting in one position to long. I'm going to redo the rod room sometime this summer. I've read where standing is easier on the body and actually can be
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Been using the same tied loop of flat dental floss for the past 8 months.
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Check out past Rodmaker issues... and
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I'm kind of leaning towards to Batson ISP783F.
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Bruce, thanks for the reply. My bad, I neglected to state he uses spinning gear.
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I've got a customer from Oregon who is receiving a rod from me as a gift. He's not a hard core fisherman but likes to get out when he can. He mostly shore fishes for 10" to 12" rainbow and cutthroat trout with a 6', 2 piece, medium action rod. He prefers 2 piece since it's easier to get around in the brush. He might be open to a longer 3 piece rod but I haven't confirmed that yet.
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Hi Torin, I've done a few of these and I use PVC for molds and drill 3/8" hole in the resulting acrylic blank. I chuck the piece into the head stock and then use a 3/8" brad point bit with a jacobs chuck in the tail stock. Once drilled I turn the piece using a 3/8" mandrel. I prefer drilling first because there always is a little chip out when the drill bit exits the back o
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If you think great customer service is hard to find then you haven't ordered from Bill at Midwest Rod and Reel yet. I needed parts today so I could get started on a special ice rod project. Without getting into details, Bill found a way to get me all the parts I needed...even though he's away enjoying a much deserved vacation! THANKS BILL!
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Chuck, I got my first batch of those bands last month. All I can say is "WAY BETTER"! Especially when static testing.
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Gene, looks like you're WI, I'm in Twin Cities and just got mine today...
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Don't know if you've ever tried using casting resins. It may be possible to fasten the skin to the handle with whatever means necessary, then stick it in a mold and pour in the casting resin. After it has set you would need to turn the handle on a lathe to get to the desired size. A while back Tom posted a picture of a clear acrylic handle. Just imagine the same concept except with the fi
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Dan, I built a pike rod using Batson's IMB846 and that worked out really well.
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Use this search criteria on Youtube. "CA pen turning". You'll find examples that can be used on rod handles.
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Contact Bill at Midwest Rod and Reel. Great service!! He always helps me unsure I get the right blank for the right application.
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Chuck, I've seen those Jersey Skinz and I really like them. And speaking of moral dilemmas, I've got and upcoming request for a Packers rod! ;) Oh well, I made myself a Vikings rod a couple years ago and I have yet to catch the "big one" with it . ;) Chuck "and put the client's name on in the proper font..." I've been so focused on the usage of the logo that
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Random thoughts... Let me start this by stating I've never built any customer rods with copyrighted logos, etc. without permission from the copyright holder. Seems like every other customer that I've built for would like a rod with their favorite teams logos and colors. While I have no problem with the colors it's the logos I haven't touched. However, I am curious if any builder has e
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