James. I use both 2 and 4 piece rods and I see no difference between the action in them. It just takes longer to line up the guides in the 4 piece. I would fish with either at any given time. Harold
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Chris. It took me a lot of builds and the same drumming into my head from the builders on this forum for it to sink in as well. Leave the stuff alone and let it do what it does best. Self-level.
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Just tell him you don't do business that way. Why would you jeopardize your integrity for someone you don't even know. If he wants your build bad enough, he'll pay for it including the applicable costs to get it to the UK. Harold
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Phil. I would think relieving the anxiety of balance prior to the build would be a little difficult. If you static test your build and tape the guides in place and then take it out to the front lawn with line and reel in hand, you can get a pretty good feel for balance. Naturally you have to be gentle with your casts so as not to rip the guides off. The problem here is that the wraps and ep
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Roger Don't use regular medical syringes as they have silicone in them. Use the ones supplied by Flex-coat or other similar epoxy supplier as these are silicone free. Harold
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Hi Roger. We've all been there on our first builds. Epoxy can be intimidating the first time or two. As Mike said, the first thing to remember is a 50 - 50 mix. (most important) Best working temp for epoxy is 78 to 80 deg. By heating it, you hastened your problem. Epoxy is a liquid and will self level. The more you mess with it, the more chance you have of introducing contaminants. App
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Welcome David. You've landed in the right place. This site is a "living encyclopedia" on rod building. Enjoy Harold
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Hi Tim. Absolutely wax the mandrel. I bore my cork rings and wood inserts just slightly larger than the mandrel which helps stop them from sticking as well, but if you don't wax the mandrel, it is guaranteed the grip will stick. I use a 1/4" wood dowel for stacking my cork on and two ready rods with wing nuts for applying pressure while drying. I use simple candle wax to coat the wood d
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I haven't even got 11-4 yet and I'm already drooling over 11-5. What a great publication. Thanks Tom, and of course all who contribute to it's success. Harold
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I use the same dryer and have never had that problem. Are your support stands at the same height as the centre of your jaws. If they are a bit lower, gravity will pull the rod from the jaws not to mention the epoxy will build ever so slightly to the right side of your wraps. Just a thought. Sorry Mike, didn't mean to quote you.
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Terry and Tom have pretty much summed it up for you James. All I build are fly rods ranging from 3wt to 10 wt. and the 8'6 to 9' 6wt is right on for the fish you plan to target. IMO Stick with the IM6 rather than thinking about an IM7 or IM8 for your beginner rod. (beginner as in casting a fly rod) For the most part, less expensive and more forgiving. Almost guaranteed you will nick the tip
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Spencer, my knots are bigger.. Lol Harold - Note to self...User smaller nail when joining leader to flyline.
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Dave: Here's the spacing chart that I use, but keep in mind every blank is a little bit different, so this will give you the starting point. Static testing from here will put them right on. From the tip-top - 4.5, 9.5, 15.5, 22.5, 30.5, 39.5, 49.5, and 61.5. The guide sizes are - 4 # 1's, 3 #'2 and either a #8 or #12 stripping guide, your choice on the stripper. Harold
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Keep it all coming Tom. I appreciate your free advice. Looking forward to something that will possibly get the youth involved in rod-building. Cheers
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Hi Lynn. It won't let me open your site on here. Only shows a blank page. Hmmm Email sent. Harold
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A little tip I picked up along the way. If you have a few bubbles in your mix when you pour it onto the foil. Take a regular soda straw, and just blow air onto the top of your mix. The bubbles immediately disappear. I also do this on the blank if I notice a small bubble. Also, use the least amount of epoxy you can to get everything covered. Less is better.
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On areas with decals or signatures (longer flat areas) you may want to apply your epoxy lengthwise from butt to tip rather than around your blank. In these areas, I turn the blank by hand and use lengthways brush strokes.
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Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum. I've been building fly rods for just over a year. Tom. Could you elaborate on the water-break-free surface for me? Are you referring to roughing the surface a bit with a green scrubby pad or is this something else.? Thanks
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