Fred, Why would you use a locking wrap on a double footed snake guide, or any double foot guide for that matter? ..........
Forum: rodboard

hery brock Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The spine of a rod provides structural integrity, > essential for support and flexibility in fishing. > It's the backbone of the rod, ensuring durability > and performance during angling adventures. Actually it's just the opposite. Rod spine is not a physical thing. You may wish to read this: .
Forum: rodboard

Locking wraps are intended primarily for single foot guides. ..........
Forum: rodboard

Roger, That wouldn't provide you with any of the benefits of the NGC. .......
Forum: rodboard

We are getting close to the final exhibitor list. As of January 26: EXHIBITORS All Around Fishing American Tackle Anglers Resource Batson Enterprises Bill Ballou's Custom Fish Grips Carolina Cast Pro CORK4US CTS Fishing New Zealand Custom Colored Guides Dale Clemens Rod Collection Decal Connection Decorative Studio DreamWeaver Rods EP's Rod &
Forum: rodboard

Here's what we know for certain- 1. There are no proven advantages to building on the spine. Building on the straightest axis has proved to provide the greatest lifting capacity. Casting accuracy has never been proven to be better on one axis than another (and few fishermen cast on the same axis/plane every cast). 2. All rods with guides on top will attempt to twist when under load. All r
Forum: rodboard

Do not thin your color preserver. Water won't preserve the thread color. .............
Forum: rodboard

You could use the same set-up as what was listed above. No need to go larger. ..........
Forum: rodboard

I've used a copy-duplicator and you're correct, it's more trouble than it's worth on cork. Here's an easy way to turn a bunch, however, at it won't take much time. Work with a long cork stick. Enough to perhaps do as many as 4 or 5 end to end. Turn to the barrel OD and then go in and turn your shoulders. Part off. This is a lot quicker than doing them one at a time. ............
Forum: rodboard

Mark, Go here and skip to the 3-minute mark and you can see how easy it is to get a straight edge off the ends of the wraps with no tape. The key is to have the heel of your hand supported so you have more steady hand when doing this. .......
Forum: rodboard

You're correct, Mike. The spine is usually anywhere from about 90 to 170 degrees off from the straightest axis. It is the stiffest axis that generally falls in line with the straightest, although that can vary by a small handful of degrees. As far as casting accuracy being better if the rod is built on the spine, 40 years out that remains to be proven. ...........
Forum: rodboard

Ryan Edamatsu Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I would try to make the choke guide the same size > as the running guides. I currently find that that > won't be possible for me on a rod I'm working on. > The best layout for me is to use size 5.5 KB belly > guides (meaning the choke is size 5.5). Then use > size 5 KTs for the rest of the runn
Forum: rodboard

David, That's where we obviously parted company - I am working directly with the NGC as developed by Fuji Japan. Angler's Resource is their U.S distributor and has developed their (Jim Ising) own variations of the original concept developed by Fuji. ...........
Forum: rodboard

"...would by your definition, mean the choke point would technically be an additional 12.5 cm further down the rod." Yes it would, and that would be incorrect insofar as where the actual choke or intersect point actually is. If you consult the original NGC system you will see the illustrations that depict the NGC and from the choke point to the tiptop all the guides are the same size
Forum: rodboard

That is correct. And the guide located at the choke point should be the smallest guide used. If it's not, then you have not fully choked the line at the choke point and not realizing the designed benefits of the concept. Perhaps further context is needed. From the same article the Glossary term is taken from: "Note the point where the rod blank intersects with the table edge. Set your s
Forum: rodboard

Spencer Phipps Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > An epoxied carbon skin sleeve is the perfect thing > to use to hide marginal cork. Interestingly, that is exactly 1/2 of the equation that resulted in the first foam-core, carbon-skinned grips. Andy Dear was doing this exact thing with some poor pre-formed cork he got from either All-Star or Cast-a-Way.
Forum: rodboard

The choke guide is the guide that completes the line “choking” process. By necessity of that task, it will be the smallest guide on the rod. It should be located on the rod’s choke point. Any guides beyond the choke guide will be the same size as the choke guide. They are termed “running guides.” In effect, the choke guide is the first running guide. ...........
Forum: rodboard

Spade bits for making reverse cutting bits are available in a wider variety of sizes than most realize. I have never had any issue matching a bit to nearly any size seat hood I needed to recess.There is also a little trick for making tiny adjustments if necessary, which is covered in the article. ...........
Forum: rodboard

The choke guide is the first running guide. They will all be the same size The reason the first running guide is named "choke" guide is because at that point no further reduction (choking) of the line takes place beyond it as all the remaining guides are no smaller than the choke guide. ..........
Forum: rodboard

Find the straightest axis on each section and assemble them that way. .............
Forum: rodboard

Be careful - so called flor grade can be anything the dealer says it is as there is no percent grade nor photographic standard for what constitutes "Flor" or any other grade (Gene Bullard made up the term "flor.). This was the point of the RodMaker Cork Grade Scale I set up several years ago, By providing an actual photographic and percent clarity scale you know what you're getting
Forum: rodboard

Thread is thread. Wrap it just like you do any single color thread. ........
Forum: rodboard

Depends on what you used to adhere those pieces to the blank with. If you used hot melt glue, you might pull it off. If you used epoxy, once you break the bond, that's it. The bond is broken. And... the amount of heat required to break a good epoxy bond is often enough to damage the rod blank. .........
Forum: rodboard

Spencer, I put that deal together. Frank Paul King is the owner of TFO. He wanted to return his blank production to the US and called to ask me about finding a blank and rod production manager for this new venture. I suggested Bob Penicka, who Frank did not know at that time. Bob had just sold his share of Axiom to St. Croix and was retired with no intention of returning the business. But the
Forum: rodboard

Having multiple spools on the carriage is less about wrapping with more than one thread at a time and more about having access to different spools so you can swap to different colors or sizes without having to change out spools for each change. ..........
Forum: rodboard

Alternatives - foam-core, carbon skins, carbon tubes, leather wrap over cheap cork or foam core, flocked grips also over cheap cork or foam core, shrink tube handles, wood, etc. Lots of options to choose from. RodMaker is filled with dozens and dozens of articles on techniques, basic to advanced, for making various type handles and grips. .........
Forum: rodboard

The reverse pilot bits are among the most helpful tools a rod builder can have. .........
Forum: rodboard

St. Croix sells their blanks through their blank sales arm - Rodgeeks. They'll be at the Expo. RodForge is a new company but staffed with people (Rodgeeks and TFO) that have been in this industry a good while. From there you have Mudhole MHX, Batson Enterprises, North Fork, American Tackle, Anglers Resource, etc. and nearly all have great quality, fine performance blanks well within the $100 to $
Forum: rodboard

The advantages of building on the straightest axis have been proven - this isn't a "theory." Any advantages of building on the spine, however, remain theory and are in fact based on the flawed idea that spine orientation can be used to prevent rod twist and improve casting accuracy. Proponents have never offered any proof of either and the prevention of rod twist by spine orientation ha
Forum: rodboard

It's hard to keep the bore concentric by hand or drill. The key is to keep moving up in reamer size. You want to the reamer making contact around the entire ID of the grip bore as you push the reamer into the grip. You do not want to simply move the reamer against one side of the bore. It must make contact all the way around. Once it no longer does that, you move up to the next larger diameter re
Forum: rodboard