You might consider making one yourself - get someone with a camera to take a shot of you on the lake in your boat with your rod bent (hook to an anchor or whatever) and pose the fisherman (yourself) in whatever way you want. Take the photo into Photoshop or Aperature and create a silhouette or line art image from there. .............
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Or run the grip just past the butt of the rod and plug the hole with an EVA or Cork plug punched with a thin walled brass tube. ................
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Only a small handful of rod builders actually make the parts and pieces they use on their rods. If they can't buy them already made, they don't use them. For some it may be a weight issue, all the small trim parts you use aren't likely to weigh very much nor change anything noticeably. ..............
Forum: rodboard

Your problem might be solved simply by switching from a "lite" formula to a regular or high build formula. The "lite" finishes have to be applied more thinly than the higher build types. Depending on what you prefer and how you apply your epoxy, it could be that a "lite" version simply isn't the right tool for the job. .............
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Let the finish do what it knows how to do. Don't dab it, don't brush it, don't do anything to it. Leave it alone. You should be able to finish a wrap in less than 30 seconds. If you're taking longer than that, you're not doing yourself any favors. Most color preservers are very similar and at least 3 different brands are exactly the same product. ............
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I believe this is what is known as a "belled" ferrule design and certainly has much to recommend it over other tip-over-butt designs. ...........
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Thread strength is not an issue. Size A will be more than adequate in terms of strength for holding your guides to the blank. ...........
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I want to thank those of you who have sent photos of yourself along with the International Custom Rod Building Symbol. Hopefully, the photos will continue to arrive. The more I get the better the outcome of the project I'm preparing for the Expo will be. Even if you're not coming to the Expo, I'd welcome a photo of you, your shop, boat, etc., with the symbol. Just make sure you're in the photo.
Forum: rodboard

Sandpaper will "float" over the cylinder. To get the cylinder concentric with the bore requires cutting of the cylinder. This is best done on cork with a round nose scraped held mid-point to the cylinder on the tool rest. One or perhaps two passes is generally enough. There are no doubt other ways to do this, but for a beginner this is about the easiest method I know of. ...........
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Here is the direct link to the CD: .............
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The Special Edition #3 CD on Tools, Fixtures and Shops is now available on the RodMaker Magazine website. ............
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Send Gary your email address, please don't post it here. Thanks. ..........
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Let me put it another way - I don't know how to do it. ..........
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All indications are that that stretch will be open by the time the Expo rolls around. It's a little early to be too awful worried about detours and that sort of thing. ...........
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Being a closed cell foam I doubt that will work. The dye won't be absorbed into the EVA. ................
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The smoother you get your tools, the longer the edge will last. Guys that are serious woodturners may start with 80 grit, finish with 150 grit, then hone on a leather wheel with polishing compound. But you don't need to do all that for now. Just keep your tools sharp and when they're no longer sharp, resharpen them. Delta, Jet, Grizzly, etc., all offer slow speed water stone grinders for about
Forum: rodboard

I'd just take a look at the catalogs and see what appeals to you. You don't need SIC guides, almost any of the value priced aluminum oxide guides will be fine. Because you're ice fishing, don't go too small on the rings so you aren't constantly clearing ice out of them. ..............
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Or $15 for both days. About the best bargain that's ever existed in the custom rod building world. ............
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That distance depends mostly on the type and size line you use. A high 16 set about 12 inches in front of the reel spool would be a good place to start. You're not going to be concerned with casting, you just want a smooth line flow. You can plot a line path from the center of the reel spool to the tip and set your guides so their outside edges hit the line path. See where the high frame 16 hits
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You're not going to hurt the structural integrity of the guide itself, but the shorter the foot the less contact with the blank and the less wraps to hold the guide to the blank. I can't give you an absolute minimum of how much can be removed before you end up with guides that won't stay put. This is something you'd have to experiment with and see how short you can go before the way you handle yo
Forum: rodboard

A medium size/quality jpeg is best. But even a large jpeg will be okay for what I'm doing. Most digital cameras have setting for small, medium and large jpeg photo files built in. I think your Nikon does too. The trouble with large tiff files is that they often time-out in email transmission due to their very large file sizes. ..................
Forum: rodboard

I'm working on a special project to be unveiled at the Expo in February. I'd like to request that any of you who have put one of the International Custom Rod Building Symbol decals on your car, boat, shop, etc., please take a photo and forward it to me by email - rodmaker@earthlink.net . A me
Forum: rodboard

If you turn the insert large enough so that it sits flush on the outside of the hardware, the insert will block the reel foot from entering the hood openings on the opposite side. This is easily remedied by sanding or cutting a flat on the hood side. If you study the photos in JP's article, you can see him doing this exact thing on his SBSS seat insert. .............
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Overnight is plenty. ...........
Forum: rodboard

The IRS really doesn't care about your local business license. They do insist that every rod manufactured and sold has the tax collected and paid on it. There is an article on the tax in the online library here. .............
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If you charge him, or are compensated in any way, then you owe the excise tax, your state sales tax and any positive income should be reported on your yearly 1040 form. ............
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I'm sure it can happen, and needs to happen. But they'll likely take more abuse without actual damage to the frame than most ceramics will. ...................
Forum: rodboard

Keep in mind that something has to give. A fisherman who yanks a rod out of locker and hangs a guide that won't bend or let go will most likely damage the rod blank. One thing you might consider is the use of the flexible Recoil guides. They'll flex/deform and then spring back to shape. Of course your customer will have to be agreeable to the switch but if he's damaging a lot of guides this mi
Forum: rodboard

When you're ready to deal with the monthly paperwork (you should be doing some of that already) and the hassles of running an official business weighed against the amount of business you feel you can or are willing to generate. ............................
Forum: rodboard

You just need to order before they are gone. An order is confirmation. If I sell out, your order will not be processed. .............
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