I believe Steve's Hot Handle article was in the Volume 11 #2 issue. ...............
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The technique is applicable to any rod type and harkens back to the days when all rods were made from materials such as Western Red Cedar. .................
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Jon, I think it's in Volume 6 #3. It may also be in the online library here. You have a good many options as to how to do this and UL power blanks are ideal candidates for extending as you don't place that much pressure on your extension junction. ...........
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G. Loomis, Inc. blanks will continue to carry a warranty, but you are correct in that blanks will not be replaced with blanks. If Loomis determines that your blank broke due to a defect on their part, they will replace it with the closest available finished rod that they offer. I'm sure Loomis or Mud Hole will be happy to provide the specifics for anyone that wants to know. ................
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The expanded chart in the Universal Rod Rating System takes you up through something like 300 pennies. That would put your ERN at just over 19. ...................
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The IP840 might be interesting, but unless those trout get larger than I think they do, you still may find the popping blanks a little too much. You could always find a 6 to 6'6" UL blank you like and build the handle on an extension. That will preserve the UL power but get you the length you're after. The action will become a little faster, of course, but you may find that you like thin
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Rod companies that have their blanks made at any of the various no-name oriental blank manufacturing plants generally do not tout the names of the company they get their blanks from. Obviously Kistler sees a marketing opportunity by playing off the Loomis name. ............
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Both past and new material combined. .............
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RodMaker Magazine Special Edition CD #2, will be delivered this coming Friday. It deals with building specific rod types including, but not limited to: Ultra-Light Rods Stand-Up Rods Two Handed Rods Musky Rods Great Lakes Trolling Rods Bass Revolver Rods No-Foregrip Rods Live Bait Rods Surf Rods River Bass Rods Spiral Wrapped Rods Making Wooden Rods And Assorted/Related
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Many of those people may not have any clue what the term "fast" means. Action is where the rod initially flexes. I suspect many are actually referring to speed (reaction and recovery speed) and custom rod builders need to ferret out this information in order to make sure the customer gets what he's after. Ringed guides are not necessarily heavier than snake guides. Depends on the pa
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I'm not sure what you're looking for. They will be using blanks built by North Fork but these will not necessarily be the North Fork blanks which are offered to the custom builder. Nearly all blank manufacturers build blanks for commercial rod companies. But they are rarely the same blanks that the blank maker offers under its own brand to custom builders. As far Kistler offering their versio
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Generally if such a thing were available it would be offered by the same people offering the small lathes. If they don't show them, it's unlikely that they're available. ...............
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Chris, On the chance that Jon will be off this weekend I think I can answer that for you - yes, they are going to be fair trade priced both at the retail and wholesale level. .....................
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Why did you "flame the wraps and remove excess?" That's certainly not necessary. I can't say that caused your problem, but it didn't help matters. The thread isn't likely to have relaxed so it appears that the guides were wrapped too loosely. The guide feet often leave a surface impression in the soft finish of some blanks. .......................
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Carbon is a very stable material, able to withstand a very broad temperature range. However, heat above 200F can and most likely will damage graphite rod blanks. UV damages everything, but your graphite rod will fare much better than you will under many years of UV exposure. Harsh solvents like acetone and lacquer thinner can damage a blank but it would take a good bit more than a few wipes wit
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No, they're all easy to cast, particularly fast action models, provided you have the correct line on them. Beginners tend to try and cast fly rods the same way they cast other types of rods - to make it cast farther, throw harder. This doesn't work with a fly rod. Lie your garden hose straight out on the lawn. Pick up one end and give it snap and watch the loop travel down and along the hose.
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The North Fork Composites link is now active. They have unveiled a blog about their company and products in just the last couple days and you can reach it via their link in the sponsor column now. Their catalog is also available for download from the blog page. ...................
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To add, yes you can, but it's very, very hard stuff. Resist the temptation to use very coarse sandpaper as those scratches will indeed be visible. You need to finish up with at least 320 grit, if not 400, so that any sanding marks left are fine enough that they won't show. ................
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Mo, One thing is for sure, living will eventually kill you. It's good to take reasonable precautions with anything you use and in anything you do, but neither rod building nor the products we use in rod building are inherently dangerous provided you just use a little common sense. The vast majority of rod builders throughout the history of this craft haven't resorted to full hazmat suits a
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No, they don't all have the same taper. You can make your own reamers for not very much money. There are several companies listed to the left that offer reamer making kits. You only need to find some old glass rod stock (yard sales, etc.) and make up a number of them to cover about any size you'd find yourself working on. It's always good to make a few non-tapered reamers. These can used
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There have been 4 articles in RodMaker on making and applying decals and labels. Far too much information to go into here, but almost any of them will solve your problems. You might also want to check with Decal Connection, Mud Hole or Swampland Tackle. All offer decal services and/or decal products. ..............
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PermaGloss is outstanding for this purpose. If you want a quicker, albeit slightly less durable fix, a couple coats of Helmsman Spar Urethane in clear gloss exterior will do wonders. It's a good product and will hold up reasonable well. It's also very easy to apply - just spray it on. ...............
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Most epoxies aren't actually formulated for a 1 to 1 mix. But, to make things easier for the people using the products, those who formulate for rod builders (and others) will add "fillers" to one of the components so that the final ratio comes out at 1 to 1. There is always a little leeway, but it's a very small percentage and this is why you often hear builders advising not to mix les
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They all work. I have done such rods with the Simple Spiral and the Revolver/Roberts type and both have worked well. ................
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I don't have any, but those aluminum models with the O-rings are indeed the Featherweight "Sizematic" Ferrules. ...............
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There are no less than 6 specifically different spiral wraps. There are others, but they are mainly variations on these. Many of these spiral wrap types are explained in the Glossary here (click the button near the top of the forum panel). Those that aren't are covered in RodMaker articles and on the Special Edition #1 CD. ......................
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The initial application will tend to repel the next. This is part of what you're experiencing. At some point down the road, the top coat may peel off the bottom coat as it won't likely be adhered to it very well. Then again you may get lucky and not have that happen. But it's very possible. .............
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I would like to say that no blanks were harmed in the preparation of that article. Alas, I cannot - 42 first quality blanks met their demise during the photo sessions for the article. ......................
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They do not go by line weight. Like many of the non-composite seats, the numbers don't really refer to size insofar as ID or anything like that. You're just going to have to knuckle down and study the manufacturer's catalogs to get the size information. Obviously, any of the regular nylon-graphite seats are sized in millimeters for inside diameter. ..................
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Remember that the epoxy for adhering handles and grips is not the same stuff you'll use for finishing your thread wraps. ......................
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