The only advantage to a second coat is on the chance you missed a spot (edges in particular) on the first. One may be enough but two isn't going to hurt. ..................
Forum: rodboard

I show up there with $35,000 per issue. They seem to appreciate that even without donuts. I'm not going to take advertisement from non rod building related companies. Don't worry about that. .............
Forum: rodboard

I haven't turned anyone down for advertising - this industry is only so large. It is true that most publications are at least 50% or more advertising copy. RodMaker has settled in at about 15% and that's fine by me. If more firms wish to advertise, it is a simple matter to add more pages. .................
Forum: rodboard

I'll be happy to add more advertisements. Who do you know that's wanting to advertise? Just send them my way. ..............
Forum: rodboard

MIke, The use of a penny was to provide a simple means for taking the measurements. It didn't require any the user to come up with something to load the rod with and then have to measure that amount of weight. Dropping pennies into a bag and just counting them dispensed with having to weigh anything, not to mention having to acquire a scale with that type of resolution. It didn't preclude an
Forum: rodboard

Line slap on the blank does happen. A too large ring, or too short frame, or improper placement can cause it both on the cast and on the retrieve. I didn't say there wasn't some force or pressure - I said it did not exist there to the extent that it would cause any practical change in retrieve effort. Forgive me if I didn't spell that out plainly enough. ..............
Forum: rodboard

The type friction you suggest doesn't exist there. Friction is a function of the pressure forcing the specific surfaces together. No such pressure exists there to pressure the line against the ring. Do your own test - rig up a rod both ways and try it. You won't be able to tell any difference in retrieve effort. .................
Forum: rodboard

As a matter of fact, the issue that mails in December will have an article on blank failure - the causes and how to recognize them from visual inspection. .................
Forum: rodboard

The only thing you want to be careful of is the "purists." The main thing is just to have fun. Fly fishing is tremendously productive for nearly any type of fish. But you just have to fish and overlook a lot of the typical fly fishing mindset. A fly rod is just another fishing rod. It's not magical and it's not an art. It's just fishing. Approach it from that standpoint and you'll have
Forum: rodboard

It needs to be a simple rachet/scale without a lot of muss and fuss. I know how to do it. It's really just a matter of setting the scale to read increments of weight/pull equivalent to 10 pennies. .....................
Forum: rodboard

The guides you need depend on a lot of factors including the reel and line size. It would be hard for anyone to just spit out some sizes for you. I would recommend you read the article here on the library page on the New Guide Concept. It'll give you some good ideas on what to consider. ..................
Forum: rodboard

Due to the large upsurge in RodMaker circulation over the past few months, new options have presented themselves. I met with my printer this afternoon and it appears that as of next Spring, RodMaker will be moving to a full color format and will go from 40 to 44 pages. There will be no increase in the subscription price. This remains contingent on the subscription numbers staying up where they ar
Forum: rodboard

The back or inside of the blank package header card should instruct as to whether a ferrule reinforcement wrap is needed along with how long to make it should be required. I've never understood why blank manufacturers didn't use the empty space on the bag header cards to provide any pertinent information about the product and its use. ...............
Forum: rodboard

Power comes from various places - material, diameter and wall thickness. You can't put a number on a rod just because it appears to be of the same diameter as another rod. Nor is there any standard behind what constitutes an "8-weight." Ask these guys what makes one rod an 8-weight and another a 6-weight. They won't be able to tell you, other than to say something like "if it c
Forum: rodboard

There is a means to remove the physical weight of the device from the rod but it would entail doubling the physical size of the printed scale. I have to do a bit more thinking about all of this. .................
Forum: rodboard

Thanks, I had already taken that into consideration. ............
Forum: rodboard

That's exactly along the lines of what I'm thinking. In effect, they're doing the exact same thing but the particular scale they use is their own power scale (1-power, 2-power, 3-power, etc.) The only problem is that the CCS has so much more resolution it will take a much longer scale. But there's always a means to do it. ............
Forum: rodboard

Power is power. Action is where the blank or rod initially flexes. ................
Forum: rodboard

Why would having the line revolve around the entire ring reduce retrieve effort? If that were the case, why have the guide there at all? Remove it and let the line revolve in a large circle. The objective should be to keep the line from revolving in a large circle - that's the disadvantage of spinning equipment to begin with. ...............
Forum: rodboard

There is no such thing as a rod "spine" insofar as any physical thing inside the blank. It's not like your backbone. The spine is the result or effect of a variety of manufacturing anomalies. I think most anyone that has ever pressured and rolled a blank around in their hands has noticed that the location of the spine effect changes as you bring more or less of the blank into play. Rem
Forum: rodboard

I was talking with Tom McNamara at Mud Hole this afternoon. He was explaining the difficulty they were having taking the CCS measurements on their heavier blanks. The problem isn’t the CCCS - it’s the difficulty of securely holding a blank in a fixture while you apply that much weight (anyone that does static guide distribution on heavy rods knows what I’m talking about). At any rate, a
Forum: rodboard

Offering color options is very difficult for blank suppliers. A single model offered in say, 5 colors increases the number of required SKUs by 5. So if you stock 200 blank models, now you've got to stock 1000 blank models to cover those 5 colors. It's a nightmare for manufacturers and dealers, unless the dealers had some way of coloring blanks in-house for a fee. .................
Forum: rodboard

If the ferrules are that far off, you might want to swap it for a better blank. Or, you can just turn the sections by whatever slight amount is needed to bring everything back into straight. ..............
Forum: rodboard

My guess is that the lure you're tossing isn't heavy enough to fully load the 7'6" rod. If it did, it would cast further on that rod. The 7'6" rod would appear, from those specs, to be just a tad more powerful. .............
Forum: rodboard

The line ratings for the blanks means nothing. What are the lure weight ranges for each? Provided you can move it at the same speed, the longer rod should cast farther. But your casting weight may load the shorter rod better than the longer one. You may not be comparing apples to apples. ............
Forum: rodboard

I'm guessing you didn't read the recent RodMaker article on how to easily find the straightest axis. Most any blank will have a natural curve or warp. Affix the butt so that it is supported at two points about a foot or so apart. Try to get it reasonably level. Put something just beyond the tip for reference. A piece of graph paper on a card stock works well. Now rotate the blank and you'll s
Forum: rodboard

Probably, but I really don't know anything about "flood" coats and that sort of thing. .............
Forum: rodboard

I have 3 left. I can't put anybody's name on them, if you want a set just get your order in. I'll refund or return any orders that I can't fill. ................
Forum: rodboard

Tom, The power numbers given by the manufacturers are relative, but only within their own company's offerings. In other words, it is entirely possible that a 4 power Castaway is more powerful than a 5 power Loomis, or vice versa. The Common Cents System ERN power numbers, however, are relative across the board. If a rod or blank has a higher number than another, you are guaranteed that it w
Forum: rodboard

The stiffest axis of any blank is generally going to be along the straightest axis, on the convex side of the natural curve or warp. This is another part of the rationale that commercial rod manufacturers use for building on the straightest axis rather than the spine. ................
Forum: rodboard