Thanks Spencer, Some of those either aren't found at my usual places or are a tad too pricey for this project. I will keep looking for them though. Steve
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Thanks Mike. I guess I missed that lone 2 pc at the bottom of the list. That might be just the ticket minus a foot off the butt. Open to other suggestions as well. Thanks again, Steve
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Good morning. Got a request for an inshore spinning rod for 1/2-2 maybe up to 3 oz bottom fishing with live and dead baits on 20 lb braid and mod or mod/fast action. The problem is he wants a 2pc. I like the Batson SWS and SWB models but it doesn't look like they have something in a 2 pc. Also trying to keep blank price below about $50. Thanks for any advice. Steve
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I also build mostly inshore rods and use Madeira most of the time. Usually with CP and lately I've been trying it without. No problems with CP and it's fine after the second coat of finish without CP. Steve
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There are still some out there but All Star is no longer offering blanks. Lord knows I've tried.
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I've heard of people using Zap-a-gap. I've never tried it, always just replace the whole thing.
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At the ICRBE, Scott at Fishsticks let me dig through a huge box of pieces that were perfect for this. I made him take five bucks because he didn't want anything for them. I would try to call them.
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Paint- easy, works just about any paint and finish aplied over it, or Krylon Fusion or similar paint Carbon fiber- More difficult without practice, I bet Mike or Vikki at Riley Rods would be happy to help Tiger Wrap- pretty easy if you research and do it right, also looks great Marble finish- also pretty easy with research and offers nearly unlimited color combos Also take a look at the ele
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That's one thing that really made me scratch my head, no spinning braid entries. Tom, please do this again next year... if there is a next year. I agree with the thought that a lot of builders backed out due to all of the talk beforehand, I was one of them! The contest was a great time though.
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What brand of finish? What's the temperature in the room? With most finishes it's completely normal to still be tacky after 4 hours. Give it time and keep the temp above 70 degrees or so.
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Darren, I've turned many inserts, cork rings, full cork grips, EVA grips, about a dozen foam cores, and reshaped a lot of pre-made grips with mine. If you want to turn longer stuff, drop the adjustable base all the way down and kick it off to the side a little, clamp a piece of wood with a hole in it sized to your mandrel. Slide the mandrel in the hole and the other end into the chuck. I
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I've often thought of building a Madeira "washing machine" to pull the thread through a solvent / alcohol bath as it's wrapped onto a rod or another spool. I have only experimented with it in my head though. I need to figure out a reliable solvent to remove the silicone without damaging the thread. Anyone know? I have applied epoxy directly to Madeira and after a few wasteful attempt
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Thanks everyone. Billy, I saw old posts where you said people could contact you for questions about the parts, didn't know if you sold them or not. I can't wait to see your wraps & grips at the show BTW, I've gained a lot info from your book. I think will go the email route and get the Matagi parts directly. Thanks again, Steve
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After looking at all the Matagi eye candy on the photo page yesterday (thought they were advertisements at first... lol), I want some. Older posts that I've found note extremely long waits sometimes, upwards of a few months. Is there still a long wait to get this stuff? I've got the catalog of the large wholesale place in NY but can't call right now. Does anyone keep a large variety of these
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Thanks Paul. I'll look into it.
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Well, just more work to do. Always looking for a better way, finding time to build is hard enough! Thanks again Tom and Jim, Steve
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Thanks Tom. That's what I was trying to make easier, but it's the only way the Tax Man explains it as far as I can tell. Steve
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For "cost of goods sold"? I'm trying to streamline records for when tax time comes. I'm curious what methods might be best for a rod builder wether it's to keep inventory of every guide and part in or out, or add up all parts receipts and subtract what I've used, etc. I'm not really asking about tax law here, just advice on the easiest way to account for used and unused inventory. I use
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Thanks to everyone so far. Price, especially at @#$%&, is what steers me to the Rodsmith initially. I looks like the chucks are the same as the "basic" power wrapper chuck from Pac Bay as well, true? I know others have complained about it coming loose. Wall mount is not an option at this point but I love the thought. Also, my new builds are mostly light/medium inshore and repairs cov
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I finally made the jump to get legal and got a repair contract in the works from a local tackle shop. I now find myself in need of a multi rod dryer. I like the price and small footprint of the Pac Bay quad but I think I would prefer the chucks of the Flexcoat quad. Can anyone provide any other pros & cons of each? There's always the option to build but I want something turn-key. Also,
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BTW, the article is in Rodmaker 10-6. Riley Rods has a slightly different way of doing it than the article but they both work fine. I'll add that Mike and Vikki at Riley Rods are excellent to deal with. Mike even answered some of my questions the other day while he was driving home from work. Now that's customer service!! Steve
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Pros: Feels great, good grip, nearly indestructable Cons: Much heavier than natural cork, harder to shape & ream. I prefer them as trim rings or as end pieces of grips where there would normally be a lot of wear. Steve
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Thanks for the replies. Being used almost exclusively in Florida, I can't imagine the cold being an issue either.
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Anyone used these yet? I'm building a Lamiglas GLB 961 for personal use and would like any specific pros/cons of this particular seat. I know it's rather heavy and that will not be an issue. Thanks, Steve
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You could use the SBSS as outlined in issue 12-3(i think) of Rodmaker or modify it to use both the front and rear pieces of a skeleton seat instead of the Tennessee ring. I don't own a lathe and I've turned many grips on a hand-me-down drill press that I converted into a vertical lathe for about $5.00. Email me if you would like some help doing it yourself for cheap. Steve
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I built one of those out of burl and aluminum accent rings on a 7'10" MHX and it feels great! From now on if I have a doubt about an Aero being too small I will use the SBSS. Unfortunately I haven't been able to finish that rod yet... or make an SBSS out of foam core/composite. That handle is one of the most valuable things I got out of my subscription so far. Thanks Tom and J.P. Timberla
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Depending on the lure you plan to use, it sounds like a fly blank might be your answer. Very nice & affordable options in the Batson line. I'm not a fly guy but if you post a lure weight range I'm sure someone will chime in with a specific suggestion. You could also extend a blank pretty easily if your handle configuration allows. Steve
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I spent several hours at Mudhole last month for the sole purpose of checking those blanks out, and found them all to be outstanding! Especially at that price! I totally blew my budget but have plenty of MHX test rods to build now. The customer service there is exceptional and I have no doubt they would be happy to spend some time on the phone to get you set up with exactly what you want. As Bill
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This drove me nuts today so I measured when I got home. My 2009 models are 1 3/4" Pre 2009 are 1 13/16". Hope this helps you out Mike. They are the same size as the Stradic as long as you're dealing with the same year models.
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